Channel Veteran Out In Bell Micro Sales Reorganization

Bell Microproducts has merged five sales units into two units, resulting in a number of layoffs that include Dan Vertrees, a long-time channel veteran who joined the distributor as vice president of U.S. enterprise sales last June.

Among the moves, the San Jose, Calif.-based distributor combined its OEM and enterprise sales teams into one unit, meaning that solution providers could see some new faces but also have more overall resources available, according to Gary Gammon, senior vice president of marketing, enterprise products, at Bell Microproducts.

"It's a broader coverage organization. We had teams segmented. Now we're covered geographically across the U.S. to align costs around market realities," Gammon said.

He declined to comment on Vertrees or say how many employees were let go as a result of the moves.

"It's about streamlining the organization and costs. Our coverage for resellers is probably broader than it was. It's just a different way the sales team is organized," Gammon said. "It is a little different for some of the OEM folks [to sell to resellers], but when we have a field resource that understands selling storage technology, it means we have more people closer to all our customers."

Chuck Kostalnick, who was senior vice president of sales for the OEM division, will head the combined sales force.

The reorganization comes nearly a year after Bell Microproducts' stock was delisted by Nasdaq. Late last year, Chairman, President and CEO Don Bell said the company hoped to wrap up its own investigation early this year into its financials dating back to 2006, and then take steps to get back on the Nasdaq board.

The company's stock closed at 95 cents per share on the Pink Sheets market. The stock closed as low as 45 cents per share as recently as Dec. 29, 2008.