Lippert Components Makes Three Promotions
John Ries and Braxston Cave
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowLippert Components Inc. has promoted John Ries (pictured) to vice president of RV products. He most recently served as general manager of LCI’s specialty products division. In his new role, Ries will be responsible for Awnings, Laminated Products, Axles, Doors, Slide-Outs, Steps and Electric Stabilizing and Leveling Systems and will oversee more than 2,000 team members. He has 30 years of leadership and manufacturing experience across several industries and has excelled at continuous process improvement, quality assurance and employee development. Prior to joining LCI, Ries worked as regional manager for TI Automotive for nearly 20 years, as general manager of Dana Holding Corp. and vice president of operations at AL-KO Kober Group.
Braxston Cave (pictured) has been promoted from assistant general manager to GM of the RV products division. The division manufactures primarily specialty products such as Axles, Slide-Outs and Steps for the RV industry. In his new role, Cave will focus his efforts on building and leading the more than 900 manufacturing team members within the division. In addition, he will work to enhance the team’s leadership development, new product releases, safety, automation and continuous quality improvements. Cave joined LCI’s Leadership Training Program in August 2016. Cave is a 2012 graduate of the University of Notre Dame where he received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and was an All American on the University’s football team. After graduation, he spent three years in the NFL before beginning his career with LCI.
Also, Ryan Smith has been promoted to senior vice president of sales & operations. He previously held the position of vice president of LCI’s Interior Division. In his new position, Smith will oversee all sales and operations for the more than 60 divisions that comprise LCI Industries, North America. His entire professional career has been spent in the RV and marine industries. Smith began his career with Seating Technologies, a Goshen, Indiana-based furniture manufacturer, immediately after graduating from Indiana University South Bend. After LCI acquired Seating Technologies in 2008, his role pivoted to sales, and ultimately, operations and product development for LCI’s newly-formed Interior Division. Over the next 10 years, the interior division would fuel LCI’s growth and come to be one of the company’s largest business units. Smith helped organically grow LCI’s Interior Division from $30 million in 2008 to more than $300 million in 2017.