On the company's 35th anniversary, the commitment to partnerships is reaffirmed
LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo., June 1, 2011 — Citing a recommitment to the legacy of the company's founders, the newly named Chief Executive Officer of R&D/Leverage, Todd Riley, pledged a renewed dedication to the company's partnerships with customers — and its 320 global employees.
"Back in 1976, a Czechoslovakian immigrant, Ivan Drienik and his wife started a tooling company as R&D Tool & Engineering — and that original building is still here, now part of our much larger complex," said Riley. "The company that was formed 35 years ago was built upon true partnerships — with customers, and with employees. We may have grown significantly since then, re-branded with our consumer design center and now are known as R&D/Leverage, but we have never lost sight of our founders' principles."
According to Riley, a 19-year company veteran, details of the new management team will be communicated shortly. "As we re-establish our organization chart, the most significant goal is that the customer will be at the top," Riley said. "It is an absolute honor and privilege to have this opportunity to lead our people forward and build upon the valuable customer relationships that have grown over the years." Here in the U.S., the company's comprehensive "idea-to-mold" capabilities recently resulted in a noteworthy collaboration between R&D/Leverage and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (DPSG), the market leader in the flavored carbonated soft drinks category. The result of that work was the design of the 7-Up brand's 20-ounce "legacy" bottle, which both companies indicate may open additional package development opportunities within the 50-brand DPSG portfolio.
Abroad, R&D/Leverage – UK recently announced the addition of two new sales account managers to handle customers in northern and central Europe, based upon 15 percent sales growth in 2010 and projections for another year of double-digit growth in 2011.
According to Riley, R&D/Leverage's industry-leading capability as an "idea-to-mold" provider enhances cost and time efficiency, as it builds brands. "Looking forward, the passion our employees share for finding innovative packaging solutions will continue to benefit our customer-partnerships. Together, we will continue the people-first traditions of our founders back in '76, in order to create breakthrough work that wins over consumers and builds brands in a wide variety of product sectors."
(Editor's note: for further information or interviews, contact Robert Schiavone, R&D/Leverage, 816/525-0353 Email or visit the company online: http://www.rdleverage.com.)
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