Visit The Motor Doctor

We've put on hundreds of seminars all over the country and have written a regular series for a number of trade publications. Now you can visit the Motor Doctor on the web, and I'm looking forward to sharing my 30 years of motor experience with an entirely new audience.

Forthcoming Events

	International Pool & Spa Expo
	EASA
	AHR Expo - Mexico

Mapes named president of A. O. Smith Electrical Products Company

A. O. Smith Corporation today announced that Christopher L. Mapes has been named president of its Electrical Products Company headquartered in Tipp City, OH.

As president, Mapes will assume full profit and loss responsibility for Electrical Products, A. O. Smith's largest operating unit with 2003 sales of $824.6 million. The unit manufactures an extensive line of fractional horsepower, hermetic, and integral horsepower electric motors and has manufacturing operations in North America, Europe, and Asia.

"Chris Mapes brings unique background and perspective to this position, with global experience both in motor manufacturing and on the supplier side of the electrical market," Paul W. Jones, president and chief operating officer of A. O. Smith Corporation said. "He has the industry knowledge, management experience, and skills to provide dynamic leadership to Electrical Products during these challenging times."

Mapes joins A. O. Smith from Regal-Beloit Corporation, Beloit, Wis., where he was president of motor sales and marketing and an officer of the company. In that position, he was responsible for product development, sales and marketing for Regal-Beloit's global motor business as well as the profit and loss for other operations within Regal-Beloit including its global logistics operations.

From 1990 until 2002, Mapes worked at Superior Telecom, Fort Wayne, Ind., a supplier to the electrical, automotive, and electronics market. In his last assignment, he had full profit and loss responsibility and was president of the Global OEM Business

Group, made up of the Superior Essex Magnet Wire, Essex Brownell, Active Industries, and Automotive Wire units. During this period the company became the largest producer of magnet wire in North America.

Mapes also served as vice president-Global OEM Products and vice president/general manager of Essex Group, a position that involved marketing, pricing, manufacturing, and product development for the magnet wire, automotive wire, and electrical insulation businesses. He also held the positions of vice president and general manager of Essex Brownell managing the acquisitions of Brownell Electro and Active Industries for the company.

Mapes began his career at General Motors Corporation, Toledo, Ohio in a salaried development program where he held a number of positions in manufacturing management and human resources.

Mapes earned a bachelor of science degree in 1985 from Ball State University, Muncie, Ind. He received a law degree from the University of Toledo (Ohio) in 1988 and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management in Evanston, Ill., in 1998.