Larry Cook Email & Phone Number

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Sellars, headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, is a leading manufacturer of shop towels, disposable wipers, sorbents, and converter of towel and tissue. Our products can be found in major big box retailers as well as many janitorial/sanitary maintenance, industrial, safety, and specialty distributors in North America and Europe.Sellars started in 1985 out of John Sellars'​ basement and garage in Milwaukee, WI. Through hard work, dedication, tireless innovation, and a commitment to quality the company has grown from a small operation to a fully integrated manufacturer. Those principles are still applied today.

* Accelerated revenue growth to 90.5% in 8 years, from $72M to $137M by deploying new forecasting tools, engineering an internal CRM tool for identifying funnel opportunities and tracking results, and championing a culture of excellence.* Spiked profitability by raising value-added brands from 6% to 37% of sales through a 400%+ increase in new business for a category with 40% higher gross profit. All sales territories grew category by 58%+.* Advanced effectiveness of the sales organization. Replaced 40% of the team with top-caliber sales professionals through strategic recruitment of people aligned with the vision and culture.* Increased time in the field with customers by adding 5 new territories and expanding team size 60%.* Paved the way for maximum sales performance by taking sales training from non-existent to 10+ hours monthly and integrated into all regional/national meetings. Engaged authors of The Trusted Advisor, in guiding development of an aligned sales training program for both company and customer sales associates.* Grew sales 46% by increasing high-level relationships with buying organizations and fostering trust and partnership. Secured the largest, most in-demand buying organization. Launched monthly conference calls and quarterly meetings with stakeholders at executive levels.* Propelled efficiency and boosted production output 30% by fueling collaboration and engagement between sales and production teams and steering the streamlining by eliminating 375 SKUs down to 275 SKUs.

Charlotte, North Carolina Area

Developed the Go-To-Market messaging for sales within a $7 billion organization.Developed new training tools for growth and account penetration.Redesigned sales process for Co:Re selling strategy.Designed CRM tool for tracking sales prospects and account penetration opportunities.* Revitalized sales, doubling revenue in 5 years, from $50M to $100M, powering the largest growth in new accounts and a $200K spike in gross profit within existing business. Recruiting high-performing sellers, set aggressive sales goals, rolled out new sales strategies, and reworked processes to intensify CRM monitoring and performance tracking.* Increased profits by diversifying sales channels. Implemented new sales strategies, extended into new, more profitable market verticals, and deployed training for those segments.- Surged division EBIT from 81st to 3rd-highest out of 106 divisions in 3 years.- Achieved 112% of MBO financial plans in first year and surpassed plan every subsequent year.* Selected to pioneer a new national sales strategy, "Co: Re," for use in customer presentations and business reviews.* Played a key role in formalizing a new sales training program for a $7B organization, hand-picked as 1 of 10 members of a national lead team.

North Carolina

Recruited by this $750 million dollar foodservice distributor to launch a new market encompassing the Carolinas region. Manage all planning, budgeting, forecasting, and market research initiatives. Hire, train, coach and manage a sales team to aggressively penetrate and expand market. Responsible for all P&L and General Management responsibilities for this region. Responsibilities also include establishing a transportation model for efficient deliveries and managing operational costs.* Built revenue from zero to $2.7M in the first year, $4.2M in second year, and $10M+ within 5 years.* Surged gross profit up by $750K within 10 months. Advanced forecasting and planning maximized territory managers’ commissions through focused product categories and implemented formal training seminars. Reached all profitability projections within 16 months and 14 months ahead of company goals.* Cut transportation costs 15%, eliminating $150K within 90 days, facilitating further territory expansion. Defined future vision, performance goals, and objectives around an efficient transportation model for customer delivery.* Produced additional 20% in sales revenue by optimizing utilization of brokers, manufacturers, and support personnel.* Developed 4 Rookie of the Year winners within 5 years of start-up.* Named Regional Manager of the Year.

Strategic leader in securing new healthcare accounts across the Southeast and expanding existing accounts. Developed and implemented a variety of programs for major healthcare group purchasing organizations (GPOs). Held quarterly and annual business reviews with C-suite, Materials Management, and Group Purchasing in hospitals.* Jumpstarted growth in an underperforming market and led one of the fastest-growing territories in the country. Cultivated corporate relationships. Fueled customer awareness/engagement in more advanced, profitable agreements.- Skyrocketed sales from $7M to $75M in 3 years.- Overachieved all sales goals by 140%+.- Added $5M in 2 years by multiplying Committed Manufacturer Agreement (CMA) participation 25%.* Received 2 District Healthcare Manager of the Year Awards. Achieved highest percentage of growth in the SE division.