Legend Valve has promoted six members of its executive and senior leadership team, naming Larry Emmert president and chief operating officer as part of a broader leadership restructuring the employee-owned plumbing and PVF manufacturer said is designed to support continuity and long-term growth. The Auburn Hills, Michigan-based company announced the changes effective immediately.
Emmert’s expanded role puts him in charge of the company’s day-to-day operations and execution of Legend’s strategic priorities, reporting to the board of directors. Legend also promoted Will McMahon to chief financial officer, Jeff Shreiner to chief revenue officer, Ethan Hsiung to senior vice president of supply chain, Bill Melvin to vice president of engineering and technical services, Wade Tennant to vice president of marketing and communications, and Sue Ann Kainz to director of human resources.
Legend Valve Leadership Promotions Follow Shift to Employee Ownership
The restructuring comes roughly two and a half years after Legend Valve became a fully employee-owned company. The business, founded in 1988 by David Hickman and Walter Jann, closed an Employee Stock Ownership Plan transaction on November 14, 2023, transferring full ownership to its workforce while Hickman and Jann remained in leadership roles. Jann, now chairman of the board and chief executive officer, said in a statement announcing the promotions that Legend’s future “depends on strong leadership, accountability, and a shared commitment to our customers and each other.”
Legend markets itself as a manufacturer and supplier of plumbing, valves and fittings, including braided flexible connectors, tubing and related components used in potable water and hydronic heating systems. The company sells into the PVF, or pipe, valve and fitting, segment of the wholesale plumbing and HVAC supply chain, working with distributors and contractors across North America from its Michigan headquarters.
What the New Leadership Roles Cover
The six promotions span the core functional areas of the business. Emmert’s president and COO title consolidates operating authority that had previously been distributed differently across the leadership team, according to the company’s announcement. McMahon’s elevation to CFO places him over the company’s financial operations, while Shreiner’s chief revenue officer title unifies sales and revenue-generating functions under a single executive, a structure a number of manufacturers in the plumbing and HVAC supply chain have adopted in recent years as they combine traditionally separate sales and marketing reporting lines.
Hsiung’s promotion to senior vice president of supply chain comes as manufacturers across the plumbing and HVAC industry continue to manage tariff-driven input cost volatility and extended lead times for imported components. Melvin’s role overseeing engineering and technical services covers product development and technical support functions, while Tennant will lead marketing and communications. Kainz’s promotion to director of human resources gives the newly employee-owned company dedicated leadership over workforce and ownership-culture programs tied to the ESOP structure.
Part of a Broader Leadership-Promotion Trend
Legend described the announcement as following “a period of meaningful transition” for the company without detailing the specific circumstances that preceded it. The company said the new leadership structure reinforces its focus on “stability, continuity, and long-term growth” more than three decades after its founding.
Legend’s announcement is one of several internal leadership-promotion packages disclosed by plumbing and mechanical trade companies in trade press this year, alongside similar multi-executive promotion announcements from firms including Sila Services and Bassett Mechanical, and a separate round of executive leadership changes at distributor Core & Main. The pattern reflects a broader tendency among wholesale distribution and mechanical services companies to formalize succession through internal promotion rounds rather than single outside executive hires, particularly at companies that have recently changed ownership structure.
What’s Next for Legend Valve’s Leadership Team
Legend has not announced further leadership changes beyond the six promotions or provided a timeline for any additional restructuring. The company said its executive team remains focused on product quality, technical support and customer service as it continues serving the wholesale plumbing and PVF market. Distributors and contractors working with Legend’s product lines will now deal with a leadership team reorganized around the new president and COO structure, with Emmert positioned as the primary operating executive reporting to Jann and the board.
