THE NORTHEAST GROUP - Key Persons
Dave joined The Northeast Group in July 2014 and brought with him 20+ years of experience and accomplishment as a Sales Manager within various categories of the Housewares industry. Whether it be Kitchen Electrics with DeLonghi and Sunbeam Products, Cookware with T-Fal and WearEver or Kitchen Gadgets and Tools with Swissmar, Dave consistently grew topline sales and bottom profits for these companies in a variety of management positions. Dave has managed the absolute breadth of accounts from National Chains like Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Macy's to individual Independent Accounts as well. He also has a background in Direct Import programs, working for a China-based Cookware supplier, ASD Group, for several years. For The Northeast Group, Dave manages Macy's & Bloomingdales while expanding an array of Independent and Gourmet/Specialty accounts in his metro New York territory.
Diane has been with The Northeast Group since 2014 in her role as Sales Representative for Manhattan and northern New Jersey. Prior to joining our team, Diane held numerous sales and management positions encompassing 25 years in the Housewares industry. Diane came to us after serving as Brabantia's National Sales Manager in the USA. Prior to that position she built her selling career from Sales Representative for Le Creuset, and then as Regional Sales Manager at Swissmar Imports, Inc. Her positions as Regional and National Sales Managers gives her a plethora of experience to manage the wide variety of customers in her territory.
Diane's love of retail started back when she received her AAS in Buying and Merchandising from FIT, and then continued with a BS in Economics from the State University of New York. Since joining The Northeast Group, Diane has been dedicated to building our Manhattan territory by adding additional clients and business in this key region.
George has been with The Northeast Group since 2003. ‘Bred from the ground up', he's learned all aspects of the manufacturer's sales representative business right here. George started as our Office Manager for his first 5 years, where he was intimately involved in all aspects of Customer Service and daily Operations. This led to his current role as a full-time sales representative for both key and specialty accounts.
A graduate from the University of Rhode Island with a B.S in Business Administration, sales and all things business-related are in George's DNA. His background includes 4 years in the medical field where he was a buyer and planner, and 5 years in the hospitality industry.
Jeanne has a love for all the elements of these Industries as well as retail in general. Having been involved in every component of the "retail trade ", including buying, merchandising, store management and operations, her true love is the sales element. One could say this is her ultimate passion that she lives out each day with her varied account base.
She has had a proven track record in building brands, people and ultimately the business. She incorporates her vast experience each day with her specialty gift store accounts and is proud to be part of The Northeast Group.
After college, Jeff Hart started his career at St. Johnsbury Trucking. This is where he learned his customer service skills and how to manage multiple tasks as he moved freight around the country for their customers. After some time there, Jeff decided to make the move to The Northeast Group, and has been with the company since 1991. Jeff began as our Office Manager, then quickly added value to our firm as a Sales Person, first in the small territory of Cape Cod, and then in the entire eastern Massachusetts Territory that extended to Maine. Jeff currently handles Wayfair, Whole Foods, and our large Distributors. In addition to his sales territory, Jeff serves as our Company Sales Manager. He is the most seasoned independent sales person in the organization and is a constant source of inspiration to the team that are responsible for these customers.
As the Managing Partner of the company, my goal is to keep The Northeast Group as strong as it has been since 1973. I take pride in the fact that we have so many long term employees who enjoy being part of our dynamic team. Manufacturer and customer relationships are key to our success, and it is my hope to build upon those relationships to further enhance our status as leaders in the industry. I am always available to speak with manufacturers and customers whenever needed.
I brought 20 years of retail experience with me when joining The Northeast Group. That experience spans sales and store management, planning as well as buying. I started my retail career in store management at Lechmere covering all areas of the store, and then continued it when moving on to Staples. My first foray into sales came with the Spring Air Mattress Company as a key account executive managing customers that included independent stores as well as key chain retailers. From there, I joined the TJX Corporation, holding various planning and buying positions for approximately 12 years. Eight out of those 12 years were spent as a buyer in housewares. It was in that role that I immersed myself in learning all aspects of the housewares industry, from product knowledge to sourcing of merchandise overseas, as well as developing new products to bring to the marketplace.