Landscape Forms Appoints Robb Smalldon as Vice President, Studio 431
A True Success Story: From Intern to VP and the first internally promoted Vice President in over 15 years
The promotion from within to the Landscape Forms’ Executive Team reflects the success of the company’s custom services division and its role in future business growth
North America’s premier manufacturer of site furniture, accessories and LED lighting has announced the appointment of Robb Smalldon as Vice President of Studio 431, Landscape Forms’ rapidly expanding custom division. Landscape Forms President and CEO Richard Heriford declared, “It is with great joy that I announce our first internally promoted Vice President in over 15 years. Robb has shown many great leadership qualities and this opportunity recognizes that. In 2010 he became responsible for Studio 431 and over the past seven years has worked closely with our Sales, Marketing, Engineering and Production teams to secure industry leadership. Today Studio 431 is the first choice of architects and landscape architects for custom site furniture and structures, and has grown from its inception to over $10 million in annual sales.”
Mr. Smalldon’s rise within the company from student intern to VP underlines the company’s commitment to a participatory culture that rewards excellence and cultivates leadership. “As we have grown and developed as a company we have hired VPs from the outside,” Mr. Heriford explained. “But it is very important for us to have a strong person with company history at the executive table.” Mr. Smalldon brings broad experience within the company to his new role. In the years since joining the company as an intern in 1998 and as an engineer in 2001 following graduation from Western Michigan University, he has worked in New Product Development, Manufacturing Engineering, and Studio 431, where he demonstrated skill as both an outstanding engineer and client communicator. Under his management the Custom Studio has become the preeminent resource for leading design professionals seeking solutions to complex engineering and development challenges on major corporate, institutional and infrastructure projects.
Mr. Smalldon holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Graphics and Design from Western Michigan University College of Engineering and Applied Science, and has completed the Executive Development Program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He sits on the Design Advisory Board of Southwest Michigan First, an organization with strong roots in the business community that works to attract large companies to the area and develop smaller companies within it. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Select Products, a Michigan-based company and important player in its industry that has earned a national reputation for top-of-class architectural-grade aluminum geared continuous hinges used widely in commercial and industrial applications. And, as a member of the Advisory Board at Western Michigan University, he is actively engaged with the Engineering School in developing a formal student internship program with Landscape Forms designed to build a pipeline of potential employees for the company.
As a member of the Landscape Forms Leadership Team, Mr. Smalldon will assume increased responsibilities for strategic planning, profitability and corporate culture. He joins an executive team that has been carefully chosen following the retirement of the first generation of key company leaders and the succession of Richard Heriford to the presidency in 2011. The executive team includes Jodi L. Havera, VP Finance and CFO; Daniel Waugh, VP Operations; Kirt Martin, VP Design and Marketing; Jamie May, VP Sales; and Jim Marshall, VP Culture. Landscape Forms was in an excellent growth and market position for this transition and with the addition of Robb Smalldon, expands its strong team to build on that success. “We welcome Robb to his new position and look forward to working together to achieve great things,” Mr. Heriford concluded.
About Landscape Forms
Landscape Forms is the industry leader in integrated collections of high-design site furniture and advanced LED lighting. Since its founding in 1969 Landscape Forms has earned a reputation for excellent design, high quality products and exceptional service. The Landscape Forms U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan with sales representatives throughout North America, South America, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Asia. Landscape Forms collaborates with renowned industrial designers and consultancies, landscape architects, and architects to design and develop integrated collections of products that address emerging needs and help create a sense of place. Additionally, the company has formed global marketing partnerships with select companies that share its commitment to design. Landscape Forms has an installed base of products around the world. Clients include municipalities, transit centers, corporate, college and health care campuses, sites such as Orange County Great Park; and familiar brand leaders such as Boeing, Cisco Systems, Disney, Sprint, American Airlines, Herman Miller and Nike. The company was recently named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the Top 15 Small Workplaces in the US.
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