Control Sales Merges with ESA Technical Marketing

April 20th, 2020

On April 1st, Control Sales merged with ESA Technical Marketing, adding key lines and the talents of Diana Nawrocki as Executive Vice President and Account Manager.  

Control Sales and ESA are highly compatible, having competed on many projects over the years, and holding similar business philosophies and practices. By joining forces and combining our experience and expertise, we increase our ability to provide value for our customers and business partners. 

Diana has been with ESA for 20 years, working in outside sales and transitioned to ownership.  She is recognized in the rep industry as a rising star for her exceptional sales skills.  She is high energy and engaging, and we are thrilled to have her on our team.   

The merger creates a more comprehensive line card for Control Sales. We can now offer our customers expanded solutions for lighting, thermal interface, magnetics, transformers, and mil/aero power. More information will be coming soon as we roll out our new lines. 

The combined company is operating under the legal name Controls Sales, Inc. headquartered in Schaumburg. Our manufacturing and distributor partners can rely on the same personal working relationships they have had in the past.  

Please join us as we look forward to an exciting future for our customers, business partners and employees. 

PDT Gives Design Center Tour to Barrington High School Robotics Team

December 14th, 2018

Barrington High School students were provided with a unique opportunity to see consumer and industrial product design and development processes thanks to the generosity of PDT, an Astronics Company, located in Lake Zurich, IL.  David Fay and John Morici personally guided the tour of PDT’s state of the art design center, highlighting on-going projects in stages ranging from white board design flows to functional prototyping. In addition, the students were able to ask questions, tour the tooling shop and handle 3D printed prototypes.

PDT and Control Sales are proud to sponsor the students’ robotics team “BHS Bronco Bots”.

Kingsland Coombs, President of Control Sales, Inc., commented, “David Fay, John Morici and the people at PDT provided the students with an example of the highly creative, collaborative processes used by PDT in the design of new technology. The design center’s atmosphere was particularly inspiring to the students who are looking for work environments that support and enhance innovation. On behalf of the students, thank you to David, John and PDT for taking time to mentor the next generation of engineers. The tour was an example of PDT’s commitment to learning and Control Sales is extremely proud to work with PDT.”

The BHS Bronco Bots Robotics Team participates in the FIRST Tech Challenge where more than 5,000 teams from around the world compete head to head on a special playing field with robots they have designed, built, and programmed. They must also raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and perform community outreach. In addition to learning valuable STEM and life skills, participants are eligible to apply for $80 million in college scholarships.

PDT’s unique development approach has propelled it into a firm spanning the globe with over 120 dedicated experts. Twice named to Inc. Magazine’s Fastest Growing American Companies, their design and engineering teams are frequently recognized by distinguished industry awards including IDEA, ADEX, and the ID Forty.

Arrow Chicago Tech Expo 2018

October 31st, 2018

Last week Control Sales, Mill-Max, Sharp Displays and TDK Lambda were proud exhibitors and sponsors at the Arrow Chicago Tech Expo 2018 held in Hoffman Estates, IL.  The Arrow Tech Expo hosted over 25 technical supplier seminars and multiple supplier booths showcasing select product offerings. Event organizers were pleased with customer attendance and valuable supplier seminars and exhibitions.

According to Susan Leager, Director of Distribution at Control Sales, “the 2018 Arrow Technology Expo was an opportunity for us to meet with customers and discuss design challenges.  Product offerings from TDK Lambda, Sharp Displays and Mill-Max were met with great enthusiasm by our booth visitors.  A big thank you to the Arrow Electronics staff for all their hard work to make this year’s Expo a great success.”

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Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas (SMA) is a premier manufacturer of industrial and memory LCDs with a legacy of leading-edge, performance-based products.

Mill-Max manufactures high reliability precision-machined interconnect components.

TDK Lambda is a leader in the design and manufacture of a wide range of AC-DC power supplies and DC-DC converters.

Chicagoland-Wisconsin ERA Hosts Educational Program

August 24th, 2018

 

The Chicagoland-Wisconsin Chapter of the Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) held an educational presentation and lunch on June 1, 2018, at Avnet Inc., in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

The event featured guest speaker Richard Greaves, senior partner at Empowering Systems. Greaves’ presentation, “Leverage the Latest Collaboration Tools,” discussed the latest collaboration tools and why Office 365 is a great platform for rep firms and all salespeople.

Chapter President Rick LaPiana of Cain-Forlaw Company said, “I am a strong believer that collaboration is key to efficiency and success in component sales, but I was not aware of all the tools, tips and tricks that Office 365 provides. Rich Greaves did a nice job illustrating the benefits at our June 1 chapter event. In fact, this meeting convinced me to move the entire company over to Microsoft 365. Everyone who attended, was pleased with the interaction and discussion at the event.”

