2011 / 2012 Board of Directors : Bios

Andrew Dyck
Treasurer
Barclay Sales Ltd.

Andrew was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. He started his plumbing and HVAC career in 1987 with Honeywell Ltd. on the inside sales desk. In 2001, Andrew joined ECR International Ltd. as Territory Manager for BC and then, in 2005, Andrew joined Barclay Sales Ltd.

Andrew graduated from Windermere Secondary School in Vancouver and then went on to complete a Marketing/Management Certificate from BCIT. In 1985, Andrew married Ilene. Together they have two daughters, Marissa and Kelsey, and the family resides in Langley, BC.

Andrew has been very active with the CIPH B.C. Region, since 1989, and is now starting his second term as President (1st term was 1997-99).

Outside of work and volunteering, Andrew enjoys spending time with his family, golfing and hoping that the Canucks will finally win the Stanley Cup.

Paul Eldridge
Marketing Manager
J.W. Bird and Company Limited, Fredericton, NB

Paul began his career with Bird-Stairs in 1983 in Halifax. The Bird Company has served the construction industry of Atlantic Canada since 1958. The Stairs Company, selling "water-closets" since 1898, was purchased by Bird's in 1976.

Paul transferred to the Fredericton Head Office of Bird-Stairs in 1984 assuming the responsibilities of Product Manager.  In 1988 he took on the role of Marketing Manager. Paul has served on various supplier committees with Canaplus, Octo Purchasing Group, and the Independent Electrical Distributors of Canada.  He is a past director of the Fredericton Fort Nashwaak P.C. Association, a member of the Fredericton YMCA and the Kingswood Golf Club Fredericton, and a former director of CIPH Atlantic Region. 

Paul resides in Fredericton with his partner of 24 years Inez Higgins. 

Kevin Fullan
Vice President & General Manager
Flocor Inc., Stoney Creek, ON

Kevin received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Cornell University in 1978.  He spent the early part of his career with Parker Hannifin (Can.) Inc., joining their Management Training Program in the summer of 1978.  Upon successfully completing this program in 1979, Kevin joined Parker’s Sales & Marketing department where he progressed to sales positions with increasing responsibility for the next 15 years.  In 1994 he joined SMC Pneumatics as a Division Manager.  The lure of the Pipe, Valves and Fittings (PVF) market proved to be too much, and so Kevin left SMC to join CCTF in 1995 as Manager, Eastern Canada.  He joined Flocor Inc. (formerly Mueller Flow Control) in the fall of 2000 as their Purchasing and Marketing Manager.

Kevin was appointed Vice President and General Manager in December 2001. In addition to his responsibilities at Flocor Inc. (formerly Mueller Flow Control), Kevin has served as the Chairman for CIPH's IPVF Council since 2003. He is also an active member of the Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association (CASA) and the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC). He was elected to the CIPH Board of Directors in 2005.

John Hammill
Vice-President, Wholesale Sales
Moen Inc., Oakville, ON

John graduated from the University of Guelph and still resides in Guelph today. After spending three years with Fortune Brands’ sister company Master Lock, John moved into the plumbing industry joining Moen in October 1994 as Director, Retail Sales.  In 1997 John was named Vice President Retail Sales.  During John’s tenure in retail he served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Hardware Housewares Manufacturers’ Association and was Chairman in his final two years. In 1999 John was made responsible for Moen’s wholesale business as Vice President Wholesale Sales and has been active in CIPH, serving on the CIPH Ontario Region Board of Directors for two years. John has been active on the CMX•CIPHEX Show Committee, Membership Committee, and the Habitat Charity Committee.

When not selling faucets John enjoys spending time with his wife Kim and three children J.P. 20, Connor 17, and Alexandra 14 as well as golfing and fly fishing when time permits.  John was elected to the CIPH Board of Directors in June 2007.

Doug Kennedy
Vice President, Trade Sales Masco Canada
Masco Canada Limited - Plumbing Group
(Brass Craft Canada Division), St. Thomas, ON

Doug Kennedy is currently the National Sales Manager for Masco Canada; previous to this he had held the position of Sales Manager, Brasscraft Canada since 1995.

Doug entered the plumbing industry in 1990 with Crane Supply in Toronto. He served on the CIPH Ontario Board for many years and was 2006/2007 President of Ontario Region.

Doug is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario (1981 - BA Economics) and the University of Windsor 1983 - Honours Bachelor of Commerce).

