Virginia Native Randy Sadler Comes Full Circle To Lead Weidmuller USA Into the Future
December 16, 2024
A LinkedIn post by Weidmuller USA
Data centers, electrification and clean energy leading the way
Every morning, Randy Sadler spends an hour walking the halls and talking to employees at Weidmuller USA. Don’t try to schedule a meeting with him then; this sacred time is blocked on his calendar. He’s getting to know the people and company once again from the inside – a building block for nurturing collaboration and innovation across departments that are critical in the company’s new expansion campaign.
Sadler first joined Weidmuller in the mid-1980s, taking a production role as a part-time student to help pay for college.
Once he earned his degree, he remained for 15 years before leaving for other opportunities, including a successful stint in the data center industry.
But the pull of his hometown and his fondness for Weidmuller never left him. Now, after a 24-year hiatus, he’s back. This time, he’s leading the company as its new President and CEO, excited to return to his roots and guide the industrial connectivity and automation company through its next chapter of growth and innovation.
“Returning to Weidmuller is a full circle-of-life event for me,” he said. “I’m truly humbled and blessed to be given this opportunity to lead the company I started my career with.”
Progress with a ‘Made in the USA’ vision
During Sadler’s first tenure at the Greater Richmond, Va.-based company, Weidmuller had fewer than 100 employees. Today, that number has doubled, and the site features a 24,000-square-foot expansion that will allow the company to manufacture products with the “Made in the USA” label – initially with a focus on utility-scale PV (solar) combiner boxes.
In step with its physical growth, Weidmuller USA has significantly expanded its product portfolio, which today includes more than 80,000 parts that can be mixed and matched to tailored customer applications. Known historically for its leading-edge terminal blocks, which are the wiring hubs within the control cabinet, the company has moved into providing smart industrial and automation connectivity solutions driven by cloud-based technology and industry 4.0 for industries from data centers and renewable energy to migration solutions and custom engineering and assembly services.
“We’re really focused on being at the forefront of Industry 4.0 and developing future-ready products,” said Sadler, further explaining that Weidmuller sits at the leading edge of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in the industrial space. “Everything is becoming more automated and connected, and we want to be our customers’ go-to partner as they navigate that digital transformation. Our expertise and customized products can generate greater efficiency with their energy use and in their manufacturing, so they can produce cost-effective products both overseas and here in the U.S.”
Sadler’s own experience over the past decade in the data center industry gives him a unique vantage point, and he underscored the importance of secure, reliable industrial connectivity solutions for both Weidmuller’s clients – and, in turn, their clients.
Most people don’t understand that every single piece of information that comes to their computer, iPad or iPhone has traveled to and from a data center, which is a massive concentration of hardware and software. And artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are pushing demand for computational power – and data centers – even further.
“Virginia is the data center capital of the world,” he said, “and we have the products and technology to really thrive in that market.”
The electric power needs of data centers are expected to grow to about three times higher than current capacity by the end of the decade, going from between 3 and 4% of total U.S. power demand today to between 11 and 12% in 2030, according to a recent McKinsey report. Reliable power sources, sustainability of power, upstream infrastructure for power access, and power equipment within data centers are challenges that need to be met.
“Weidmuller is uniquely positioned to offer the products and solutions to tackle these challenges – today,” said Sadler, calling out an internal mission to “make the world oranger” by expanding the presence of the company’s products and signature color.
Deepening a culture of innovation
In his new role, Sadler is drawing on a wealth of experiences that shape how he operates and motivates his teams. Those lessons include resilience, innovation and the power of putting customers first. That means being proactive, asking questions and delivering the products that customers need to remain competitive in an ever-dynamic marketplace.
“If we don’t innovate, we won’t be around,” Sadler added. “We’ve got research and development – and a huge amount of talent here in the Richmond office and in the US – and we need to leverage that more. If we ask for their opinions and feedback – and that’s part of my job – then we should consider that seriously.”
Beyond the business strategy, Sadler is fostering Weidmuller USA’s culture – the American subsidiary that will reach its 50th anniversary in 2025, the same year the German parent company will celebrate its 175-year heritage – and tapping into the passion he sees among employees. A hybrid work policy offers a blend of heads-down time at home and on-site collaboration. A dedicated team is determining how to optimize their new office and manufacturing space.
“There’s a lot of pride and ‘orange blood’ here at Weidmuller,” he said. “I’m going to be very active, getting out and visiting customers, attending industry conferences and trade shows, and just really being the face of the company. I want our employees and customers to know I’m fully committed to Weidmuller’s continued success.”
And his morning walks already are paying off, as he’s making internal connections that are solving real problems and helping Weidmuller better serve its customers.
“I’m getting more and more feedback because I’m truly listening and trying to understand the problems and how I can help,” he said.
Those tactics add up to drawing fresh attention on Weidmuller USA today. “We’ve got the right products and the right distribution channels, and we want to deliver our products faster and at a very competitive price,” he said. “And we’re hungry to grow this business. To me, that’s the fun part of this job: Getting out, working with customers face-to-face.”
As Weidmuller USA enters its 50th year in 2025, Sadler sees himself as a coach: removing roadblocks, challenging employees to achieve their potential while fostering a work culture based on respect, work/life balance and the “orange passion.”
