GREENVILLE, Wis., Jan. 15, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- School Specialty, Inc. (OTCQB:SCOO) ("School Specialty" or "the Company"), a leading distributor of supplies, furniture and both supplemental and curriculum products to the education marketplace, today announced that Edward ("Ed") J. Carr, Jr. has joined the Company as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer, effective immediately.
Commenting on today's announcement, Joseph M. Yorio, President and Chief Executive Officer stated, "I've known Ed for almost 15 years and had the privilege of working with him while at Corporate Express. He's one of the best in the business, having succeeded in every position he's been in, and is 100% results-driven. Our organization will greatly benefit from his leadership, knowledge and team-building approach, especially as we move towards a one-company model, with Distribution/Supplies and Curriculum Sales under one roof. He has worked in Distribution companies and held sales, marketing and management roles throughout his career, and he understands what it takes to be successful and win. He has also worked with other senior leaders within our Company such as Todd Shaw and Joe Geltz, and we are all happy to have him onboard as we look to grow our business and deliver for our customers."
Mr. Carr most recently served as Corporate Vice President of Sales with Reinhart Foodservice (RFS), LLC, a multi-billion dollar foodservice distribution company. RFS has over 30 distribution centers serving independent and chain restaurants, schools and healthcare facilities throughout the U.S. In his position, he was responsible for managing the Company's largest customer accounts and developing and overseeing the national go-to-market strategy and sales force. Ed served as the RFS Board member on the Boards of Directors for the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) and the Distribution Market Advantage (DMA). Prior to Reinhart Foodservice, he spent 7 ½ years with Nicholas and Company, an independent food service distributor, where he served as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Ed was responsible for all strategies related to account acquisition, retention and penetration. He oversaw and led all sales initiatives and was successful in driving marketing programs across multiple sales channels and industry subsets. Ed represented Nicholas and Company nationally with the IFDA, Independent Marketing Alliance (IMA), DMA, and Markon Produce Cooperative. He also served as the co-chair of the IFDA Supplier Advisory Council while at both companies.
Earlier in his career, he held several leadership positions with Corporate Express, one of the world's largest business-to-business suppliers of essential office and computer products and services. In his most recent position, he served as President, Pennsylvania Division, where he spearheaded turnaround initiatives that resulted in significant growth and improved profitability. Prior to this role, he served as Vice President of Sales, Central Midwest Division and Division Sales Manager, Washington Division. In total, Mr. Carr enjoyed a ten-year career with Corporate Express, rising through the ranks and taking on new roles with increased responsibility. Prior to Corporate Express, Ed held management positions with Western Parcel Express and with Airborne Express. He is a graduate of the University of Utah, with a B.S. in Mass Communications and Public Relations.
"I'm looking forward to working with Joe again, and I'm excited for this opportunity to join School Specialty," stated Mr. Carr. "The Company has a strong and well-deserved reputation in the industry and has taken steps over the past few years to improve not just its distribution capabilities but also, its assortment of products and services, which will help fuel growth in the years ahead. A lot of work has already been done to realign the sales force to be most effective in the market. I will look to build on this by leveraging our assortment, further aligning our inside and outside sales teams, and delivering the best customer experience possible."
About School Specialty, Inc.
School Specialty is a leading distributor of innovative and proprietary products, programs and services to the education marketplace. The Company designs, develops, and provides educators with the latest and very best school supplies, furniture and both curriculum and supplemental learning resources. Working in collaboration with educators, School Specialty reaches beyond the scope of textbooks to help teachers, guidance counselors and school administrators ensure that every student reaches his or her full potential. For more information about School Specialty, visit www.schoolspecialty.com.