By James Wells

SYDNEY: Omega Smeg announced today the appointment of Cameron Johnson as national sales manager replacing 49-year appliance industry veteran, Ted Taylor, who has been promoted to a senior mentoring role within the company.

Johnson, the former national sales manager at Olympus, will take over from Taylor effective 1 January 2007 and will spend the first few months of the year acquainting himself with clients and retailers within the whitegoods industry.

Taylor, who has been Omega Smeg national sales manager for the last eight years, will assume the newly-created full time role of senior executive – national sales administration.

Omega Smeg managing director, Andrew Cronin, told Current.com.au that Taylor was an important asset for the company after 49 years in the electrical industry.

“I’d be very sorry to lose that level of experience. John Howard recently raised the issue of losing experience in an ageing workforce – I think it is a big issue.”

Cronin said he was keen to utilise Taylor’s unequalled experience and knowledge of the industry in the future expansion of the company both within current markets and new areas.

Cronin told Current.com.au Omega Smeg has experienced a double digit increase in sales value this year despite a price rise of five per cent across all categories which came into effect on 1 November.

“We had to implement the increase due to commodity prices. Most of the retailers saw the price rise as a good idea, as too many people were going the other way,” Cronin said.