Traina Enterprises Inc.
Executive and Leadership Team Bios
Douglas J. Traina, B.I.E. Ga. Tech.,
Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, T.E.I.
Doug Traina is a visionary entrepreneur who exudes enthusiasm and passion for his work and a high degree of business ethics.
Originally from Long Island , New York , Doug knew from an early age that he aspired to own his own business. He laid the foundation for his business success by first obtaining a Degree in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta , Georgia in 1974. Over the next 7 years, Doug developed his strong business acumen by working both for himself and in the corporate world at well respected corporations such as JC Penny and Ingersoll-Rand. He founded T.E.I. with the purchase of his first marina, Park Marina in Cartersville , Georgia on April 13, 1981.
From these humble beginnings at one marina location with just 2 employees and only $100,000 in revenues, Doug has successfully grown T.E.I. (and two sister companies) into a well respected multi-million dollar enterprise that encompasses five divisions, 1) marinas, 2) boat sales and retail, 3) boat rentals, 4) hotel and restaurants 5) advertising and real estate. Collectively, these divisions have over 300 employees that staff 6 Georgia marinas, one marina resort in Indiana, a billboard advertising company, 4 boat dealerships in Georgia, and extensive land lease and rental properties. T.E.I's annual revenues now exceed $30MM and T.E.I.'s sister companies, Harbor Town Inc. and Victoria Harbour Inc., have combined annual revenues of $2.4mm. Doug is proud to have assembled a talented and accomplished Leadership Team that implements his vision to grow the company with a continual focus on excellence in customer service and ethical business practices and procedures.
Doug is the proud father of 3 teenage children and he leads a healthy and active lifestyle that includes travel, boating, tennis and a strong commitment to good physical health and well-being.
Kent S. Gable (CPA),
Chief Financial Officer, T.E.I.
Mr. Gable has been employed by T.E.I. since July of 2004 as CFO/Controller. With the rapid growth and projected future growth of T.E.I. it became necessary to create a corporate accounting staff. Mr. Gable is building that team at the home office location to establish effective company-wide systems of internal controls, financial reporting and operational accountability.
He brings to T.E.I. thirty-one years of impressive experience in accounting, finance, operations, human resource and systems management. During his career, Kent has held leadership roles in several large multi-location companies, including Domino's Pizza Distribution, Liberty House Restaurant Corporation and Metro Media Corporation.
Kent is married with 3 grown children. He and his wife enjoy traveling together. Kent is an enthusiastic reader and enjoys an active and healthy life style.
J. Brent Pearson (M. BA., B. ME.)
Chief Operations Officer, T.E.I.
General Manager, Park Marina and Wilderness Camp Marina
Brent Pearson holds a Masters of Business Administration from Berry College in Rome , GA and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta . He joined T.E.I. in 1998 and currently manages the general operations of the Georgia facilities, while overseeing Indiana 's operations also.
Prior to his tenure with T.E.I. he held positions of increasing responsibility for 10 years with Ingersoll-Rand Corporation including Production Supervisor, Project Engineer, Quality Assurance Manager, and Engineering Manager.
His broad and diverse experience and expertise in engineering, design, and operations are tremendously beneficial to the organization in such areas as marina expansion, facility construction, and operational improvement. Mr. Pearson's expertise has helped to nearly double revenues from slip lease and boat rentals over the past 8 years, including nearly 10% annual growth in available slips from construction projects from 1998 to 2007 (exclusive of acquisitions). In addition, he provides extensive IT, Systems, Training and HR support for all Georgia locations.
Brent and his wife Gayle are the proud parents of two young girls. They enjoy numerous outdoor activities that include motorcycling, hunting, fishing and especially boating.
Charles A. Dixon (B. BA.),
Vice President , Outdoor Advertising
Mr. Dixon is the Manager of Outdoor Media Group, a highly lucrative T.E.I. subsidiary and has been a part of the T.E.I. Team for the past 10 years. He holds a Bachelors of Business Management degree from Auburn University and he brings to T.E.I. more than 16 years of industry experience in outdoor advertising. Charles' dedicated efforts combined with his extensive experience have been instrumental not only in the development of a solid long-term base of rental income on billboard land lease sites but also in two very profitable sales of OMG assets.
Charles is married and has 4 children including a set of triplets! He and his wife enjoy spending time with their family.
