The Caldwell Group Restructures in Canada

Rockford, Illinois-based The Caldwell Group Inc. has positioned direct factory representation closer to the point of use in Canadian markets than ever before.

December 18, 2025

As part of a major supply chain-focused restructure, Caldwell has sliced Canada into strategic regions, each one represented by experienced standard-bearers within the organization.

Brian Sochocki (East), Darrin Noe (Central), Jeff Ferchen (Ontario), and Jay Schroeder (West) will provide dedicated sales, product training, and technical support, covering the Caldwell, Renfroe, and RUD portfolios of material handling, lifting, and rigging equipment. These individuals will combine with a customer service professional and internal product specialist for the more technical applications.

Ferchen, director of business development, explained: “We will now be able to have two Caldwell direct sales people cover each half of the market — Brian and Jeff for the eastern providences; and Jay and Darrin for the west, incorporating major distributor and end users accounts with increased regularity. We will provide product training and offer technical support, along with joint sales calls, focused on our marketing and product initiatives.”

Within the strategy, there is scope for individuals to zero in on a single marketplace, before widening their vision again. With Ferchen taking oversight of Ontario, Sochocki will cover New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec; Noe will lead Saskatchewan and Manitoba; and Schroeder will be territory head for British Columbia and Alberta. Each region contains a varied combination of distributors, end users, crane dealers, and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) accounts.

All brands will benefit from front-of-the-line focus, including below-the-hook lifters, construction lifters, mill duty lifters, Renfroe clamps, and RUD lifting points. Caldwell will continue to partner with the RUD Group to unite their sales and marketing activities in North America for RUD material handling and lifting devices within a common organization. The RUD portfolio includes slings and lifting points for the most complex tasks for integration into almost any application.

Ferchen added: “We now have direct factory representation to help our distributors focus on products, as well as gain a deeper understanding for what projects and markets are growing versus contracting, so we know where to spend more of our time to help our partners.”