People in the News

A company-wide kickoff event on February 22 unveiled plans for the group and its engagement activities throughout the year.

Franklin Electric Co., Inc. (NASDAQ: FELE) announced the formation of a new employee resource group (ERG) dedicated to providing an avenue for women to grow both professionally and personally through education, networking and advocacy. Known as Franklin Women’s Network (FWN), the group’s promise is to, “build a welcoming, inclusive community, provide professional alliances, equip Franklin women with relevant development tools and resources, and guide Franklin women to identify and achieve career milestones.”

Companies have implemented ERGs in recent years in response to a growing awareness and support for employee betterment. ERGs create a network of like-minded employees who want to collaborate and grow personally and professionally.

While months of planning went into formalizing the group, the idea for the FWN stemmed from a chance encounter in the company’s hallways between Franklin Electric Engineering Manager Sukaynah Abu-Mulaweh and Global Business Operations Vice President Amy Stauffer. The two struck up a conversation, and Stauffer began meeting with Abu-Mulaweh on a regular basis for mentorship sessions. “Sukaynah and I were from two uniquely different business areas. Our ability to meet and connect took planning, but we both valued the discussions we had during those sessions,” explained Stauffer. “As a new manager, Sukaynah wanted to form connections that would help her grow and learn about the business from someone who has worked in this industry for more than 20 years.”

During Stauffer and Abu-Mulaweh’s mentoring conversations, the two discussed the importance of taking the experience they shared and creating a more formal network. From there, the idea grew. With the help of steering committee members from various areas of the business, including Human Resources, Finance & Accounting, Engineering, Marketing and Supply Chain, the FWN was born.

While the ERG is targeted towards women – who are often underrepresented in the industries Franklin Electric serves – the group has made it a point to invite all Franklin Electric employees to participate.

The group’s kickoff event, hosted in Fort Wayne on February 22, was an example of this inclusiveness in action. More than 70 employees participated, including leaders at all levels of the organization. Franklin Electric Chairperson of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Gregg C. Sengstack, welcomed attendees. Abu-Mulaweh then presented plans for the year that will include quarterly networking seminars as well as frequent interactive workshops and personal development opportunities.

“We wanted to kick this off with a real community feel, and this event accomplished that,” said Stauffer. “Seeing everyone come together for this common goal of learning and advancement is so important to the future of our business, and really, the future of the industries we serve.”

Vice President of Global Water Engineering Don Brown also knows how important programs like this are to the members of his team, including Abu-Mulaweh. “When I first learned of the plans to form the Franklin Women’s Network, I was excited about the benefits it could bring to our company. The strength of a company is in its people, and this initiative will help us demonstrate that we are a company that values diversity in its workforce, and diversity in the ideas of its people. The very existence of this group will help us retain the best women in our workforce, and – just as important – it will help us to recruit more women into our company.”

To learn more about Franklin Electric’s FWN and the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, visit franklin-electric.com.

Mikrofill Systems Ltd. (Mikrofill), part of the U.K.-based Stuart Turner Group, has appointed Illinois-based AIM Solutions as its representative for the U.S. Midwest. The representative will introduce the Mikrofill 3 line of hydronic pressurization devices to professionals in the plumbing, HVAC, and industrial and municipal markets in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

With over 20 years of industry experience, AIM Solutions is a distributor of and manufacturers representative for centrifugal pumps, vacuum pumps, blowers, motors, variable frequency drives, and related products for the plumbing, HVAC, industrial and municipal waterworks markets. Based in the western Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, Illinois, the agency comprises a team of professionals with backgrounds in the pump industry, manufacturing, engineering, wholesaling and contracting.

“I believe Mikrofill has created a genius solution with the one-of-a-kind Mikrofill 3,” says Tom Buchanan, who works in Application Sales for AIM Solutions. “I was on a mission to work with this company, and I’m looking forward to what I believe will be a great partnership with Mikrofill and Stuart-Turner for many years to come.”

