GKD Metal Fabrics is proud to welcome Rod Whisner to its team. Whisner will serve as Director of Marketing for the architectural business unit. He will also head up Marketing and Sales support efforts for the industrial mesh and process belts business units, of which GKD is the undisputed leader in both categories.

“I enjoy a challenge, and with GKD’s mix of industrial and architectural product lines, I’ve found one. I was an early adopter of marketing automation applications, and enjoy working with sales to bring the right product to the right person, at the right time,” he says.

Whisner brings nearly 20 years of B2B marketing experience to GKD. While he primarily worked in start-ups and SaaS organizations, he has also held several roles in advertising and design agencies. Thanks to his background in these fields, Whisner understands the unique role that architectural mesh can play, both aesthetically and functionally.

“I am excited to bring Rod on board,” said Tom Powley, president of GKD-USA. “His unique background and varied expertise are exactly what we need to share our functionality, versatility and aesthetic value with the A&D community.”

A West Virginia native, Whisner grew up surrounded by art and comic books. “I always knew I wanted to do something creative with my life, I just never knew it would be marketing,” he said. The turning point came when Whisner studied commercial art at Concord University. The program had a strong advertising component and this helped shape his early career and passion for the industry.

“What I love about GKD is when I look out on the factory floor, I see American workers making something with their hands. I can bring my kids to work and they can actually see what we are designing and fabricating instead of staring at a computer screen. I take immense pride in this,” he said.