Points of Pride

Leading and Living by Two Legendary Examples

A Special Award Named After Two Revered People

The names on the inaugural Eslick and Johnson Sales Excellence Awards spark happy memories of mentorship, lessons and ongoing success from two genuine people who sadly left us too soon.

Vince Eslick was vice president of sales for AmesburyTruth for nearly 28 years, retiring in April 2024 before passing away last July from cancer. A relationship builder who always picked up the phone, Vince’s influence and sincerity was felt by teams and those close to him.

“Vince was always available,” said Phillip Cooke, vice president of sales, Quanex. “He was very supportive and created long-lasting relationships in the industry.”

Larry Johnson became a legend in his 42 years in the industry, the last 23 with Quanex. His positive energy and genuine nature brought people closer together, and news of his passing from cancer last year shook teams, customers, friends, and loved ones.

“I don’t think there’s anyone he came into contact with who doesn’t remember Larry Johnson,” said Bob Daniels, president, Hardware Solutions, Quanex. “Larry was a very good relationship builder with everyone.”

The first winners of Quanex’s Eslick and Johnson Sales Excellence Awards exemplify what it means to go above and beyond. Congratulations to Irish Rubright, inside sales manager, and Aaron Hock, strategic account director, for their dedication and commitment, and for receiving this new Emerald Award!

A Can-Do Attitude: Irish Rubright

Irish began with Quanex in 2000, the start of a 25-year career where she served in several customer experience roles. When she was promoted to customer service manager for IG, it was under the mentorship of Larry Johnson.

“Irish learned the importance of working with the other departments and how to get the best solutions for our customers,” said Wendy Rostad, director of customer service and inside sales, Quanex, who hired Irish and is her current manager. “She leads by example and is always there for her teammates. She’s willing to take on any challenge. She never says, ‘we can’t’ or ‘we won’t.’ She says, ‘Let’s see what we can do.”

A Results-driven Approach: Aaron Hock

Aaron joined Quanex 10 years ago as a part of the AmesburyTruth team and has strengthened the brand’s position in the marketplace and deepening customer relationships.

“Aaron is a great listener and gets a full picture of where he’s starting from,” Phillip said. “He knows how to pull in the right resources at the right time to help build a roadmap of success.” Since assuming responsibility for Quanex’s Marvin account, Aaron achieved a 6.08% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2020 to 2024, securing $8.8 million in incremental revenue over the last year, with a net win/loss of $6.7 million.

Phillip added, “Aaron consistently delivers on his commitments, earning trust through reliability, responsiveness, and follow-through.”