ATG Named ORS Nasco 2016 Supplier of the Year; ATG Associate Jeff Tholen Honored
SPARKS, Maryland - January 31, 2017 - Apex Tool Group was presented with ORS Nasco’s Strategic Supplier Partnership of the Year 2016 award at its Annual Leadership Summit in Tulsa, Oklahoma on January 25, 2017. ORS Nasco, North America’s leading wholesale provider of industrial and welding supplies, brings together approximately 250 attendees at its largest event of the year.
Also honored at the ORS Nasco Leadership Summit was Jeff Tholen, National Account Manager, who was named Sales Professional of the Year. This is not the first time ORS Nasco has recognized ATG – or Jeff - for outstanding service; we won its 2014 Supplier of the Year award, its Value of Wholesaling award in 2013, and in 2014 Jeff earned a “Supplier Hustle Award.”
The awards presentation included, from left to right: Chris Kempa, Essendant SVP Merchandising; Nick Serio, Channel Marketing Manager, NAHT; Justin Mayer, ORS Merchandising Director; Kate Hartman, Channel Marketing, GPT; Steve Laviolette, Regional Sales Manager, Apex Bits; Chris Sanford, Senior Director of Sales - National Accounts (with our award for Strategic Supplier Partnership); Jeff Tholen, National Account Manager (with his Sales Professional of the Year award), and Ric Phillips, President, ORS. Not present for the photo was team member Mendy Benton, Channel Marketing, JOBOX/Campbell.
At this customer summit, ATG participated in a trade show for preferred suppliers to ensure that ORS Nasco reps receive in-depth product info and hands-on training. New this year was a “reverse trade show” where suppliers, including ATG, visit with each division of ORS Nasco and interview the team on how to integrate into different segments of their business.
“GearWrench® was our number one focus this year, with great excitement from the sales team and management,” explains Tholen. “Every discussion we had at the show was to obtain conversion leads and the highlight our three GearWrench brand pillars of ‘Speed, Innovation and Access.’”
ORS Nasco is the Industrial/Welding arm of Essendant group (which includes Medco, Nestor, Adox, OKI Bearing, CPO and LaGasse); it carries over 260,000 products from more than 700 manufacturers that serve over 8,000 customers. ATG products that are carried by ORS Nasco include our Hand Tools, JOBOX®, Apex® Bits and Sockets, and our Cleco® and DOTCO® power tools.