Tervis makes leadership changes

Promotes Rich Kaplan as president/chief brand officer, joining Patrick Redmond as president/CEO

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 3/9/2012 11:27:18 AM

Kaplan

Redmond

VENICE, Fla. — Tervis, the leader in insulated drinkware since 1946, announced the promotion of Richard Kaplan to president, chief brand officer.

Board member, Patrick Redmond, was also recently named president and chief executive officer of Tervis Tumbler Company. Redmond has served on the Tervis Board of Directors since 2010 and was recently appointed as the company's new president and CEO. For the past 17 years, Redmond held business development and financial leadership positions at Jabil Circuit, a $17 billion contract manufacturing and design services company based in St. Petersburg, Fla.

"At Tervis, we put a strong emphasis on bringing in top notch talent to elevate the company," owner Norbert Donelly said. "It's talented people such as Rich and Pat who will continue to lead Tervis on a path of strategic growth."

Talented employees are making quite an impact at Tervis; the company has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years. The family-owned business has grown from just 200 employees a few years ago to nearly 650 today - with plans for continued expansion. Kaplan and Redmond will be instrumental in continuing to lead the team to continued success.

Over the past four years, Kaplan played a significant role in growing the company. As chief sales & marketing officer, Kaplan led the sales force, the direct-to-consumer channel (Tervis-owned stores and tervis.com), licensing and the marketing and product development teams. In his new position, he'll continue to lead those areas while also playing a more substantial role in driving Tervis' strategic direction.

Kaplan led the product development team's expansion beyond the traditional Tervis tumbler with the January introduction of the already popular 24-oz. Water Bottle along with a variety of new sizes and accessories within the drinkware line.

"With Rich at the helm, you can expect to see many more innovative products coming from Tervis," Donelly said. "He has a keen eye for which products and accessories complement the Tervis brand and appeal to our loyal base of consumers."

With his extensive sales background, Kaplan expanded Tervis' reach from a regional to a national level. His efforts took distribution to an all-time company high - more than 5,000 retailers nationwide now carry Tervis drinkware including Bed, Bath and Beyond, Bealls, Macy's, Hallmark and other major retailers as well as numerous independent gift, sport and specialty shops throughout the country. The company's products are also sold at Tervis retail stores (11 locations and growing) and the newly redesigned tervis.com website, which experienced a 30% jump in sales versus last year. Overall, the combined channels of business attributed to a nearly 60% sales increase year over year.

Kaplan's extensive knowledge of licensing, coupled with his vision to grow the program at Tervis, resulted in more than 40 new and extended license agreements in the past four years. These licenses appeal to a variety of target demographics, reaching nearly every age range, fan and enthusiast.

And, this past year, Kaplan led the marketing team's first-ever, national advertising campaign, resulting in significant increases in brand awareness - a key strategic objective for the company.

"The Tervis ownership team has been extremely supportive in priming Tervis for this tremendous growth spurt," Kaplan said. "They encourage employees to be creative and think outside the box at every level of the company. I thrive in this environment and am honored to help lead the company toward a new era of strategic growth."

Prior to Tervis, Kaplan's career spanned a variety of high-profile consumer brands, including Levi Strauss & Co., where he worked for 20 years, JNCO Jeans Company, J&J Apparel and Siesta Sol, LLC.