SALT LAKE CITY – Orbit Irrigation Products announced that KC Ericksen has retired as president. He will continue to serve on Pro-Mark’s board of directors, the holding company of Orbit and Hydro-Rain.
The board of directors has elected Stuart Eyring to be the next president of Orbit and to continue as president of Hydro-Rain, a position he has held since 2006. Eyring was serving as chief operating officer of Orbit at the time of his appointment as president.
Ericksen was named president and CEO in 1985. “There are not adequate words to express our appreciation for all that KC has done to make Orbit a known and respected company throughout the world,” said David Beck, chairman of Pro-Mark’s Board of Directors. “The board is highly confident in the abilities of Stuart and the leadership team to accelerate the company’s momentum and begin writing the next exciting chapter of the Orbit story.”
Eyring joined Orbit in 2005 as executive vice president of product development and marketing and transitioned to chief operating officer of Orbit in 2014. He has helped drive significant growth through a continued focus on product quality and new product innovation, such as the new line of B-hyve Wi-Fi smart sprinkler timers for residential and commercial customers, which enables remote management of irrigation systems via smart phone or Amazon’s Alexa.
“It has been an honor to lead this great company and to see it become a global leader in irrigation products,” Ericksen said. “I am extremely confident in Stuart and the team’s ability to continue to bring innovation to the market and to drive our next stage of growth.”
Prior to Orbit, Eyring spent over a decade at Ford Motor Company as a member of the marketing leadership team where he served in roles throughout the world, including the U.S., Asia and South America. Eyring has an M.B.A. from The Wharton School and a B.S. in Finance and Japanese from Brigham Young University.
“Orbit is well positioned for future success with an incredible product portfolio, a remarkable network of partner relationships and an innovation engine that is second to none,” Eyring said. “I look forward to continuing both Orbit’s and Hydro-Rain’s traditions of product and business innovation and extending our global influence in conservation through the application of smart technologies.”
Orbit also announced additional senior leadership appointments. Paul Archibald was appointed president of Pro-Mark, the holding company of Orbit and Hydro-Rain, and continues as chief financial officer for all Orbit and Pro-Mark entities. Archibald began his career at the accounting firm of KPMG and soon transitioned to Orbit and Pro-Mark where he has been responsible for leading the transformation of financial systems and business analytics during three decades of growth and expansion.
Additionally, Mitch Lord was appointed chief marketing officer and continues as executive vice president with expanded responsibilities for sales, marketing and new business development activities across all channels globally. Steve Slater will continue in his role as chief administrative officer.
