John Morehead Email & Phone Number

Enabling manufacturers of motors, gearing and controls to achieve sustained, profitable growth by assessing and leveraging core competencies and resources through strategies that produce distinct competitive advantage.

• This French manufacturer of gearmotors, controls, PLCs, switches and aerospace components was wholly owned by Schneider Electric when joined and now owned by private equity.
• Came on board to stabilize and grow declining gearmotor business in a time of major corporate transition.
• Established new direct sales force to replace sales force shared with sister motor company (BEI Kimco) that was part of business later spun off to Sensata.
• Offset customer attrition due to Asian competition in commoditized legacy products by focusing sales team on new high value, differentiated brush and intelligent brushless DC motors and gearmotors at prices 200% higher.
• As a result, achieved 6% annual growth with 40% margin improvement.
• Increased sales of differentiated products to 20% of total from less than 3%.

Bonndorf, DE

• Driving marketing, channel development, product strategy, strategic alliances and M&A.
• Joined German manufacturer of motors, gearmotors and intelligent motion control products after its acquisition from Alcatel-Lucent by European private equity firm. Charged with increasing North American brand awareness.
• Implemented new branding program and marketing initiatives that successfully changed from a virtually unknown entity in North America to a recognized leader in smart motion control in U.S. market.
• Created a comprehensive new lead generation program that quadrupled sales leads within 6 months, landed multiple new $1+ mil. customers in target markets while driving double digit sales increases.
• Identified, contacted and engaged in discussions and preliminary negotiations with over 15 potential U.S. motor, gearing and controls acquisition candidates, with annual sales ranging from $5 to $50+ million.
• Expanded distribution channel partners from only 4 to 24 independent high tech distributors.

Kent, Ohio, US

• Recruited to manufacturer of fractional horsepower electric motors, gearmotorsand gear reducers to bring focus to new business growth and customer satisfaction at a time when service levels were negatively impacted.
• Helped grow sales 50% in four years, with 99% customer retention while customer satisfaction survey results improved by 10% through proactive customer retention program.
• Captured very significant new OEM business within 24 months by devising a marketing campaign targeting a competitor’s vulnerability in a key market segment.
• Introduced expanded line of inverter duty higher efficiency gearmotors and expanded offset
• hollow shaft gearmotor offering with higher power capability.
• Instituted first line-item forecast, encompassing all standard and custom SKUs, offering detail to permit supply chain organization to negotiate best value and schedule most efficient delivery of materials.

Peosta, IA, US

• Responsible for sales, marketing, customer service, product development, and key member of strategic planning team.
• Drove double digit annual sales growth with focused initiatives on increasing market share, expanding markets, and proactively retaining existing customers.
• Increased operating income 200% over a 36 month period.
• Reorganized sales force, when it was determined remedial efforts would be ineffective, by terminating long-standing rep agreements in underperforming territories and reducing direct sales force by two-thirds..
• Revitalized a niche international market segment from a single customer and grew it to six customers, virtually “owning” that market segment.
• Increased distribution outlets from 75 to 500+ by implementing national distribution agreement, with sales by that distributor increasing 30%+ in each of subsequent four years.

International licensing and technology transfer consultant. Representative clients included Illinois Tool Works (ITW), Sundstrand, Johnson & Johnson, Clorox, Lubrizol, Vickers, Scottish Development Agency, SISIR (Singapore). Authored the manual, "Finding and Licensing New Products & Technology from the U.S.A." which became a standard reference in the.