Ember Recreational Vehicles, a new company building travel trailers specifically designed for adventure camping off-road and off-grid, filled several management roles with key people. The hires bring with them years of experience and expertise to the team.
Ashley Bontrager, president and CEO of Ember said building a robust team rich with histories of experience and specialized expertise is key to Ember’s success.
“We are stronger together,” Bontrager said, “so creating a culture where each team member is encouraged and empowered to share their unique talents and insights is a top priority for me and the other founders. We have stacked the deck in our favor and are on fire for the team we have built so far and the ones we will continue to add to it in the future.”
Sherlin Miller has been tapped as director of sales, where he will lead the sales initiatives. Miller holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Manchester University and has 29 years of RV industry experience. About 25 of those years were spent in sales and marketing. Miller managed a team of 18 regional sales managers and over a billion dollars in annual sales revenue before coming to Ember.
Chris Barth, Ember vice president and chief operating officer, commended Miller’s industry experience and business acumen.
“What is more is that he has earned respect and built strong dealer relationships throughout his tenure in the industry,” Barth said. “We are glad to have such a solid sales representative on our team.”
When it came to quality and engineering, Ember’s founders thought bringing someone in with an outsider’s perspective was the right move.
“Sometimes it takes a fresh pair of eyes and a new perspective to make the biggest impact,” Barth said. “With quality being such an important topic for our industry, we wanted to make a decision that said ‘we are not doing it the way we have always done it. We are going to challenge the status quo.’ Which is why we added Ross to our team to head up our Quality and Engineering departments.”
Ross Toth, a decorated officer in the United States Army and director of quality and engineering for Ember, holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University. Toth first worked for a Fortune 500 medical device manufacturer in engineering roles in quality and manufacturing and eventually moved into management in both quality assurance and research and development. Toth then moved on to new opportunities in injection molding and adhesives manufacturing before joining Ember.
Sherri Snider was hired to be Ember’s director of human resources. Snider has over 30 years of human resource experience, ranging from benefits to payroll to employee relations. Snider graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and through a college internship with the Disney Institute, learned the importance of providing a quality experience for consumers early on.
Bontrager said team member relations and culture is at the center of building the company’s team.
“Adding Sherri to Ember’s management group will help us continue to find the right individuals for the job while staying focused on our top goal — everybody matters,” Bontrager said.