Doug is married to Marlene, and together they have raised their two children - Jason and Jacqueline. They reside in Brantford, ON and in their spare time enjoy sailing and golfing in the summer, and skiing and curling in the winter.

Doug was elected to the CIPH Board in 2010. He is looking forward to serving CIPH members and is committed to enhancing the value of your membership in the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating.

Paul McDonald
Director, Sales & Marketing (Canada)
Bradford White Canada Inc., Mississauga, ON

Paul began his career in the plumbing and heating industry upon completion of high school in 1974 by working for Triangle Plumbing & Heating Supplies in Toronto where the learning environment encouraged Paul to grow in all areas of the wholesale business.  This allowed him to advance through the organization from inside sales and estimating, to Branch Manager of Triangle's Orillia Branch, and eventually to the position of Sales Manager. 

In 1994 Paul moved on to the position of National Sales Manager with Hydrotherm Canada.  In 2001 Paul joined Aero Environmental as National Sales Manager, and has continued in that position since the purchase of Aero by Bradford White Corporation in 2002.

Paul and his wife of 30 years Gail have two adult sons, and live in Burlington, ON.  They enjoy much of their spare time with their 2 grandchildren.  Paul is an active member of the CIPH Membership Committee and was elected to the CIPH Board in 2008.

Russ Morgan
Vice-President, Sales & Marketing - Canada
IPEX Inc., Mississauga, ON

Russ was born and raised in Waterloo, ON, the eldest son in a family of three boys.  During his high school years, he spent summers working for the family’s construction company and learned that working with his hands was not his forté.  He turned his attention back to school.

Following a diploma in Marketing from Conestoga College (1982), Russ attended the University of Waterloo, and graduated with a B.A. in Economics (1984).  His first position was a research contract with a PVC resin producer, B.F. Goodrich.  In 1985 he was hired by Scepter Manufacturing, which in 1992 merged with Canron to form IPEX. 

Spanning 24 years, his career at IPEX has included responsibilities in new product development and management, a position as Ontario Regional Sales Manager responsible for plumbing and industrial products, and currently as General Sales Manager for all business units in Eastern Canada.

When he is not working, Russ enjoys spending time with his family.  He has been married for 24 years to Lori, a secondary school English teacher/ administrator, and together they have two wonderful children, Melissa (19) who is enrolled at the University of Waterloo, and Jacob (9).  Russ enjoys spending time on the golf course, be it business, or with family and friends.  A great pastime in the summer is kicking back poolside in the backyard.  Family ski holidays are a favorite way to spend winter days, as well as taking in live sporting events and playing Guitar Hero III.    Russ was elected to the CIPH Board in 2006.

Bill Palamar
President and CEO
Weil-McLain Canada Sales Inc., Burlington, ON

Upon completion of his education at York University in Psychology/ Economics, Bill entered the industry in 1979 as a sales representative for Ancon Drainage products.  Shortly thereafter in 1980 he founded Aqua Tech Sales and Marketing Inc.  In 1990, Bill purchased the assets of Wilson and Cousins Inc., a Canadian manufacturer of Fire Protection products.  Bill remains active with both companies as CEO. In 2002 Bill purchased the assets of Weil-McLain Canada Inc., a manufacturer of cast iron residential and commercial boilers, where he continues as President and CEO. 

Bill has been an enthusiastic volunteer within our industry serving 7 years on the CIPH Ontario Region Board, chairing various committees including hydronics, training and social events, and completing a term as Region President in 2002/2003.  Bill has also collaborated with Habitat for Humanity chairing the Build Committee on behalf of CIPH Ontario Region for the first home both sponsored and built by CIPH volunteers.

When not at the office or traveling, Bill is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys fishing, hunting, skiing and golf.  He also enjoys quiet time at the cottage near his hometown of Britt, ON with his wife of 23 years Laurie, their children Emily and Christian and his extended “hometown” family. Bill was elected to the CIPH Board in 2008.

Frédéric Perrin, P.Eng.
National Sales Manager
Usines Giant Factories Inc., Montreal-Est, QC

Frédéric received his Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1992. He started his career as a Project Engineer at Techmire, a die-casting machine manufacturer. In 1995, as Quality Assurance Manager, he implemented ISO 9001. In 1997, in addition to being the Quality Assurance Manager, he was named Director of the Engineering Department. In 2001, Frédéric decided to join another department within Techmire, the Sales and Marketing Department, where up until 2006, he played an important role and had the opportunity to travel across the world introducing state of the art technology as well as increasing market share.

