Vollrath Sales VP Park Retires, Kelm Steps in to Fill Role
Chris Kelm
The Vollrath Company, a leader in the foodservice equipment industry, announces that Dennis Park, Vollrath’s vice president of sales, is retiring after serving the company and the industry for over 35 years. Stepping into the role of leading the North American sales organization is Chris Kelm.
“Dennis’ contribution to the growth and success of Vollrath over the last three and a half decades has been invaluable. He truly is an iconic figure in our industry,” says Brian Hedlund, senior vice president of Vollrath Foodservice – US and Canada. “While Dennis is about to enjoy his well-earned retirement, we are excited to welcome Chris Kelm to Vollrath and leverage his valuable experience to grow our business further.”
In his position, Kelm will provide continuity in leadership for the North American sales organization and manage the distribution strategy. He is responsible for directing, planning and developing sales activities and establishing policies and objectives of the sales function to support the strategic objectives of the organization.
Kelm comes to Vollrath after over 15 years at Johnson Controls, where he held various positions of increasing responsibility in finance, corporate strategy, commercial operations and sales management. Most recently, Kelm was the executive director of channel strategy and commercial operations for global products business. He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and information technology from Northern Michigan University and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Founded in 1874 and based in Sheboygan, Wis., The Vollrath Company is a privately held, family-owned and, today, a six- and seventh-generation woman-owned company. It has 10 factories spread across the United States, Europe and China that manufacture products to exacting quality standards globally, backed by outstanding customer service. The company focuses on quality design, engineering and manufacturing across its business divisions for foodservice and custom and specialty products.
Vollrath Foodservice is a global leader in foodservice equipment and supplies that offers an expansive portfolio of award-winning, premium-quality commercial foodservice equipment including serving systems and components, countertop equipment and smallwares. Primarily produced and assembled in the United States, Vollrath’s products are manufactured to exacting quality standards globally, backed by outstanding customer service and extensive educational resources. For more details, visit vollrathfoodservice.com.
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