Engine Division At Kawasaki Promotes Sales Executives And Restructures Territories, Adding More Staff

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Oct. 19, 2015)—In order to accommodate planned sales growth and dealer network expansion, the Engine Division of Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. has partially reorganized its dealer sales structure, including several key promotions and staff additions.

The company has promoted Karen Howard from senior national sales manager, dealer channel to the position of director for dealer sales, international distributor sales, marketing and order services.

Bryan Speet takes over as national sales manager, dealer channel from his position as a regional sales manager.

Russell Corey, who had been a district manager at Kawasaki, becomes regional sales manager. Corey will manage the East Region and join Scott Lincourt, who has regional sales manager responsibility for the South/Southwest Region. One regional sales manager position remains open.

In conjunction with the company’s restructuring of its sales territories, several new district managers have been hired. They include Craig Erickson, Jeff Fietsam, John Hagan, Andrew Garcia, Adam Smith, and Eric Wells.

Rodger Howe, vice president, said “Moving forward, this growth and realignment of our sales districts will both support existing dealers and provide the needed structure for our growth plans. We are being proactive, both with the district planning and with being sure that we’ve got the right people in the right places.”

Howard, a 23-year veteran at the company who has held several management positions in Kawasaki’s sales organization, had also been manager of marketing and order services. She was an integral part of the company’s transition from a distributor to the current dealer direct business model.

Speet recently joined Kawasaki as a regional sales manager following 14 years in progressively responsible executive sales positions with Tennant Company. His roles there included both regional and national sales manager titles.

With Kawasaki since 2009, Corey has received numerous sales performance awards, including recognition as the company’s District Manager of the Year in 2012.

Kawasaki currently markets more than 40 general purpose engines, most of which are produced by Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. in its Maryville, Mo. facility which has turned out in excess of eight million units.

Kawasaki Engines, a division of Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., distributes gasoline engines for landscape, industrial, and consumer markets. The division is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich. It sells to and services customers through a network of more than 40 OEMs, 15 distributors, and more than 7,800 independent dealers throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, select countries in Central and South America, and the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific, including Guam.