Lota hires a former HD exec

A former Home Depot executive has been hired at plumbing fixture supplier Lota USA to head up its sales operations.

Scott Blackwell has stepped up as the new VP sales/general manager at the Alpharetta, Georgia, office, effective Oct. 1.

"Scott is a proven leader with extensive experience guiding large organizations in scope and size," said president and COO Howard Levy. "He's skilled in retail, wholesale and online buying, merchandising, global sourcing and product development."

Previously, Blackwell as working for Home Depot's merchandising department, where he'd been since 2004. He has also held roles at QVC and JCPenney.

"It's a great honor and I'm extremely excited to join Lota USA," he said. "This company has such a great reputation in this industry. I look forward to leveraging my experience to add value to its already talented team while maintaining our focus of providing our clients with outstanding service."