Carl Lechner

General Sales Manager at Ellsworth Adhesives

Apex, North Carolina, United States

About

As the General Sales Manager at Ellsworth Adhesives, I manage a team of professional sales engineers in the southern United States, growing a diverse distribution business of adhesives, sealants, coatings, and equipment to OEM customers. With over 10 years of experience in this role, I have developed core competencies in sales team development, expansion, supplier management and collaboration, customer interaction, negotiating agreements, market expansion, program development, forecasting, and strategic sales planning. Prior to joining Ellsworth Adhesives, I was a Senior Sales Manager and a Senior Market Manager at LORD Corporation, where I was responsible for the sales organization and the marketing strategies of the industrial chemicals divisions in the USA and Canada. In these roles, I honed my skills in restructuring the sales organization, creating a strong "hunter" culture, driving growth through pipeline opportunities and CRM tools, coordinating cross functional teams and resources, guiding product development teams, establishing pricing and profit strategies, and converting market and customer needs into actionable programs and tactics. My mission is to leverage my expertise in adhesives and coatings to deliver value-added solutions to customers and stakeholders, and to support the growth and innovation of the industry.

Experience

  • General Sales Manager at Ellsworth Adhesives
    Oct 2013 - Present · 12 yrs 10 mos

    Responsible for managing a team of professional sales engineers in the southern United States to grow a diverse adhesives, sealants, coatings and equipment distribution business to OEM customers. This includes sales team development, expansion, supplier management and collaboration, customer interaction, negotiating agreements, market expansion, program development, forecasting and strategic sales planning.

  • LORD Corporation (18 yrs 4 mos)
    • Senior Sales Manager
      Aug 2012 - Aug 2013 · 1 yr 1 mo

      Responsible for the sales organization within the industrial chemicals divisions in the USA and Canada. Skills & Accomplishments: • Coaching and developing subordinate managers and sales professionals • Restructuring the sales organization to enable faster growth and increased profits • Creating, executing and monitoring the division's sales strategies and tactics • Optimization of channel partner resources • Creating a strong “hunter” culture to drive new business and market expansion • Driving growth through pipeline opportunities and CRM tools • Forecasting, budgeting and demand planning • Coordinating cross functional teams and resources

    • Senior Market Manager
      Dec 2009 - Aug 2012 · 2 yrs 9 mos

      Responsible for the development, communication and tracking of the business plan and marketing strategies in complex B2B industries within the automotive and industrial marketplaces in the Americas region. Skills & Accomplishments: • Aligning corporate objectives with the division’s business plans and strategies • Creating, communicating and implementing comprehensive market plans • Coordinating market demand with manufacturing capacity and workflow • Guiding product development teams and launching new products into the marketplace • Establishing pricing, discounts and profit strategies • Converting market and customer needs into actionable programs, strategies and tactics • Forecasting future revenue, profit, product and demand • Optimization of the channels to market and development of channel partner programs • Establishing effective marketing communications, marketing collateral, promotions, brand awareness, customer targets and value offers

    • National Account Manager
      Jan 2006 - Dec 2009 · 4 yrs

      Responsible for the start-up, growth and development of large national customers, manufacturers’ representatives and distributors. Skills & Accomplishments: • Establishing and managing customer relationships and programs • Negotiating contracts and agreements • Directing the sales organization to execute plans and programs locally • Resolving channel conflict • Designing and delivering technical and sales training programs to end users, channel partners, market influencers and industry organizations

  • Premier Industrial Corporation (10 yrs 5 mos)
    • Regional Sales Head
      Jan 1990 - May 1995 · 5 yrs 5 mos

      Responsible for all sales activities in the Premier Autoware and Kent Industries divisions within the central United States region. Skills & Accomplishments: • Coaching, training and developing a team of 80+ sales professionals and sales managers • Developing, executing and measuring the overall sales strategies and tactics • Creating a strong “hunter” culture to drive new business and market expansion • Recruiting, hiring and firing • Coordinating cross functional teams and resources

    • Sales Representative / Market Manager
      Jan 1985 - Jan 1990 · 5 yrs 1 mo

      Responsible for direct sales, sales training, sales management and marketing in the Kent Industries and Certainium Alloys and Research divisions calling on end user customers in the industrial MRO and automotive aftermarket.