Lochinvar’s new president, COO looks to future

As president, Goodwin will be responsible for managing day-to-day operations of the company as well as working with senior leadership to establish long-range goals, strategies, plans and policies for the business.

“There is a definite opportunity to leverage Lochinvar’s position within A.O. Smith,” said Goodwin.

Lochinvar’s presence and product offering becomes an added value proposition for A.O. Smith. Paul Jones, chairman and chief executive officer of A. O. Smith Corp., said of the 2011 Lochinvar acquisition, “The addition of Lochinvar represents an excellent fit with our strategy to become a leading global water heating technology company.”

Goodwin emphasizes Lochinvar’s quality product offering, exemplary customer service, and great employees as areas of strong leadership and synergies to prioritize. Handling customer contact has always been and will remain a strong suit for Lochinvar.

“Lochinvar is a well-known and widely respected brand in our industry, and their emphasis on energy-efficient products, world-class quality, and outstanding customer service fit well with our existing water heater business,” said Jones.

Goodwin’s goal is to keep Lochinvar on the fast track by continuing with the existing game plan with some added tweaks. Research and development, investing in new products, and training and education are keys to the future of Lochinvar. All Lochinvar University courses take place at company headquarters near Nashville, Tenn., utilizing Lochinvar’s state-of-the-art training facility. 

“Our training and education is by far the best in the industry,” said Goodwin, who boasts of Lochinvar University and hands-on training labs. Booked throughout the year, Lochinvar University hosts contractors, specifying engineers, service agents, facility managers, reps and distributors. The question for Goodwin becomes, “How do we reach more people with our training?”

Prior to joining Lochinvar, Goodwin spent 31 years with APCOM Inc., a division of State Industries and a manufacturer of residential and commercial water heater components with headquarters in Franklin, Tenn. Goodwin joined APCOM in 1981 and held a number of management positions in operations, customer service and sales before being named president. From 2002 until 2011, he served as president with full profit and loss responsibility for the business, which has operations in Franklin, Tenn.; Cookeville, Tenn.; Florence, Ky.; and Nanjing, China. Bill Vallett Jr. will continue to serve as chief executive officer of the Lebanon-based company.

When asked when he last had a great day, “I think I just said that yesterday. We are kicking off a new project. That thrills me,” said Goodwin.

Additional information is available at lochinvar.com.