“We welcome the opportunity to work with AIM Solutions, its customers and industry contacts,” says Stuart Martin, Group OEM & Export Manager for Stuart Turner. “Their in-depth product and application knowledge will be an outstanding complement to our team.”

For more information on the Mikrofill 3 or technical assistance, visit mikrofill.us or telephone 312 761 5826.

For more information on AIM Solutions, please visit https://www.aimsolutions-inc.com/

Burnham Holdings, Inc., has announced that Douglas S. Brossman will retire as CEO, effective April 24, 2023, after a fifteen-year career with the company. Christopher R. Drew, currently President and COO, will become Chief Executive Officer.

Christopher R. Drew, currently President and COO, will become Chief Executive Officer.

Drew brings extensive knowledge of the HVAC industry to the position. He has been a long-standing participant in the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and continues to serve as an Ex-Officio member of the AHRI Board of Directors after previously serving as Treasurer and Chairman.

Burnham Holdings Inc. is also pleased to announce several other additions to its executive management team.  Paul D. Spradling has been promoted to Vice President of Operations, and Bryan O’Toole has been promoted to Vice President of Business Development.

Burnham Holdings, Inc. is the parent company of numerous subsidiaries that are leading domestic manufacturers of boilers and related HVAC products and accessories (including furnaces, radiators and combined heat and power systems), for residential, commercial and industrial applications. Products are manufactured at plants in the East, South, and Midwest.

Leon Weiss joins the top data-based solution provider for field service technicians as CFO and Jeff Grisenthwaite is named CPO

XOi Technologies, a leading provider of technician-focused technology solutions, announces the addition of Chief Financial Officer Leon Weiss and Chief Product Officer Jeff Grisenthwaite to the company’s leadership team.

Weiss and Grisenthwaite each bring extensive executive experience in the software industry to XOi as the company continues to transform technology for field service contractors.

“Leon and Jeff bring unique experience and skills that align with XOi’s mission and strategy,” said Aaron Salow, founder and CEO of XOi. “Their visionary leadership is inspiring our team and giving us powerful momentum as we head into 2023.”

XOi Technologies announces the addition of Chief Financial Officer Leon Weiss (left) and Chief Product Officer Jeff Grisenthwaite (right) to the company’s leadership team.

Weiss is an experienced finance leader with a focus on helping fast-growing SaaS companies scale efficiently and sustainably. As XOi’s CFO, he will develop and implement financial and talent development strategies and processes to support the company’s continuing growth and innovation.

“XOi’s success presents unique opportunities in an industry that is experiencing a tremendous amount of changes,” Weiss said. “The foundation of innovation and results that XOi has established positions the company for accelerating growth in the future by reaching more field service professionals and expanding the number of markets we serve.”

Grisenthwaite has more than 20 years of SaaS experience focused on helping companies run more effectively with automation, machine learning, analytics and employee development. As XOi’s CPO, he will oversee product strategy, roadmap and UX design. Key areas of focus include prioritization of new customer segments, expansion of partnerships, and the introduction of new machine learning predictions.

“I’m thrilled to be joining XOi’s focused, passionate team,” Grisenthwaite said. “XOi has distinguished itself by delivering an unparalleled user experience for field technicians. In doing so, the company has unlocked a novel data set to power machine learning insights for service companies. I’m eager to help shape the next phase of growth that will realize a robust ecosystem of value for customers and partners, while always keeping the technicians at the center.”

XOi’s growing suite of cloud-based solutions offers the premier data-cataloging and analytics functionality for field service, giving teams a range of tools for increasing efficiency, accuracy and accountability. Powered by XOi’s standardized workflows, job documentation capabilities, and training and enablement solutions, teams can build deep and easily accessible institutional knowledge bases that support real-time decision-making and data-based continuity. Service teams can apply these extensive data-science capabilities to analyze those foundational elements and strategically respond to evolving data trends and forecasts.

For more information about XOi, visit https://xoi.io.