Franmar Welcomes New General Manager
BLOOMINGTON, IL -- A veteran manager experienced in many facets of business has been hired as the general manager for Franmar, Inc.
Tim Whitlock of Normal will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Bloomington, Ill.-based manufacturer, which produces the BLUE BEAR® retail and industrial lines, and a complete line of screen-printing products. He assumes many of the responsibilities held by Vice President Dan Brown, who will remain with the company on a part-time basis.
“We are excited to welcome Tim to Franmar,” said Brown. “His experience in customer service, plant management and revenue growth will be a great asset to our business and product lines.”
Whitlock previously worked for a dedicated transportation provider in Normal, Ill. for 15 years, where he was director of operations. There, he built and maintained customer relationships that generated more than $27 million in annual revenue, and brought the second-largest revenue-generating customer to the business. Prior to that he worked for a national transportation provider for seven years, and a national metal building component manufacturer for 14 years, where he was operations manager at two facilities.
Whitlock, a native of Central Illinois, is married with two children and four grandchildren. He was attracted to Franmar because it offered an opportunity for growth and new challenges. He praised the company for its work in developing products that are better for people and the planet.
“My immediate goal is to learn the product lines. From there, it’s seeing what we can do to grow the business,” said Whitlock. “Franmar makes exceptional products and I’m looking forward to building on that success.”
For 35 years, Franmar has been synonymous with green innovation. The family-owned business based in Bloomington, Illinois believes that people should be able to undertake cleaning and restoration projects without risking their health or harming the environment. Franmar products rely on the power of soybeans rather than harsh chemicals like methylene chloride, muriatic acid and trisodium phosphate (TSP). Soy-based solvents are an affordable, superior alternative because they can easily penetrate coatings, adhesives, grease, asphalt and more, without noxious odors or side effects. Franmar’s innovations include nearly two dozen products that are part of the BLUE BEAR retail and industrial lines, as well as a full range of screen-printing products.