search Kroff Web site only
| search Kroff Web site only |
|  |  | |
| Executive Leadership Fred Potthoff | Keith Kronk | History and Philosophy | Executive Leadership Fred Potthoff Fred Potthoff believed he could create a better water treatment company. Twenty years ago, he envisioned a company that lowers customers’ total cost of operation through a combination of unmatched customer service and custom, innovative solutions. As a co-founder of Kroff, Inc., Potthoff, along with partner and cofounder Keith Kronk, has done just that. During his 35-year career, he has built a track record of successfully serving clients in nearly all industrial sectors. Prior to founding Kroff, Potthoff spent two years with Glaxo Wellcome Pharmaceutical Company before joining Nalco Chemical Company. He spent 16 years there, holding various positions including account manager, area manager and district sales manager. The experience Potthoff gained at Nalco serving clients in the paper, steel, refining, food and utilities industries deepened his understanding of his customers' challenges and strengthened his ability to analyze a situation and develop innovative solutions. His experiences also led him to the realization that he could build a better water treatment business. In 1988, he and cofounder Keith Kronk, who share the same business philosophy of hiring only experienced people with proven track records, collaborated to form Kroff Chemical Company. Together, they built the company on unmatched client service and the commitment to hiring experienced salespeople - a philosophy that continues to distinguish their business from their competitors. Under their dual leadership, Kroff has grown at a remarkable rate of 20 percent each year since its inception. Potthoff attributes much of the company's success to its ability to create custom, innovative solutions for its customers. "All of our good ideas and projects develop from our people understanding their customers so well that they are able to create new, innovative solutions that help them lower their total cost of operation," he said. Potthoff is an active member of the Association of Water Technologies, and he served on its board of directors for three years. He has been a two-time chairman of the International Water Conference and sat on the executive board for the conference for 10 years. He is an active member of the Building Owners and Managers Association, Association for Iron and Steel Technology, and the National Association of Power Engineers. Potthoff earned his bachelor's in business from Shippensburg University before serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. Top of page Keith Kronk Like his partner Fred Potthoff, Keith Kronk had a vision for the optimum water treatment company business model. Year after year over the past 20 years, Kronk's vision has been validated. As a cofounder and president of Kroff, Inc., Kronk has helped build a team of experienced consultants - the average Kroff consultant has 18 years of industry experience - who get technically and personally close to their customers' business and develop new solutions to their problems. In doing so, he has been instrumental in creating a market differentiator that makes Kroff one of the fastest growing water treatment companies in the industry. Kronk learned early on in his career as a corporate marketing trainee with Westinghouse just how much of a self-starter he was. He realized he wanted to control his own fate, including his earning potential and the ability to think creatively on his own for his customers. He determined the way for him to do that was on the front line as a salesman. For the next five years, he put himself to the test at Nalco Chemical Company in sales and account management positions, and he passed with flying colors. In each of those five years, Kronk was honored as a top salesman. His confidence in his ability to build his own business was bolstered, and his boss at the time - Fred Potthoff - had the same aspirations. The rest is history. The combination of Potthoff's experience, sales history, and knowledge, coupled with Kronk's sales ability, has resulted in a company that allows people to grow in their jobs and expand their abilities without management interference. Kroff's people are encouraged to build a business within a business. Today, Kronk specializes in consulting a variety of industries, ranging from small municipalities to heavy industrial customers, on all aspects of water treatment for boiler and cooling water, as well as wastewater systems. He is also an active member of the Association of Water Technologies. Kronk graduated from Bucknell University with a bachelor's of science in mechanical engineering. Top of page
Home | About Kroff, Inc. | Resource Center | News | Employment | Contact Us © 2010 Kroff Inc., One North Shore Center, Suite 450, 12 Federal Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 1.800.466.3066 or 412.321.9800 
| ||