Jacksonville, Fla.-based
W&O has promoted three individuals to management positions because of the growth the
marine piping supplier has seen in cruise industry-related sales.
W&O has introduced several new products
to the cruise industry during the past year, the company says, most notably the
iShip and FuelProof data management
and bunkering systems, which have generated great success for W&O by bringing
new solutions to the cruise market.
“With the economy starting to rebound and
more individuals pursuing cruise leisure travel, ship owners and operators are
very busy updating and renovating their vessels with the latest technological
solutions. We have seen a steady uptick
in our cruise-related business, prompting us to promote key individuals who
have been instrumental in cultivating and servicing this growth,” said Michael
Hume, president and CEO of W&O in a company press release. “Given the nature of the cruise industry, knowing
the market and its unique demands is essential.
Our team continues to exceed our customers’ expectations based on this
focused attention to the cruise segment.”
Kurt Gibson, formerly manager of cruise
industry accounts, has been promoted to director of sales & marketing for
all of W&O. In this new role, Gibson is responsible for directing the sales
and marketing efforts of all outside salespeople and will work closely with
W&O’s new regional managers and their respective sales teams. Gibson has
been with W&O for three years and is now based out of the corporate offices
in Jacksonville.
Charles Ledford, who has been with W&O
since 2007, has been promoted to manager of cruise industry accounts and
remains based in W&O’s Fort Lauderdale branch. During his time at W&O, Ledford
has held various positions that have all focused on servicing the global cruise
market, most recently inside sales manager-cruise. In his new role, Ledford is
responsible for identifying new opportunities and ongoing development of
products and services for our cruise market customers. One focus of these efforts will be iShip and its affiliated components.
Elier Vilalta, who just celebrated his
one-year anniversary with W&O, has relocated from Houston to Fort
Lauderdale and assumed the role of inside sales for cruise industry accounts. Under Ledford’s tutelage, Vilalta is also tasked
with cultivating and expanding W&O’s cruise industry customer base. Most recently, Vilalta was the associate in
charge of W&O’s SPACE Valve testing facility in Houston.