Chapter Vice President, Fiscal & Legal, Kingsland Coombs, CPMR, CSP, of Control Sales Inc., who helped organize the event, added: “Rich was tasked with explaining and demonstrating for us the latest in collaboration software tools. He did a very fine job showing us the benefits of the Office 365 suite of products including the Microsoft Teams application. Since the presentation, our company has started to use Teams for file sharing, chatting and screen sharing. We are pleased with the results so far and thank Rich for the nudge we needed to get started!”

The chapter is planning more networking and educational events for the remainder of 2018. For more information, visit www.chiwisera.com.

About Chicagoland-Wisconsin ERA
Chicagoland – Wisconsin ERA is a local resource for continuing education programs, networking opportunities, peer discussion groups and an array of services designed to help improve professionalism and profitability. For more information, visit www.chiwisera.com.

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

New Manufacturer: Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas

March 15th, 2018

 

 

Control Sales, Inc. announces a partnership with Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas (SMA), a premier manufacturer of Industrial and Memory LCDs with a legacy of leading-edge, performance-based products.

“Sharp’s global leadership in LCD technology cannot be overstated,” said Kingsland Coombs, President of Control Sales. “We can now offer our customers an LCD brain trust with deep knowledge on virtually every vertical industry and solution set. Sharp’s products include Industrial TFT LCDs covering a vast array of specifications and Memory LCDs for wearables and battery-operated industrial products. Both product lines are in immediate demand in our territory. We are proud to represent a manufacturer with world class products, deep engineering resources, and US-based technical support.”

 

About Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas (SMA)

Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas, a division of Sharp Electronics Corp., (a N.Y. Corporation), is headquartered in Camas, WA and has field offices across North America. Sharp’s components are designed for top performance and ease of integration, and are continually re-envisioned to meet emerging market demand and to take advantage of the latest Sharp technology innovations.

The Industrial Application LCD product line-up includes sunlight readable LCDs, industrial-grade Full-HD displays, and a vast array of other specifications aimed at performance in the most extreme environments. The Memory LCD products are the perfect solution for compact handheld, battery-operated, wearable, and other small-screen applications.

Control Sales Announces the Addition of Susan Leager

February 12th, 2018

Control Sales proudly announces the addition of Susan Leager as the Company’s new Director of Distribution. Susan comes directly from Arrow Electronics in Wisconsin where she held various sales positions and demonstrated an impressive growth track record. Working out of Control Sales’ Brookfield, Wisconsin office, Susan will manage the Company’s distribution business in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Susan comments “I am looking forward to using my distribution sales experience to manage and grow the distribution component of a respected manufacturers’ representative. It will be a new challenge that allows me to build upon my expertise in account management, customer service and collaboration. Control Sales’ best in class lines and strategic distribution emphasis makes this position a perfect fit.”

Kingsland Coombs, President of Control Sales, said “After a long and exhausting search, we couldn’t be happier to have Susan on board. Susan is a proven electronics distribution sales professional who comes with a depth of industry knowledge and experience in hand. She will drive our distribution sales performance and assist with internal process improvements needed to sustain our growth. This role is a critical for us, and I am very confident we found the right person in Susan.”

Follow Susan on LinkedIn and email her at SusanL@ControlSales.com.

New Manufacturer: TDK Lambda Americas

November 3rd, 2017

 

Control Sales, Inc. is proud to announce it now represents TDK Lambda, a global leader in in the design and manufacture of a wide range of AC-DC power supplies and DC-DC converters.

“TDK-Lambda is one of the oldest and trusted manufacturers of high quality power supply solutions,” said Kingsland Coombs, President of Control Sales. “We are thrilled to offer our customers TDK-Lambda’s broad product line with over 5300 models to choose from.  The breadth of the product line and availability of configurable solutions will sell across all sectors of our customer base. We look forward to a long-standing partnership with TDK.”

About TDK Lambda Americas

Founded in 1948 and headquartered in San Diego, CA, the company is a leader in the design and manufacture of a wide range of AC-DC power supplies and DC-DC converters for Industrial, COTS, Medical, Telecom, Datacom, and Test & Measurement. Products include standard and configurable AC/DC power supplies with Industrial, High Rel and Medical models, DC/DC converters and EMI Filters. TDK backs its products with industry leading warranties up to “Limited Life Time”.

