Wanke Cascade Exec Retires
Portland, OR, Oct. 30--Wanke Cascade Vice President of Sales and Marketing Craig Lampe has announced his retirement, effective November 1, after 33 years in the flooring industry.
Lampe has headed up the Pacific Northwest flooring distributor's sales and marketing team for the past 25 years and has seen the 72-year-old company through a period of significant strategic growth.
"Craig was instrumental in reorganizing some of our larger vendor relationships at a time when we needed to make some pretty dramatic changes in that area to increase profitability," Wanke President and CEO Brian Radditz said. "He was a catalyst for change at a crucial time for us and has made a very significant contribution to the success of this company throughout the last 25 years. He also brought with him a great sense of humor, and that will be sorely missed."
Shortly after college and a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam, Lampe began his career as a territory sales rep for Congoleum Corporation, where he remained for six years and was promoted to western regional sales manager.
In 1976 Lampe took a two-year break from flooring to sell custom homes for a builder in Portland, Oregon, but returned to the industry in 1978 to join Wanke Cascade as marketing manager.
Columbia Flooring President David Wootton called Lampe "one of the most savvy distribution people I have dealt with. He has the ability to take new products and effectively bring them to market and understands the relationship between manufacturer and distributor as well as anyone in the business. When Craig makes a comment we always take notice."
Randy Merritt, Shaw Industries' executive vice president of sales and marketing, started in the flooring business around the same time Lampe got into the distribution side. "I've known Craig for well over 20 years, and he's not only been a great personal friend of mine, but also to Shaw and the industry at large. He's the consummate professional salesman, manager and marketer. Shaw will truly miss working with him, and so will the flooring industry."
Jim Drechsel, vice president of Clarksville, Tennessee-based ceramic tile maker Florim USA, said: "From a supplier/vendor standpoint, Craig's the most loyal customer I've had and one of the greatest friends I've made in this business."
Lampe's current duties and responsibilities will be absorbed by the existing sales and marketing team at Wanke Cascade. His retirement plans include travel and spending time with his wife Jan and his children and grandchildren.
Related Topics:Shaw Industries Group, Inc., Florim USA
