Our Leadership Team

Automation Experts

When it comes to automation, it’s about people. Power/mation is lucky to have an experienced leadership team that collects new technologies and services to be a part of our continually expanding product offering. Our experts create opportunities for your personnel to expand their skills while improving the efficiency of your company.

Sam Petty, President

Serving most recently at ABB as Director of Channel Management for Industrial Automation, Sam Petty brings extensive experience and knowledge to Power/mation’s chief position. Petty’s career includes previous roles at Hirschmann (Belden Inc.), Rexel, Roxtec and Swagelock.

Jeff Kubsch, Chief Financial Officer

Jeff is the Chief Financial Officer for Power/mation and is responsible for the Finance and IT departments. Prior to joining Power/mation, he served as Chief Financial Officer for Millerbernd Manufacturing Company for six years leading their Finance, IT and Human Resources functions. Before Millerbernd, Jeff spent nine years with Anchor Wall Systems/Anchor Block Company as Director of Finance.

Bob Ricci smiling for a picture from the chest up while wearing a black suit, light blue shirt, and green, blue, and black tie

Bob Ricci, Executive VP of Sales & Marketing

Bob Ricci is our Regional Vice President of Sales for Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Bob has a broad set of experience in both sales management and automation. Prior to joining Power/mation in February of 2017, Bob was the Regional Sales Leader for Border States Electric in their NE Region where he had sales management responsibility over both their industrial and construction markets’ sales. Before his time at Border States, he spent fifteen years with Werner Electric in Minnesota serving as Vice President of Technology (Automation) and then as Vice President over both the Automation and Construction teams.

Bob has a wealth of experience and industry knowledge. In addition to his twenty plus years of experience in electrical distribution and automation, he worked for thirteen years at Jerome Foods (Jennie O’ Foods) designing automation systems along with managing the automation and electrical maintenance teams. Bob is also a Navy veteran.

Don Clutterbuck, Vice President of Sales - WI

Don Clutterbuck joined Power/mation in 1993 as an Automation Specialist, focusing on PLCs. After fifteen years and building the trust of many, Don became the Regional Vice President of Sales for Wisconsin and Illinois. Don’s industry experience and technical knowledge, along with his friendly personality, have made him integral to Power/mation’s success.

Adam Jackson, Vice President of Sales - IL, IA & NE

Adam Jackson joined Power/mation in May 2007 as an Account Representative out of the Wood Dale, IL office. He spent five and a half years developing a territory on the south side of Chicago before moving back to his home state of Iowa. In 2016, Adam joined the leadership team and focused on growing Power/mation’s presence in Iowa and Nebraska. Adam’s role expanded in 2018 to include responsibility for Illinois.

Brian Meyer, General Manager & Director of Engineering - Power/mation Solutions Group, LLC

Brian has been with Power/mation over four years defining the processes and capabilities for the custom solutions and services that Power/mation offers. In 2018, custom automation solutions migrated to a new company, Power/mation Solutions Group, where Brian acts as the General Manager.

Brian’s career spans twenty years in the automation industry designing, developing, and programming custom automated equipment for specialized manufacturing. Brian has worked for several industries including medical devices, optics, and extrusion. Brian has a passion for the automation industry and is excited to support each of our customers in their efforts to overcome automation challenges.

Mary Lou Groberski, Director of Human Resources

Mary Lou Groberski joined Power/mation’s Human Resources team in 2004. In her capacity as Director of Human Resources, she oversees the development, implementation and coordination of Human Resources activities and systems which support the company’s overall corporate goals and objectives. Department responsibilities include staffing, benefits, compensation, employee development and training and performance. She also provides consultation to management on strategic plans and staff related needs and requirements.

Sue Loff, Director of Pricing & Strategic Initiatives

Sue joined Power/mation in May 1995 with a background in customer service and management in the finance industry. Learning about industrial automation distribution on the inside sales staff eventually found her managing the inside sales team. In that role she was integral in developing the Power/mation Customer Portal, which gave our customers 24-hour access to inventory, price and availability. Now she leads the purchasing and pricing team with a customer-focused approach, striving to meet our customers’ on-time delivery needs by having the right inventory available at a competitive price. Sue also led the team that launched Power/mation’s next generation ecommerce platform: Power/mation Shop.

Jason Schlangen, Director of IT

Jason joined Power/mation in December 2018 as the Director of Information Technology. Prior to joining Power/mation, Jason served as the Director of IT Infrastructure at Oldcastle APG for three years, overseeing over 200 locations across North America. Before that, he led IT at Anchor Wall Systems & Anchor Block Company as IT Manager, where he worked for ten years.

Tom Hoffman, Director of Operations

Tom Hoffman is our Director of Operations. An accomplished and growth-focused executive with 34 years of extensive experience, Tom is a leader in overall business operations and driving high-impact customer service results. Tom has over 9 years of automation industry experience starting with Werner Electric in Minnesota where he facilitated joint operational effectiveness strategies with Van Meter Inc and Werner Wisconsin. Tom then transitioned to both EESCO and WESCO overseeing regional operations and contributing to corporate change management philosophies. Through a “hands-on” approach, Tom strives to share his vision of continuous improvement and inspires others to find their own path to contribute to our customers success.

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Whether you need one automation product or an entirely customized system, our leadership team and the employees they manage will provide you with the tools you need to run your operation smoothly.

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