Golf club company owner helps to drive sales worldwide
David Glod was in Brisbane, Australia, last week for business. Next, he'll travel to China and then to England.
It's all part of his strategy to expand sales overseas for his Batavia-based Tour Edge, known for Bazooka, Exotics and Lady Edge golf clubs and accessories.
“We like to keep our foot on the peddle when it comes to international growth,” Glod said.
Reaching worldwide was something Glod didn't expect more than 25 years ago when he started the company in the garage of his Warrenville home. A lot's happened since then, including getting married to Maria, a Michigan girl, and having four children all now at home in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. He maintains an apartment in Warrenville that he uses when he works a couple days each week in Batavia.
As his company grew, it moved to larger offices in West Chicago and St. Charles before settling in Batavia about five years ago.
About 15 years ago, he began selling products overseas, which now accounts for about 12 percent of his business, he said.
So his international travels keep him busy, as he checks on distributors since his products are now available in 32 countries. His clubs are popular throughout the United States, and they're sold more heavily to golf courses overseas, he said.
Next, he'd like to open new markets in Germany, Italy and France, he said.
“Our company was built on value products and now we're reaching a more high-end customer,” he said.
Speeding toward victory, or at least a makeover
Sara Mortensen, owner of Bales Mold Service Inc. in Downers Grove, had a chance to speed without getting a ticket. She was one of two finalists who was paired with a race car driver, in her case, Greg Biffle. They zoomed around the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 in Atlanta, Ga. last Monday. They competed with another business owner and race car driver, as part of a sweepstakes. While Mortensen and Biffle didn't win, she did receive a $10,000 small business makeover, courtesy of Office Depot.
Doing double duty
Gerry Dempsey of Batavia, chairman and CEO of Batavia Enterprises Inc., a leasing and property management company, has created a new business called Batavia Enterprises Real Estate LLC, a full-service real estate firm for the Fox Valley. Dan Stellato of St. Charles, president of Batavia Enterprises, also will be a managing broker at the new firm.
New CIO looking to hang his hat
Trustmark Companies' new Chief Information Officer Dan Simpson has been looking for a place to live near the Lake Forest headquarters. So he's been staying in temporary housing since his move from Omaha, Neb., where he had a similar position for Physicians Mutual Insurance Co. His mission is to make Trustmark “more externally focused,” said his boss, Joseph L. Pray, president and chief operating officer.
FastTrack
Mortgage and construction loan planner Mick Rothblott of Buffalo Grove joined Home State Bank N.A., which recently added offices in Marengo and Lake Villa. He'll be hiring a team of mortgage loan originators at the bank's yet-to-be-determined future Lake County office. Get your resumes ready ...
Mark A. Saturno, a 25-year veteran of real estate development, is the new chief operating officer at Rosemont-based McShane Development Co. ... Lombard estate planning attorney Louis V. Pavone has returned from the Planning for the Generations Symposium in Chicago where more than 400 estate planning pros gathered. If his name sounds familiar, it's because he also served as fire and police commissioner for his community, Bloomingdale. ... Ann Marie Herlehy, the administrative director for perioperative and cardiovascular services at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, has been inducted as president of the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses for the 2011-2012 term.
Lisa Reategui has joined Lake Forest-based Wintrust Financial Corp. as executive vice president and general counsel and corporate secretary. With all those titles, sounds like she'll be busy. ... Omar Villamil of Des Plaines was selected as a “hero” in long-term care by the Health Care Council of Illinois. Villamil is a housekeeper at Alden Courts of Des Plaines memory care assisted living community. ... Raj Penkar joins Sears on Sept. 15 as president of supply chain. Sears' headquarters is based in Hoffman Estates, at least for now.
John D. Baird of Elmhurst, has been named the new chief executive officer of Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago. ... Board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon M. Vincent Makhlouf of Des Plaines will present an interactive video on brachioplasty on Sept. 25 at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons annual meeting in Denver, Colo. ... Jan Bennink of Chicago is the new chairman of the board of Sara Lee's CoffeeCo, including the brands of Maison du Cafe, Cafe Pilao, Douwe Egberts, Senseo and Pickwick. The appointment takes effect after the planned spinoff of Sara Lee's international coffee and tea business early next year. Sara Lee is based in Downers Grove.
Tom Ealy joins Northbrook-based
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