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 than non-differentiated legacy gearmotor products.• As a result, achieved 6% annual growth with 40% margin improvement.• Increased sales of differentiated products to 20% of total from less than 3%.• Developed and implemented plans that successfully penetrated target markets such as security access control, agricultural precision planting and railway passenger car doors.• Led training programs to successfully refocus channel partners on new products.

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 and market share for a European market leader that was virtually unknown in the U.S. with stagnant sales. • 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.• As a result of successful brand recognition and sales growth, company was then acquired by AMETEK for a significant premium over PE firm’s acquisition cost less than 24 months prior.

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.• Doubled national distributor branches, and rationalized stock product offering into new “In Stock-Instant Ship” program to support 20% annual distribution sales growth.• Acquired unique brushless motor product line, for less than 10% its development cost.• Initiated proposal resulting in $1+ million federal grant to produce energy efficient hypoid gearing.• Organized 25 motor industry companies to form Pre-Competitive Electric Motor Research Consortium within the Electric Motor Education & Research Foundation (EMERF).

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. Immediately increased new business opportunities in subject territories with new partnering program with exclusive reps. • 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.• Initiated Internet sales of stock products, resulting in fast growth, and high margin business • Introduced new line of brushless DC motors and gearmotors with integral controls for the “commercial duty” servomotor market, which became highest growth product line.• Negotiated private label AC drives agreements with established Asian and domestic suppliers in order to add value to recently introduced line of “inverter duty” AC motors and gearmotors.• Expanded product line into high-value servomotors by negotiating license agreement covering new, patented direct drive axial air gap motor technology.• Secured $100k government grant to fund advanced motor technology research.

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 field. Invited to address over 50 business groups in 10 countries on new product and technology acquisition as a corporate growth tool. Developed and implemented technology transfer training programs for government agencies in the U.S., Ireland and Singapore.