Michael Merritt

Experience

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  Arcade Management Firm

  Feb 1981 - May 1983

  Part Owner

  Partnership with revenues of $450,000 during the first two years of operations. Initiated contracts to manage and sub-contract Video Games at Carnegie-Mellon University.

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  Appliance Guard Inc

  Oct 1983 - Oct 1984

  Owner

  Owner. Importer and distributor of specialty electronic technology. Selected products for importing, managed all aspects of the business with a primary focus on sales. Sold business to Quick Pics, St. Thomas Virgin Is. 1984

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  Indusa

  Oct 1984 - Mar 1986

  Sales Manager

  Distributor of tools, chemicals, and coatings. Managed 5-person sales force with direct sales responsibility for key account sales. Selected products for line extension, developed sales tools, literature, office structures for proposal and bid management. Rapid growth opportunities for specialty coating lines led to the creation of sister company - Plant Engineering (above) as a service-based installation company in Puerto Rico.

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  Plant Engineering

  Dec 1984 - Nov 1986

  VP Engineering and Sales

  VP of Engineering and Sales. Founder and Minority Shareholder.A start-up company specializing in the manufacture, engineering, and installation of unique polymer coatings for the large process industry. Completely responsible for engineering, project quotations, and material selection. Developed marketing strategy, all literature, and packaging.

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  Coating Technology Corporation

  Nov 1986 - May 1987

  Owner and President

  Founded CTC to consolidate premier US-based coating suppliers into a single distribution and application company. Established immediate presence in local market and sold the company to Caribbean Coatings (a competitor) 5 months after startup.

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  A.W. Chesterton Company

  Jul 1987 - Jun 2001

  (Technical Products Division, $25M in Sales) Responsible for creating brand segmentation and strategic plans for existing and emerging brands in this twenty-five-million-dollar specialty chemical division. Rebuilt distribution confidence. Restructured Technical and Marketing staff to achieve Brand focus and platform for growth. Rationalized product mix, pricing, sales support, collateral marketing materials, and distribution channels. Developing e-commerce strategies to support both existing distribution channels and a new brand which will be a separate e-commerce distribution channel Show less (ARC Division $10M in Sales)Reported to Divisional VP. Increased overall sales by 40% in a developed and shrinking market. Decreased cost of sales by 55% indirectly controlled areas. Shifted sales emphasis to higher-margin products, driving 4 continuous years of enhanced contribution rates. Architect of a complete re-facilitation of all divisional facilities, including R&D Center (10 labs), and Training facility used for customer programs. Cost-effectively created a functional facility that leaves visitors with a striking perception of high technology and research. Consolidated several corporate functions into the division with no increase in divisional manpower, reducing allocated costs by $400,000. Utilized emerging digital technologies to reduce cycle time, inventory, and production costs associated with both printed matter and laptop-video sales tools. Supported 13 languages efficiently. Expanded business model to include private label, OEM, and technology licensing strategies; developed relationships and executed alliance contracts. Directed chief legal officer in restructuring corporate distributor agreements to enhance flexibility and limit legal liability. Show less (Technical Products / ARC Division $20M in Sales)Managed all non-sales functions (Finance, Operations, Shipping, Manufacturing, Marketing, R&D, and Customer Service) of this twenty-million-dollar business during a corporate transition from a functional business structure into a strategic business unit structure. Operations included 150 employees based in two manufacturing plants (Groveland, MA and Dublin, Ireland) and selling into 85 countries. The overhauled R&D department, upgrading personnel, standardized, and verified testing standards, restructured product launch process. This resulted in an eight-fold increase in development efficiency and a reduction in total cycle time for new development. Plants received and maintained ISO 9002 and ISO 14001 Awards while our Ireland plant received the top-quality award for Ireland, beating out HP and Apple. Implemented financial controls and audits to resolve unjustifiable swings in financial results due to WIP (work in progress) calculations. Lead Divisions strategy team working with Lockridge Consulting to define the new business unit structure and establish priorities and implementation schedule to utilize new distribution models. Show less Responsible for opening new distributors in North America. Sold prospects on investments between $200,000 - $500,000 to start a new business and managed all contract negotiations. Helped with startup issues including Business Plans, Financing, Cash Flow analysis, Recruiting and training new sales force, and product marketing. Concurrent with distributor openings, designed and published new sales support tools including 3 Brochures, 1 Distributor management manual, Two Modular Sales Presenter Manuals (110+ Pages), Application/Product training manual (150+ Pages). These have subsequently been translated into 13 languages and were still in extensive use 20 years later. (Note: On several occasions, we have found competitors who directly copied elements of these manuals and were later restrained from further use). Show less Responsible for product line management of polymer repair technology in International Markets. Achieved significant growth through innovative value creation and product positioning, thus growing international sales from $600,000 to $5,000,000 in 5 years with growth rates 5 times that of national counterpart. These results were achieved despite a shrinking market and strong competition. Responsibilities included product positioning, technical training, customer seminars, sales training, and motivational programs. Keynote speaker at major sales meetings. Drove major change in distribution strategy to separate from the parent company with unique image driving additional sales channels, increased contribution margin, and increased market value of the company and its divisions. Provided sales and technical support to hundreds of field salespeople. Traveled extensively to more than 55 countries. Show less

  • Marketing & Technology Manager

    Dec 2000 - Jun 2001

  • Sales, Marketing and R&D Manager

    Oct 1996 - Dec 2000

  • General Manager

    Oct 1995 - Oct 1996

  • National Manager of New Business Development

    Jan 1993 - Oct 1995

  • International Product Manager

    Jul 1987 - Jan 1993
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  Sponge-Jet, Inc.

  Aug 2001 - Sept 2023

  President

  Sponge/Abrasive, Machinery, and Robotics manufacturer for low dust abrasive blasting of industrial facilities and historic structures. Globally recognized brand synonymous with the market segment. International distribution in over 100 countries. Continuously pioneering new product technology changing industry in our space with better, safer and more productive systems. Established global training and technology center to move our whole industry forward through education and mentoring. Pressure vessels certification across 5 national standards, manufacturing to ISO 9000, PED (EU Pressure Vessels), and CE machinery and electronics directives. Established standards while committee member with SSPC, ANSI, and ISO.Strategic partnerships throughout our industry. Our goal is to make sure our customers are successful when using this innovative environmental technology. Show less

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  Sunrun

  Feb 2024 - Mar 2025

  Solar Energy Consultant

  Passionate about helping homeowners simplify the transition to solar while maximizing their savings. Proud to have been part of the nation's #1 residential solar company and a top-performing sales team. Gained invaluable firsthand experience in the processes and strategies of a rapidly growing industry leader.