Turtle & Hughes names three new VPs
Turtle & Hughes has promoted three of its branch managers to vice president.
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| Left to right: Jeff Smith, Brian Fitzgerald and John Donohue |
“We congratulate Brian Fitzgerald, Jeff Smith and John Donohue who are all hard working and dedicated employees and very deserving of this recognition,” said Jayne Millard, chairman and co-CEO of Turtle & Hughes, when making the announcement.
According to Luis Valls, president of the company’s Electrical Distribution division, “Over the years, all three of these branch managers have displayed the characteristics that exemplify a model employee at Turtle & Hughes -- excellent customer service, the highest degree of technical expertise, and a competitive spirit when finding new ways to innovate for our customers.”
Brian Fitzgerald joined Turtle & Hughes in 2008. He manages one the company’s largest electrical distribution branches located in Bridgewater, New Jersey, as well as the New York City location. In addition, he directs the company’s Data Communications specialty group, which provides network design, architecture and support.
Fitzgerald is recognized for his exceptional sales growth. In his first five years managing the New York City location, he doubled sales. Under his leadership, the Bridgewater branch has experienced 15 percent sales growth over the last five years with significant growth at its busy counter. Fitzgerald is also commended for his current project work leading the company’s CRM integration.
Fitzgerald started his career at Turtle & Hughes as Branch Manager of two other New York-area locations. Prior to joining Turtle & Hughes, he served in several technical sales and management positions at GE, rising to Vice President of GE Supply. His graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering. He has a green belt in Six Sigma.
Industry veteran Jeff Smith was named branch manager of the Hauppauge, New York, location on Long Island in 2019. In addition to maintaining all of his original sales accounts, he also co-manages the company’s New York Lighting department.
Smith joined Turtle & Hughes following the company’s acquisition of Mid-Island Electrical Supply in 2013, where he had been an employee for ten years and served in an outside sales role. Previously, he spent five years at Graybar. He started his career as an electrician for IBEW Local 25.
At Turtle & Hughes, Smith is credited with directing several sizable lighting projects, including the largest lighting rebate job on Long Island in 2019. His expertise also expands to switchgear, and he has been involved in multiple large projects for commercial, industrial, government, and educational and institutional customers.
Smith graduated from Suffolk Community College. He is a member of the Suffolk County Electrical Contractors Association (SCECA). He partners with the local chapter of the National Electrical Contractor Association (NECA) and the IBEW national joint apprenticeship program.
In each of the three years that John Donohue has managed the Turtle & Hughes Levittown, Pennsylvania, branch, it has experienced double digit growth. The branch services the greater Philadelphia area and offers full service capabilities to the market.
Donohue joined Turtle & Hughes in 2015 as Levittown sales manager and was named Branch Manager in 2016. He had previously spent over a decade in outside sales at Valley Power Lighting Center and Electric Supply, where he rose to Vice President. Before that, he was co-owner and operator of his family’s business, Mohawk Electric. The business was founded by his father in 1969. Donohue is a member of the Electrical Association of Philadelphia.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The March/April issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Joyce Lansdale and Vallen. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and David Kahle, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
