Wave North America hires GM

Mike Merder
Mike Merder

Wave North America recently announced that Mike Merder has been appointed to the newly created position of general manager.

“Wave North America has so much potential to serve a variety of markets,” said Michael Kane, vice president, Wave North America. “We are positioning our business to explore new opportunities, fully serve existing markets, and maintain great service to our existing business partners.”

Merder joins the Wave North America team with more than 20 years of experience in industrial and outdoor power equipment industry distribution. He has been responsible for growing revenue through product development, strategic account management, and sales. “Fulfilling a variety of roles in industrial markets has allowed Mike to build a well-rounded understanding of the supply chain, as well as customer needs,” added Kane.

“As Wave North America continues to grow, we recognize the need for more focus in certain areas of the business — the industrial and power equipment markets being one of those areas,” said Jeff Schipp, president, Wave North America. “In the last couple of years, we have seen significant growth in our business which has tied up most of our current resources. As we gain momentum, we want to make sure we are poised to handle it. And not just handle it, but to really serve our customers well and build partnerships that continue to promote our reputation as a reliable, quality-conscious supplier. Having a GM, and especially Mike with his expansive knowledge, extends our capacity.”

“I am excited about my new role at Wave,” said Merder. “I have a chance to apply the knowledge and experience I have to a business that is growing. It is exciting to think about how much potential is truly out there, specifically in the outdoor power equipment industry.”

Based in Ferdinand, Ind., Wave North America supplies products to the automotive, heavy truck, outdoor power equipment, industrial and furniture industries. Wave North America is a joint venture with Ningbo Wave Industrial Manufacturing and Ningbo Beilun Rateman Garden Tools. Wave Industrial is a supplier to the automotive, truck and industrial markets. Ford, General Motors, Audi, Volkswagen are among the OEM automotive manufacturers that trust Wave Industrial to provide them with world-class components. Rateman produces high-quality parts and accessories for the lawn and garden industry, and these items are sold by OPE distributors around the world to keep commercial and consumer mowing equipment running at peak performance.

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