Uniden America Brings In Top Veteran CE Executives for 2014 Push

IRVING, Texas, Jan. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Uniden America Corporation has named several key executives to its leadership team as the company looks ahead to continued growth in 2014. 

Leading the team will be industry veteran Kip Sullivan.  With more than 25 years of sales experience in the consumer electronics industry, Sullivan serves as executive vice president of sales and marketing. He is charged with igniting sales throughout North and South America.  Before joining Uniden, Sullivan held progressive executive positions with Cobra, Jasco and Recoton, most recently as vice president of sales for North and South America at Cobra.  He was Uniden's vice president of sales from 2006-2008.   Sullivan earned his bachelor's degree in marketing from Boston College. 

"The Uniden brand is well-respected among our customers because of our track record in iconic products such as cordless phones and CB radios," Sullivan said.  "Our reputation for quality and innovation will integrate very easily into our communications categories.  This year promises to be a very exciting one for our brand, and I'm glad to be back here at Uniden with this team of top professionals."

A CE professional with 20 years experience, Derek Blubaugh has been tapped as director of sales focusing on North America.  Blubaugh brings valuable knowledge of marketing strategy in the ever-changing retail market place.   He will be exploring new business development partners for Uniden product line-ups.  Blubaugh spent the last seven years with Coby Electronics Corporation as director of sales.  Prior to that, he was highly successful at Uniden as a regional sales manager, as well as in progressive sales positions at DPI, Inc., X-10 USA, Woods Industries, Inc. and Top Sales Company, Inc.

"Uniden is reinventing its brand for a whole new generation of consumers," Blubaugh said.   "We will continue to examine new categories in 2014 and beyond.  I am looking forward to growing Uniden exponentially in the coming years with some exciting new categories."

Paul Opitz is director of product development overseeing growth and development in Uniden's radio categories.  Under his leadership, the Uniden development team has created a number of products including the all-new HomePatrol scanner line.  Opitz also is credited with innovations such as creating the Dynamic Memory Architecture used in Uniden's professional-series scanners since 2005 and making GPS-control of scanners a reality. Prior to joining Uniden, Opitz was the director of product development at RadioShack where he developed the first generation of Family Radio Service radios.  He has a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Texas at Arlington. 

Mark Lessor is responsible for Uniden's new product line up in the video surveillance category.  Lessor is an experienced CE product manager skilled at creating and managing marketing strategies for new products.  During his three years at Uniden, he has overseen the launch of several new products in the video surveillance category.  Before joining Uniden in 2010, Lessor worked for ViewCast and Texas Instruments educational products group as a product marketing manager.  Lessor holds a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas and a graduate level marketing certificate from Southern Methodist University. 

J. Patrick Reirdon, a technology professional with more than 15 years experience, is the director of operations for Uniden. Reirdon earned his bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Oklahoma and an associate degree in computer programming from Tarrant County College.  His postgraduate work includes a master's degree in strategic leadership from Amberton University and a CIO Pocket MBA from Boston University. 

As Uniden's national account manager, Franklin Raines works with many of Uniden's major customers, including Amazon.com, West Marine, BassPro Shops and Cabela's.  Prior to joining Uniden, Raines was a top sales rep for Newell Rubbermaid.  Raines has a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Tennessee. 

About Uniden America Corporation
Uniden America Corporation, the North American subsidiary of Japan-based Uniden Corporation, manufactures and markets wireless consumer electronic products. Based in Irving, Texas, Uniden sells its products through dealers and distributors throughout North, Central and South America.

Contact:
Larry Johannes
Willow St. Agency
817.658.4444 or 214.276.7658

SOURCE Uniden America Corporation