Biltmore Who's Who News and Events

Traci Hrudka


Biltmore Who's Who Selects Traci Hrudka as this week's Honored Member of the Executive and Professional Registry for 2009.

Traci Hrudka, President of Ellakit, LLC, has been selected as an Honored Member of the Biltmore Who's Who Executive and Professional Registry. The selection recognizes Traci Hrudka's commitment to excellence in marketing and sales.

Mrs. Hrudka began her passion in the drag racing industry back in 1982 by working for her father and several uncles at Mr. Gasket, Co. She spent nearly 20 years working in sales, customer service, marketing and advertising, where she learned the ins and outs of the entrepreneurship world. By the time 2007 rolled around, she needed to have the control and the ability to make her own decisions. It was then that she began Ellakit, LLC.

Mrs. Hrudka is a firm believer that with "no sacrifice comes no victory". She credits her father, Tom Hrudka, for instilling such values, creating the drive and motivation to go after what she has worked so hard for. After leaving her father's company, she took a minor detour and dabbled in a very structured and technical industry, which including bar-coding and automated data collection, adding versatility to her career. But it wasn't until ten years later that she really was able to narrow in on her own business.

Ellakit, LLC is a company that responds to the needs of the "going green" environment. The company manufactures and distributes environmentally safe products for a variety of customers, including customer survival kits, e-coolers and pop-up eco-coolers. The kits are designed for customers to use at trade shows, exhibits, sales conferences and similar events that require individuals to be on their feet all day or away from their home. Some of the products in the kit include: gel foot pads, moisturizing eye drops, nasal spray, lip balm, tissues, hand sanitizer, hand lotion, breath mints, adhesive bandages, non-aspirin pain reliever, antacids, dental floss, ear plugs, note pads, pens and rubber bands. Mrs. Hrudka believes that that these products are necessary for the future of our race, saying, "We need to preserve the environment and make it a safer place for our children and their children.".

Mrs. Traci Hrudka is affiliated with the Darrell Gwynn Foundation for the Cure of Paralysis, Put on the Brakes, an organization that involves schooling for the safety of teen driving, the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association and the Big Dog Garage Race Team with Jay Leno. She has won four President's Club awards for achievement in sales and customer service, as well as a Person of the Year Award from the Performance Warehouse Association in 1997. Traci is currently working on a documentary film with regards to her oldest craze on the "Legends of Drag Racing", as she believes that there is still an inherent need for people to understand the history of the evolution of the automotive market. She is a graduate of the College of the Desert in Palm Springs, California with a Bachelor's in Business Administration.

For more information about the company and their products, please visit http://www.ellakit.com.

© 2007, Biltmore Who's Who
www.biltmorewhoswhoblog.com

Traci Hrudka
posted by Biltmore Who's Who on Friday, April 24, 2009

Carol Singletary


Biltmore Who's Who Selects Carol Singletary as this week's Honored Member of the Executive and Professional Registry for 2009.

Carol Singletary, owner of Rocky's Big and Tall, has been selected as an Honored Member of the Biltmore Who's Who Executive and Professional Registry. The selection recognizes Carol Singletary’s commitment to excellence in the retail industry.

Opening its doors in August, 2005, Mrs. Singletary markets her products to accommodate the "big and tall" customers, which includes a store and website for making online purchases. Her international business, which boasts a large scale of apparel from size medium to 11/12 XL, include a wide variety of shoes, belts, clothing, outerwear, coats, t-shirts, overalls, coveralls, sports shirts, sweatshirts, thermal underwear, vests, rain and wind protection, safety wear and uniforms for both men and women.

Mrs. Singletary is responsible for running and maintaining her store in Gaffney, as well as keeping up with the company website and listing her products on eBay. Although her primary goal was to work completely from home after suffering a knee injury, you will surely find Carol at the store taking care of customer's first-hand. She also dedicates a lot of time to the sales and marketing aspect of the business.

Carol is a past member of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, contributes to local fire and police departments and is very involved in her community. In her spare time she enjoys sightseeing, collecting Precious Moments and time with her family.

Rocky's Big and Tall is located at 298 Green River Road in Gaffney, South Carolina. Their store hours are Thursday thru Saturday from 10am-5pm.
For more information, please visit http://www.rockysbig-tall.com.

© 2007, Biltmore Who's Who
www.biltmorewhoswhoblog.com

Carol Singletary
posted by Biltmore Who's Who on Friday, April 17, 2009

Stephen T. Gillespie

Biltmore Who's Who Selects Stephen T. Gillespie as this week's Honored Member of the Executive and Professional Registry for 2009.

Stephen T. Gillespie, owner of Wireless Express, has been selected as an Honored Member of the Biltmore Who's Who Executive and Professional Registry. The selection recognizes Stephen T. Gillespie's commitment to excellence in the field of Satellite and Wireless Communications.

Mr. Gillespie started his company from the ground up seven years ago, after being tired of working for someone else in an industry that he felt had no future for him or his family. He decided to start over and build something that he could call his own.

Beginning in 2002, with the inspiration of his parents who taught him to work hard and follow through, his passion slowly turned into a thriving business. Now owning three stores, with two located in Albuquerque and one in Santa Fe, he and his partner sell a variety of Verizon Wireless products and services to the public. Mr. Gillespie manages the day-to-day operations of each store, the financial books, policies and procedures and also manages the technology equipment. They hope to someday expand their business in the state of New Mexico as well as the surrounding states of Texas, Arizona and Colorado. Their goal is to continue their dedication to customer service and provide a proven product that they both truly believe in.

Mr. Gillespie's stores have received numerous Verizon awards in the past for customer service, saying, "We are providing a service that the public appreciates".

Stephen received his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology in 1999 from the University of New Mexico. He is a member of the Santa Fe and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Lobo Club and the Lions Club, and donates to the Disabled Veterans of America. In his spare time, Stephen enjoys outdoor sports and hiking.

For more information, please visit http://www.wirelessexpressnm.com.

© 2007, Biltmore Who's Who
www.biltmorewhoswhoblog.com

Stephen T. Gillespie
posted by Biltmore Who's Who on Friday, April 10, 2009

James W. Clark



Biltmore Who's Who Selects James W. Clark as this week's Honored Member of the Executive and Professional Registry for 2009.

James W. Clark, production supervisor for Patterson Logistics, has been selected as an Honored Member of the Biltmore Who's Who Executive and Professional Registry. The selection recognizes James W. Clark's commitment to excellence in the healthcare industry.

James W. Clark began his career as a supervisor more than 15 years ago with the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Company, and later jumped on board with Patterson Logistics in York, Pennsylvania about four months ago. The company is a major supply chain for dental, medical and veterinary needs across the region.

Mr. Clark's goals to someday become a plant or department manager are not far out of sight. His expertise include being well trained in the assembly environment, logistics, lean manufacturing, 6s and ISO environments. He is passionate about working for a company that has solid values and is involved in the local environment. He dedicates his hard work and determination to his continued success.

James W. Clark is currently pursuing a degree in business administration from York State University. He has received lean manufacturing training, 6s training and ISO training. He was named Coach of the Year two times in a row from Occupational Safety Improvement Processes (OSIP) in 1995 and 1996.

In his spare time, James enjoys golf and fishing.

© 2007, Biltmore Who's Who
www.biltmorewhoswhoblog.com

James W. Clark
posted by Biltmore Who's Who on Friday, April 03, 2009