Scotts Miracle-Gro names regional execs
Scotts Miracle-Gro has announced the leaders of its regional operating offices in Florida, Texas and California. The offices have been formed as part of a strategy to drive long-term growth in its core consumer business.
The offices will house cross-functional teams that will be “focused on driving market share by improving local consumer intimacy,” according to a company release. The offices will develop and implement sales and marketing strategies for the Southeast, Southwest and West Coast.
Right now Scotts Miracle-Gro’s market share in these regions is about 40%, which is more than 10 points lower than the rest of the United States. By improving market share, the company hopes to drive incremental sales of $300 million to $500 million over the next few years.
"We are not simply opening sales offices, but beginning a fundamental shift in how we operate our core consumer business," said Mark Baker, president and chief operating officer. "Historically, a centralized approach to operating our business was appropriate as our largest retailers were aggressively growing their store base. As the growth of new retail stores has declined, we must more proactively drive category growth, which requires us to further improve our intimacy with the consumer.”
The following executives will lead the regional operating offices, each of whom will report directly to Barry Sanders, executive VP North American operations:
• Mike Lukemire, Southeast Region, is a 14-year veteran of the company. Previously, he was executive VP global technologies and operations for Scotts Miracle-Gro and before that, senior VP supply chain. He will be responsible for Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
• Jim Tates, Southwest Region, joined the company in 2005 and most recently was VP store operations. He previously led the Home Depot business development team office in Atlanta. His region includes Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming.
• Phil Jones, West Coast Region, joined Scotts Miracle-Gro in 2007 and recently led the Roundup business. His region includes California, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
Each office will also include a leader for field sales, who will focus on executing plans for the company’s largest national retail partners. The offices will also include lead roles for independent garden center sales, marketing, business development, finance and human resources.