Former MSC executive joins BlackHawk Industrial
BlackHawk Industrial, a distributor of metalworking and other mission-critical industrial products, has appointed Steve Gettleman as vice president of category management.
Gettleman brings three decades of industrial supply distribution experience, including over 20 years in senior leadership roles.
Gettleman will oversee BlackHawk’s category strategy across metalworking, fastener, MRO, and industrial product lines through the sales and digital channels. His focus will include enhancing product assortment, optimizing category and supplier performance, and leveraging data insights to drive profitability and market differentiation.
Before joining BlackHawk, Gettleman served as vice president of global private brands at ADI Global, where he built the company’s first global sourcing team in Shanghai and significantly improved private brand profitability by reducing sourcing costs and strengthening supplier partnerships. Under his leadership, ADI’s private brand revenue grew 25% year-over-year, marking the company’s strongest performance in five years.
“Steve brings a rare combination of category expertise, global sourcing experience, and demonstrated success building world-class supplier strategies,” said John Mark, president and CEO of BlackHawk Industrial. “His leadership will play an essential role in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and strengthening our category performance, deepening supplier collaboration, and delivering the technical excellence and value our customers expect from BlackHawk.”
Prior to ADI, Gettleman spent nearly two decades at MSC Industrial Supply Co., where he led the Metalworking Strategy Team, Enterprise Pricing Team, Capital Machinery Division, and West Coast Wholesaling Operation. Gettleman also spearheaded MSC’s first Asia sourcing operation, driving more than $100 million in sourced volume and achieving 30%–60% cost reductions through strategic supplier partnerships. His leadership helped evolve MSC’s traditional product department into a modern, high-performing Category Management organization.
“I am honored to join BlackHawk Industrial at such a pivotal moment in the company’s history,” said Gettleman. “BlackHawk’s commitment to innovation, customer success, and data-driven decision-making aligns perfectly with my passion for building high-performing category strategies. I look forward to partnering with our suppliers, teammates, and customers to drive long-term value and category excellence.”
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The November/December issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Applied Industrial Technologies. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam and Frank Hurtte, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