Jeffrey G. Hammond (CHA)
Vice President, Indiana Operations
Mr. Hammond has been employed by T.E.I. since the Fourwinds Resort & Marina acquisition in 2001 and currently serves as General Manager for the resort. He has managed the property since 1998 and, prior to joining the T.E.I. Team, he worked with Richfield Hospitality Services and Forte Hotels Inc. for more than 11 years.
During this term, he held the positions of General Manager of several individual properties and Regional Manager overseeing 26 hotels concurrently. He has maintained a Certified Hotel Administrator designation (the industry's highest professional designation) from the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association for the past eight years.
He serves as a Commissioner on the Monroe County Convention and Visitors Commission, President of the Monroe County Lodging Association, Adjunct Lecturer for Indiana University , member of the Hoosier Hospitality Conference committee and serves on several Boards of Directors including his 2 nd term as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Indiana Hotel & Lodging Association. His extensive knowledge and experience of systems, controls, human resources and hospitality operations is a great asset to the T.E.I. Team.
Jeffrey recently got married and he and his wife enjoy bird watching and hiking. He is also an avid published photographer.
Vice President, Boat Sales Operations
Mr. Danneman is a 28-year veteran of the boat sales and service industry and has completed all management training courses and programs offered by Brunswick Inc., the industry's premier manufacturer. He is Chairman of the Education Committee of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, President of the Metropolitan Marine Trade Association and serves on several industry association Boards of Directors and Committees. He has owned and operated highly successful Atlanta-area boat dealerships and currently oversees the boat sales operation for all T.E.I. properties. Under his direction, company-wide annual boat sales have grown impressively from $4,000,000 to more than $10,000,000 from 2000 to 2006, while posting net inventory reductions of more than $1,500,000 and profit margin increases on all boat lines over the same time frame.
Brent has been married for 44 years and he and his wife have 2 grown children. He has a passion for collecting and refurbishing cars and enjoys spending time with his 3 grandchildren.
William M. Archer (B. BA)
Vice President, Boat Rental Operations
Mr. Archer has been employed by T.E.I. since 1990. He currently manages the company's Boat Rental, Gas Island and Ship Store operations in Georgia , and oversees the boat operations in Indiana .
He earned a Bachelors of Business Administration from Georgia Southern in 1998, and his extensive marina, boating, and supervisory background has helped enable boat rental revenues to more than triple within the past eight years, with similar growth in profitability.
William is married and enjoys family time on the lake with his wife and 2 young children.
Marketing Director
Ms. Edison comes to T.E.I. with over 25 years in the Advertising & Marketing field. Having worked for large agencies such as Tucker, Wayne Luckie and Della Femina, Travisano and Partners, the last ten years of her career was as co-founder of North American Vision Alliance/Collateral Benefits Group out of Birmingham , Alabama . There, she was Vice President of Marketing and oversaw Operations from in the Retail sector. Creatively, Cindy holds two Southeast Division Addy Awards and a history of creative and marketing successes.
Cindy enjoys a healthy lifestyle that includes horseback riding, spending time with her friends and family and is an avid reader.
Corporate Director of Service
Wes holds a Masters of Science in Organization Leadership & Quality from Marian College in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and a BS-Science in Applied Information Technology. Wes joined TEI in June 2007 and currently oversees all Service Operations of TEI Industries.
Prior to his tenure with TEI, he held numerous positions with Mercury Marine including Parts Analyst, Trade Marketing Manager and District Manager, Southeast Division. Wes broad Marine knowledge will support TEIs rapidly growing Service Department and service team in sales and customer service satisfaction.
Wes is happily married. He and his wife, Betsy, enjoy boating and outdoor activities..
Human Resources Director
Mr. Ulrich joined TEI in the Fall of 2005 after a 20 year tenure developing and supporting the staff for technology and management consulting firms. After receiving his Communications degree from the University of Missouri , his career has included a number of positions responsible for training and human resources administration within retailing, technology and service firms. Robert has also developed award winning training programs, video presentations and newsletters. Mr. Ulrich is a certified IBM Black Belt and Six Sigma business process re-engineering specialist. With his wide range of experience administering employee services, Robert is currently developing employee training and benefit programs at TEI to enhance customer service while building employee loyalty and satisfaction.
Robert is married, lives in Marietta , and has a son who is a freshman at the Colorado School of Mines. He is also the Regional Representative for the American Coaster Enthusiasts.