Nordica USA President Andy Knittle has retired. Knittle has worked for Nordica for 30 years, the last 10 of which were in the leadership position for Nordica in the USA. Willy Booker has been named to the position of General Manager in conjunction with Knittles departure.
“My decision to retire at this particular time is focused on the long term future health of the Nordica brand as well as my focus on the next chapter of my personal life,” said Knittle. “Nordica is in a very strong position in the market and is currently outpacing market expectations by a significant margin. I think its important to make this change while the brand is healthy and we can do it in a proactive way to set the company up for a another long term run.”
CEO of the Tecnica Group USA, Peter Weaver added, “Andy Knittle has been a key part of the success of the Nordica brand in the USA for many years. His leadership, organization and work ethic will be missed. Im pleased to name Willy Booker to the position of GM at Knittles recommendation, and am confident he will carry the Nordica tradition of success forward into the future.” Weaver will fill the position of President of Nordica USA in addition to his current post of CEO of the Tecnica Group USA in order to ensure a very smooth transition.
Knittle has agreed to stay on in a transition role through the month of June to aid Booker in his new role. “Im excited about this opportunity and will continue to bring my passion and energy for this business into my new position, indicated Booker.” “I look forward to working closely with all of our valued dealers to ensure that the strong partnerships forged over so many years will successfully continue forward.”
The announcement of Knittles decision brings forward the opportunity to consolidate the the organizational structure in order to best meet the demands of the current market conditions. Accordingly, it has been decided that all sales and marketing functions will operate “in house” in the corporate offices based in West Lebanon, NH. As a consequence, Kirk Langford, VP of Sales, has declined the opportunity to relocate and will leave Nordica USA effective June 1st. “We appreciate Kirks dedication to Nordica in particular, but also to the Tecnica Group as well. Kirk is a true professional and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” said Peter Weaver.