In 2006, Frédéric joined Usines Giant Factories, as their National Sales Manager. He is a member of Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec and recently served on the Québec Board of CIPH.

Frédéric and his wife Mélo have two children, Thomas who is currently 12 and Candice who just turned 9 years old.

Joe Senese
Vice-President - Operations
Groupe Deschênes Inc., Toronto, ON

Joe began his career in 1982 in the Major Projects Engineering Division of Stelco Steel, Hamilton Ontario after graduating with a Civil Engineering Technology diploma. After completing further studies in computer-aided design, he joined American-Standard, manufacturer of plumbing products in 1984 where he held various sales and sales management positions. Joe joined the wholesale distribution business in 1994 as VP/GM of Desco Plumbing and Heating Supply, a subsidiary of Deschênes Group Inc.

In 2008 he assumed his current role as VP Operations working with the subsidiaries in southern Ontario and western Canada.

As an active participant and supporter of related industry associations Joe has been active over the years with MCA, BILD, and HRAI, and has previously served as Ontario Region President of CIPH. He is currently Chair of the CIPH Membership Committee and participates on the IPVF Council.

Joe and Susan with their 3 daughters aged 20, 18 and 16 make their home in Mississauga, ON. The Senese’s are known as an avid sports family that believes in the benefits of physical fitness and team play. When time permits Joe enjoys golfing as well as family travel excursions.

Siân Smith
Vice President, Procurement
Emco Corporation, Mississauga, ON

Siân began her career in the plumbing and heating industry in 1999, as a Corporate Development Associate for Emco Corporation, and has since held the positions of Regional Pricing Manager, National Pricing Manager and Director of IS Development.  In May 2007, Siân was promoted to Vice President, Procurement, and has been an active member of Emco's leadership team since September 2002, reporting to Rick Fantham, President.

Siân, originally from Montreal, holds an MBA from Wilfred Laurier University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario.  Siân and her husband Pete have two daughters, ages 6 and 3 and reside in Oakville, ON.  Siân is a member of the CIPH Membership Committee.

Allen S. Taylor
President
Taylor Pipe Supports/L.E. Taylor Associates
Limited, Burlington, ON

After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Windsor in 1986, Allen joined his father in the family business, and spent the early part of his career progressing though various positions in manufacturing, distribution, sales, and finance.  In 1990, Allen began the transition to senior management when he was appointed Director of Marketing.  In 1992, the transition of ownership and control from Eric Taylor began when Allen acquired the electrical components side of the business.  By 1996, Allen had successfully completed the acquisition of all divisions.  Altogether this means more than 20 years in the industry.  In 2004, Allen took some time away from his day-to-day business activities to focus on broadening his education and knowledge base and in 2006, he received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago and the Schulich School of Business in Toronto.

Along with maintaining his role at Taylor Associates, Allen sits on numerous private company advisory boards, is involved in venture capital start-ups, holds national and regional Board of Director positions with the Canadian Association of Family Enterprise, and has had more than two decades of experience within CIPH, culminating as President of the Ontario Region Board in 2004/2005.

Married to the lovely and talented Lesley Stewart, they have together raised Allen’s sons Spence and A.J., and recently welcomed Jack Lawrence Stewart Taylor into the world.  Currently residing in Burlington, ON, in his spare time Allen is an avid reader, golfer, and wine collector.  Allen was elected to the CIPH Board in November 2008.

Keith D. VanderVennet
Senior Vice PresidentWol
seley Canada, Burlington, ON

As Senior Vice President of Wolseley Canada, Keith VanderVennet is responsible for the overall performance of the Canadian operations of Ferguson Enterprises.  With more than 2,800 people in approximately 250 branches across the country, Wolseley Canada is a leading distributor of plumbing, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, engineered pipes, waterworks, industrial pipe valve and fittings, and fire protection products.

Keith started his career with Ferguson in Baltimore, Maryland as a management trainee.  He progressed through the company, holding various positions in inside and outside sales; as Satellite Manager in Longwood, Florida; Regional Sales Manager, Southeast, based in Atlanta, Georgia; President & General Manager, Memphis, Tennessee and Orlando, Florida; Director of Career Development; Director of Branch Sales; Vice President, Supply Chain; and Vice President, Canadian Integration, all based in Newport News, Virginia.  Keith has recently relocated to Burlington, ON and was elected to the CIPH Board in February 2009.

