New Carotek Team Members - April 2022

Kirk Tee joins Carotek as an Account Manager covering the Central Virginia territory.  Kirk brings a breadth of experience having held positions as Territory Manager with ACI Controls in Richmond, VA, Forberg-Smith Process Solutions in St. Louis and BHS Inc. also in St. Louis.

Originally from Cebu, Philippines, Kirk moved to the United States 10 years ago.  He and his wife, Zenia, have a very active life with two toddlers, Kian (5) and Zoe (3).  An adrenaline junky, Kirk enjoys extreme experiences, which include   roller coasters, sky diving and the like.  Traveling and outdoor activities are passions of his, especially opportunities to spend time in natural settings.

Gerald “Gerry” Griffith joins Carotek as an Account Manager for steam & filtration products in North Carolina and select valve products in northwestern South Carolina.  With 30+ years of inside and outside sales experience, his career has included various positions with Wolseley Industrial Group, Emerson and MRC Global.  Gerry is a self-proclaimed “valve nerd”.

Originally from Fort Worth, TX he and his wife, Jerri, have a blended family of 6 children and 5 grandchildren.  In his spare time, he is a high school football official and college football fan.  Although a Mack Brown follower, Gerry’s allegiance rests with the University of Texas.  He also enjoys golf and fishing.

Chris Goodin joins Carotek in the Virginia office as an Inside Sales Rep for Steam, Air & Hydronics.  Chris’ experience is quite vast and includes positions at Phoenix Metals, Gillman Services, Baldwin International and RGA and Associates.  He was an Allstate Insurance agency owner for several years and has served as a Schedule C Presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Originally from Washington, DC, Chris is the father of one grown daughter, a Marine veteran, avid fisherman and enjoys spending his free time spoiling his one grandson.

Courtni Hargette joins Carotek as an Inside Sales Representative for the Industrial Products Group.  Courtni previously held positions as a Design Consultant; Operations, Office and Project Manager in various industries,

Courtni grew up in Waxhaw, NC and currently resides in Fort Mill, SC.  She and her husband, Cliff,  are in the process of building a home in Midland.  In her spare time, she is pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree through the on-line program with Grand Canyon University, runs their 6 year old daughter to her activities, rides 4 wheelers, rebuilds old cars and trucks (a Chevy person) and checks out breweries. 

Eric Schilling has joined Carotek’s Business Development Center.  Eric will focus on increasing customer satisfaction, helping new customers learn about Carotek’s diverse offerings. 

With an MBA in Marketing, a BFA in Graphic Design and a Certification in Electrical Engineering Technology, Eric comes to us with over 10 years of experience in sales and marketing for national and international construction, engineering, and manufacturing-oriented companies.  Originally from Franklin, Indiana Eric has lived in Montana, Florida and now in North Carolina.  A vacation to NC to experience fly fishing captivated him to the point where he found himself as a Fly Fish Guide leading tours into Yellowstone National Park.  He and his wife, Sora, love to travel with destination spots that have included Australia, Guatemala and throughout the U.S.  When not traveling, hobbies include motorcycle riding, going to the movies and hiking.

Cliff Hargette has joined Carotek’s Systems Integration Group as Panel Shop Foreman.  Cliff has extensive mechanical knowledge of hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical systems as well as  assembly and troubleshooting of electrical instrumentation and control panels.  His 15+ years of experience includes having held positions with the City of Monroe (Field Tech 2), Howco (Project Management and Service Technician), Charlotte Pipe and Plastics (Plastics Division Grinder) and more.

A Waxhaw, NC native, Cliff and his wife, Courtni are kept busy with their 6 year old daughter.  In their spare time they enjoy all things outdoors – camping, fishing, hunting and rebuilding old cars.

Ricky Miller joins Carotek as a Control Panel Technician in the Systems Integration Group.  Machinery operations, forklift operations, electrical experience and carpentry are all a part of his technical background.

A North Carolina native, Ricky grew up in Gaston county.  A father of two grown children, he loves the mountains, enjoys woodworking, fishing and shooting pool.  Outreach to the community is important to him and through his church, he volunteers much of his time primarily with the food pantry and clothing closet distribution.

Darian Gayton joins us as a Control Panel Technician.  With an Associate in Applied Science – Mechatronics Engineering Technology, Darian’s most recent position was a Structured Cabling Engineer at Advanced Telecom Solutions where he pulled, repaired, diagnosed, replaced and terminated low voltage data, voice, video and security camera cables.

A Charlotte, NC native, hobbies include flying remote control drones, programming logic controllers and woodworking.  Life is about to change for Darian as he and his wife, Sacoria, are expecting their first child in July.

James Ross joins us as a Field Service Technician with the Virginia Products Group.  James’ extensive background includes having held positions as Sr. Instrumentation Technician with Merck, Process Specialist for Tampa Electric Company and Instrumentation Mechanic with Packaging Corp of America. 

Originally from Fitzgerald, GA,  James relocated to Virginia last year to be closer to the mountains.  When he’s not serving the community distributing food at local food banks, James’ passions include hiking, golf, sight-seeing and spending time with family and friends.