TheFireStore, the nation’s leading multi-channel distributor of public safety equipment, supplies, training, announced the promotion of James Witmer to the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective February 10, 2016. Witmer, former Vice President of Sales, has been a crucial member of the TheFireStore team since joining the company in 2003 as the Special Projects Manager. From there, James worked his way through the company ranks, serving as the Marketing Manager, Director of Business Development, and most recently, Vice President of Sales.
Witmer will be assuming the CEO position in place of his father, Jim Witmer, who will continue to serve as Co-Founder and Chairman of TheFireStore. With this promotion, he will take on the added responsibility of establishing strategic growth priorities, articulating the company’s vision, setting the company culture, ensuring key positions are defined and filled, providing resources, and removing obstacles.
In October of 2014, TheFireStore shared with their customer family and friends that Jim Witmer had been diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease at only 57 years of age. Since then, James has been leading the charge in ensuring that the company continues to grow as it always has—with the support of its excellent customers, positive relationships with the manufacturers it represents, and the hard work and dedication of its fantastic employees. James has been vital in the recent acquisition of Heroes Apparel in Richmond, Virginia; expanding the company’s SCBA sales and service footprint to include the state of New Jersey; explosive growth in both the outside and Web-based sales for all TheFireStore brands, and targeting corporate philanthropical efforts at Alzheimer’s research.
“I am so excited to have the opportunity to lead TheFireStore into the future,” said James Witmer. “It is humbling to follow in the footsteps of my father, a true visionary, and I am so thankful for this beautiful business that he has architected. I am grateful that my parents are not abdicating their role as owners and that they will be a sounding board for me as I grow in this role.”
The entire team at TheFireStore is excited to celebrate James as their new CEO, and looks forward to the continued success they’re certainly going to experience.
“You can’t help but to beam with pride when you see your children thrive and succeed. James is a born leader, and it’s really great getting to witness success after success in not only his role at TheFireStore, but his role as a husband and father, too,” said Jim Witmer.
“This is a very exciting time for us as a company and we are proud of the growth we have seen in James in recent years. He will do a great job leading