Mike Verge
Vice President Operations
Marks Supply Inc., Kitchener, ON

Mike Verge has been Vice-President of Operations with Marks Supply since 2006.  He manages all the revenue-generating portions of the business including the branch and showroom operations.

Mike began his career with Fisher Controls (now a division of Emerson Electric) after obtaining his electrical engineering degree from the University of Toronto.  He gained extensive experience in international sales, marketing and distribution in companies such as Honeywell, Acklands Grainger, and Shaw Industries.  It was during his time at Honeywell that he acquired his MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University.

He is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario and recently served on the Ontario Board of CIPH.  Mike lives in Georgetown, ON with his family and is an avid golfer and hockey player. 

Robert Whitty
President & CEO
Bartle & Gibson Co. Ltd., Edmonton, AB

Robert started his career with Bartle & Gibson in 1978 as a draftsman designing hot water heating systems. Bartle & Gibson is a privately-held, 100% Canadian-owned plumbing and electrical wholesaler with 31 branches in western Canada. 

Robert became a Branch Manager for Bartle & Gibson in 1980 while still doing sales and looking after the hot water heating design department. In 1986 he became the Edmonton Sales Manager and eventually Alberta Sales Manager and later on Alberta Operations Manager. In 1996 he was appointed Vice President of Operations and was responsible for all operations of Bartle & Gibson in Alberta, British Columbia and N.W.T., and in May of 2001 he was appointed President/CEO. 

Robert has been married to his wife Myra for the last 29 years and has 3 children who are his #1 interest.  He was elected to the CIPH Board of Directors in 2004.

Honourary Vice Chairmen (non-voting) of the Executive Committee (appointed)

Case de Jong
President, Franke Business Unit North America
Franke Kindred Canada Limited, Midland, ON

Case received his Bachelor of Science degree from Trent University. He holds a certificate of Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) and has completed a Management Development Program at the University of Toronto.

He was first elected to the CIPH Board of Directors in 1993.  Case founded, and chaired Habitat for Humanity fundraisers in 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2000.  He was CEX ’96 Show Committee Chairman, NEX ’98 Marketing Committee Chairman, and ABC ’01 Conference Planning Chairman.  He has been a member of PIAC and CACP since 1996; and has been Trade Show Advisory Committee Chairman since 2003.  He was Chairman of the Board in 2002/2003.  Case has also served on the Board of Directors of CSA International, and on the Board of the Huronia Hospitals Foundation.

Case is very active within his local Presbyterian Church where he has served as an elder, and sings with the choir.  He and his wife Margaret were married in 1989 and are proud parents of daughter Jessie.

Barry Raycroft
Vice-President & General Manager
Bardon Supplies Ltd., Belleville, ON

Barry joined the legacy created in 1969 by his parents, Donald and Sandra, when he started his career with Bardon Supplies Limited in 1979 at the age of sixteen. He literally worked his way up starting in the warehouse, to opening and managing Bardon's first expansion with the Kingston Branch in 1987, where he resumed and completed his secondary education. In 1995 he returned to the Head Office in Belleville to take over the day-to-day operations and assist in the expansion of the company. Bardon currently operates 12 wholesale locations and 5 retail locations (under the Bathworks banner) throughout Ontario.

He is married to Jill and they have two children, Liam (12) and Kallan (8).  Barry enjoys golfing, billiards, boating, spending time with his family and at their cottage.   He was elected to the CIPH Board of Directors in 2001.

Ralph Suppa

Ralph Suppa has played a key role in the development of the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating programs since joining the association in
1988.  He has worked closely with industry members, associations and government over the past several years, to develop codes and standards.  He
was appointed President and General Manager in 2002.

During his career with CIPH, Suppa has also managed the Canadian Hydronics Council, the Plumbing Industry Advisory Council, the Canadian Advisory Council on Plumbing, the Education & Training Council, the Manufacturers Division, the Membership Committee, the Annual Business Conference, the Canadian Association of Pump Manufacturers, the Canadian Water Quality Association and CIPH Ontario Region.

A dedicated association executive, Suppa holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) and is a graduate of York University in Toronto.  He is also a Past President of the Trillium Chapter of CSAE.

He is married to Susie and has two children Anthony and Isabella.