Jeffrey P. Noll was named president of GROHE effective July 1, succeeding Bob Atkins, who retired as of that date. Also, Jeff Carney was named vice president of sales and marketing. In other news, David Haines is to become chairman and CEO of parent company GROHE Water Technology.

GROHE, a manufacturer of faucets and shower products, is the 29-year-old subsidiary of GROHE Water Technology AG & Co. in Germany. The parent company recently was purchased by Texas Pacific Group and Credit Suisse First Boston Private Equity (SUPPLY HOUSE TIMES, July 2004, page 14). The transaction now has been completed.

Noll most recently served as general manager and vice president/sales at GROHE. He joined the company as northeast regional sales manager in 1993, was named national sales manager in 1996 and vice president/ sales in 1998. He had been general manager since 2001.

Atkins joined GROHE in January 1993 and became president in December 1995. The company enjoyed triple-digit sales increases under his leadership. Atkins spearheaded important management reorganization, key product launches and significant operational changes during his tenure, the company said in a statement.

Noll was one of the first to join Atkins' management team and has been an integral factor in the executive decision-making process at GROHE with responsibility for many of the company's recent successes, the company said.

Carney had been vice president/marketing since 1999 but now will also be responsible for the company's U.S. sales force, including sales managers and manufacturers representatives, as well as customer service/inside sales and technical service departments. He joined GROHE in mid-1996 as national marketing manager.

David Haines is to become chairman and CEO of GROHE Water Technology, based in Hemer, Germany, effective Sept. 1. Haines has served in various executive positions at mobile phone company Vodafone Group since 2000. Most recently he was global marketing director in charge of worldwide marketing, brand management, the “Vodafone live” service, and customer service and sales. Haines was instrumental in making Vodafone one of the world's 10 most valuable brands, the company said. Prior to that, he was chief operating officer at Coca Cola Germany. From 1989 to 1999 he held various executive positions at Mars Inc. Haines will succeed Peter Körfer-Schün, who has served on the GROHE management board for 13 years and will join the company's supervisory board following his retirement from the helm of the company.