Homer Laughlin Announces Return of Mary Ellen Drake as Western Regional Sales Manager
Industry Veteran Welcomed Back
September 19, 2013 — Newell, WV — The Homer Laughlin China Company® (HLC Inc.) is pleased to announce the return of former Western Regional Sales Manager, Mary Ellen Drake. Drake previously served in the same capacity from July 1993 through January 2005. In 2005, she amicably parted ways with Homer Laughlin and joined a manufacturer representative firm in Southern California as a Table Top Brand Manager, while still continuing to represent The Homer Laughlin line.
Known for her absolute dependability, Drake’s background includes helping to grow the business of food service distributors and dealers as well as national chain accounts. Drake is a welcome re-addition to Homer Laughlin.
“This is a very exciting time for HLC. The family of products — three hallmark brands that cover every niche of foodservice — provides the opportunity to design a very creative tabletop for our customers,” says Drake. The HLC Inc. family of companies includes Homer Laughlin; Hall China; and the Kenilworth Trading Company, the exclusive distributor of RAK Ceramics in the U.S.
Beyond the wealth of product, Drake is also pleased to be part of such a unique sales opportunity. “Homer Laughlin is unlike any company in the industry,” she explains. “The company is served by a woman president, having named Elizabeth McIlvain to the position earlier this year, and remains the largest — and one of the last — genuine American manufacturers of dinnerware.”
“We are delighted to have Mary Ellen back on our team,” says Gene Williamson, Vice President of Sales for the Foodservice Division of the HLC Inc. family of companies. “She is the type of individual who immediately impacts an organization with her strong sales skills.”
As part of her duties, Drake will establish and achieve regional sales objectives, as well as maintain and expand the current customer base within her area. Further, she will contribute to the HLC strategic plan by communicating sales information.
“I am very pleased to see Mary Ellen on the HLC team again,” Dick Blatchford, General Sales Manager for HLC, says. “She is responsible for landing many of the accounts that we continue to service on the west coast, and knows very well how to get the job done.”
Mary Ellen Drake was born and raised in Michigan and is a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Food and Nutrition.
About The Homer Laughlin Company
The Homer Laughlin China Company (HLC Inc.), founded in 1871, is the largest remaining domestic tableware manufacturer in the United States. HLC Inc. is proud to lead the way in both product sales volume and in creating American manufacturing jobs. Homer Laughlin, Kenilworth/RAK, and Hall China comprise the HLC Inc. family of companies, and its diverse range of lead-free commercial dinnerware meets every conceivable need for today’s discerning chefs and restaurateurs. Setting the tone — not just the table — is at the heart of the HLC commitment to its customers.
For more information, please contact The Homer Laughlin China Co., 672 Fiesta Drive, Newell, WV 26050. Phone: (800) 452-4462. Fax: (304) 387-0593. Web: www.hlchina.com. Email: hlc@hlchina.com.