 

Ross Jable Joins Control Sales

September 27th, 2017

We would like to introduce Ross Jable as the newest member of our team at Control Sales. Ross joins us as an Outsides Sales Representative servicing accounts in Northern Illinois and Iowa. With over 20 years of experience representing top component manufacturers and a proven track record of success, Ross looks forward to making his mark at Control Sales.

Kingsland Coombs, President of Control Sales said “Ross is a high-energy, dynamic salesperson with experience and skills that add value immediately. He knows electromechanical products, is an excellent communicator and understands how to analyze business and technical needs. Ross greatly enhances our overall sales team and we expect his territory to benefit from his salesmanship.”

Ross has established industry relationships in the Midwest resulting from previous positions as a manufacturers’ representative at Stan Clothier Corporation and Sumner, Inc. Further, he maintains a broad-based, technical sales expertise that spans electronic components ranging from commodity to customized, highly technical proprietary products and services.

Follow Ross on LinkedIn and email him at RossJ@ControlSales.com.

Control Sales is looking for a Distribution Sales Manager!

September 18th, 2017

Distribution Sales Manager:

Control Sales, Inc., a leading electronic component manufacturers’ representative firm serving the Midwest, is looking for a Distribution Sales Manager!  This person will leverage existing industry knowledge and relationships to manage distribution revenue opportunities for our highly recognizable electronic and electro-mechanical product lines. You’ll serve mid to large sized original equipment manufacturing (OEM) customers in the Industrial, Military, Aerospace, Medical and Telecommunications Industries.

 

Distribution Sales Manager Responsibilities:

  • Proactively manages all aspects of distributor relationships. Establishes personal rapport with distributor partners in sales and management positions. Skillfully interacts with decision makers.
  • Provides critical support to distribution revenue opportunities. Resolves conflicts and escalated issues. Supports quote and bid development. Provides visibility and transparency of opportunities and issues to all key stakeholders.
  • Creates a sales strategy for visits to key distributor accounts. Analyzes data from multiple sources to support sales strategy. Proficient with data analysis tools including Company and Principal CRMs and Excel spreadsheets with pivot tables. Takes initiative to learn new technologies to improve sales data analysis.
  • Identifies new opportunities and emerging accounts and generates leads for field sales managers. Manages the funnel to ensure progression through the sales cycle. Uses search engines and social networking websites to identify distribution leads and contacts.
  • Tenacious and comfortable with prospecting. Focuses on identifying and exploiting high return opportunities. Takes initiative to work independently with a strategy in mind.
  • Actively investigates customer and distributor needs through effective questioning and listening. Delivers clear, concise product knowledge in oral and written communication. Uses social media to maintain and expand relationships.
  • Maintains broad technical understanding of all products offered by principals. Continuously improves professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
  • Builds effective relationships and collaborates with peers. Motivates self and others to achieve maximum results. Exudes confidence and trustworthiness.

 

Distribution Sales Manager Skills and Qualifications:

Problem Solving, Product Knowledge, Business Acumen, Presentation Skills, Written and Verbal Communication, Professionalism, Initiative

 

Distribution Sales Manager Experience and/or Education Required:

  • Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field
  • Minimum of 5-7 years proven technical sales or operations experience
  • Experience in sales for electronic or electro-mechanical manufacturing company, distributor or manufacturers’ representative
  • Experience with CRM software, Microsoft Office

New Manufacturer: Belden Inc.

September 15th, 2017


Control Sales, Inc. announces its sales partnership with Belden Inc. (NYSE: BDC), a global leader in high quality, end-to-end signal transmission solutions. Belden delivers a comprehensive product portfolio of innovative solutions that target reliable and secure transmission of rapidly growing amounts of data, audio and video needed for today’s applications.

 
“There is tremendous synergy between Belden products and our customers in Illinois and Wisconsin,” said Kingsland Coombs, President of Control Sales, Inc. “We expect to see high demand across our entire customer base for these premier industrial wire and cable and enterprise connectivity products. Belden is at the center of the global transformation to a connected world.”

 
Belden’s highly differentiated, high-performance cable, connectivity and networking products can be found in a variety of markets including industrial, enterprise, broadcast, transportation, energy and consumer electronics. Included in the connectivity and networking solutions are a wide range of copper, fiber and coaxial cables, fiber and copper connectors, intelligent wired and wireless products, industrial ethernet switches and related equipment.

 
About Belden
Belden Inc. delivers a comprehensive product portfolio designed to meet the mission-critical network infrastructure needs of industrial, enterprise and broadcast markets. Founded in 1902, the company is headquartered in St. Louis and has manufacturing capabilities in North and South America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit us at www.belden.com or follow on Twitter @BeldenInc.