Fortress makes sales leadership moves
Bill Ross, former Fortress director of decking and cladding categories, has been promoted to director, channel sales, sales enablement, and operations (SEO).
Also, John Karas has been named to the role of director, channel sales (International). In this position, Karas will be responsible for delivering on the company’s next phase of growth by driving the development and implementation of global sales strategies and new market entry outside of the United States and Canada. The move is designed to help Fortress deliver its products on a global scale, the company said.
Ross joined Fortress in February 2020 as a product director, where he oversaw Fortress decking and helped spearhead the launch of Fortress cladding. In his new position, Ross will focus on conducting professional sales development and coaching to optimize the performance of the company’s sales organization.
“Bill’s passion for sales and the outdoor building products industry as a whole, has already had a huge impact on our team,” said Jeff Schulz, vice president, channel sales at Fortress Building Products. “His results-driven attitude and natural gift for coaching teams will undoubtedly contribute to the success of our sales team.”
Prior to the start of his tenure at Fortress Building Products, Ross held senior leadership positions at Fiberon, TAMKO, and Trex.
Karas began his career over two decades ago with Kohler, introducing new home fixtures into the Chinese market. Since then, he has helped numerous home and building product companies develop key relationships and increase marketplace presence across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America.
“John has an incredible amount of industry experience that directly relates to this senior leadership position,” Schulz said. “I am confident he is the right person to help us expand into new markets, delivering a people-first approach and an arsenal of solution-focused, long-lasting outdoor building products to customers around the globe.”
Based in Garland, Texas, Fortress Building Products manufactures decking, framing, pergolas, fencing, railing, cladding, lighting, and fastener systems.