Office products manufacturer Rubbermaid Inc. is turning to a colossal drinks giant executive to try to increase growth at its office-products unit.
The consumer office products company announced this week that Penny McIntyre, a senior vice president at drinks company Coca-Cola Co., will take charge at a division that looks after such brands as Sharpie office highlighters, Liquid Paper correction fluids and the popular Rolodex office organizers.
This new appointment of Ms. McIntyre, Ex coca cola, comes as part of a broader managerial restructuring process at the Atlanta-based Rubbermaid inc.
The office supplies unit has been affected particularly badly by the global economic recession as businesses and corporations strive to make savings on spend and budgets for general office supplies, desktop stationery products etc. The Revenue at the unit section, which makes up over a quarter of Newell Rubbermaid's overall sales, fell by almost 25% in the first 4 months of 2009 to just under $2 million.
Chief Executive of Rubbermaid office products Mark Ketchum, who has been directly overseeing the unit since James Roberts resigned at the end of 2008, said Ms. McIntyre was hired to expand Newell Rubbermaid's presence in office equipment markets outside America. Over half of the unit's sales are in the U.S.A., and the company hopes to export brands such as Sharpie markers more aggressively in the near future.
Chief Executive of Rubbermaid office products Mark Ketchum, who has been directly overseeing the unit since James Roberts resigned at the end of 2008, said Ms. McIntyre was hired to expand Newell Rubbermaid's presence in office equipment markets outside America. Over half of the unit's sales are in the U.S.A., and the company hopes to export brands such as Sharpie markers more aggressively in the near future.
The office equipment maker announced during 2008 that it would have to axe around 1000 jobs and exit several product lines totaling around half a million dollars in annual sales, or a little short of 8% of its overall revenue. In the office products unit, Newell Rubbermaid already has dropped items such as plastic chair mats and pen holders.
