OUR LEADERSHIP

The leadership team at Johnson Concrete Products is comprised of dynamic individuals, each bringing a unique set of skills and experiences to the table.

THE TEAM

Jody Wall, P.E., LEED AP BD+C
Jody Wall, P.E., LEED AP BD+CExecutive Vice President
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
BSET, Civil Engineering Technology

Jody joined the Johnson Concrete Products team in 2000. His areas of interest in masonry include energy efficiency, structural design, and production optimization. He’s extremely active in several industry associations, including being the Chairman of the Expanded Shale Clay and Slate Association, Chairman of ASTM Subcommittee C9.21, Chairman of the National Concrete Masonry Association – Acceptable Workmanship Committee, and is on the Board of Directors of the Southeast Concrete Masonry Association.

Fun fact: Jody enjoys playing volleyball in a local league in Charlotte, NC. He prides himself on his serve and claims to have the highest jump in the league (when his knees don’t give out on him).

Starling Johnson Kaklamanos
Starling Johnson KaklamanosVice President of Sales
Duke University, Economics

Starling officially joined the Johnson Concrete Products team in 2010, but as a fourth generation family member she effectively grew up in the business.  Her mission is to build a team that consistently exceeds customer expectations and to implement processes that maximize our efficiency. She’s Chairwoman of the National Concrete Masonry Association’s Young Professionals Group and active in the Southeastern Concrete Masonry Association’s marketing committee. She’s also passionate about Salisbury, where Johnson Concrete Products was founded in 1947, and serves as Membership Chair for the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce and on the Novant Health Rowan Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors.

Fun fact: Starling set a goal in college to visit and spend the night in all 50 states by the age of 35. Six months pregnant and having just turned 35, she convinced her husband to go to Iowa on their “babymoon” to check off the last state. 

Chuck Vogel
Chuck VogelMasonry & Hardscapes Sales Manager
United States Marine Corps Sergeant

Serving in the United States Marine Corps for 10 years and achieving the rank of Sergeant, Chuck credits the service for instilling in him a hard work ethic and a determination for proven results. He joined the Johnson Concrete Products team in 2000 as a mixer cleaner and through the years of climbing the ranks he has had almost every job description at the company including Production Manager and now Sales Manager. Chuck serves as Chair of the Education Committee for the Southeast Concrete Masonry Association and strongly encourages younger generations to join our industry.

Fun fact: Chuck enjoys spending time with his wife, five sons, and grandson. He also enjoys weightlifting and cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, and Wake Forest Deacons.

Gregg M. Swartz
Gregg M. SwartzSales Manager, Stormwater Solutions
College of William and Mary
BA, Government/Political Philosophy

Gregg joined the Johnson Concrete Products team in 2006. His areas of interest in stormwater include innovative/cutting edge products, customer relations, and procurement. He’s currently President of the Carolinas Concrete Pipe and Products Association (CCPPA), and is a member of its Board of Directors and Technical Marketing Committee.

Fun fact: Previous to entering the building materials industry in 2000, Gregg was a member of the PGA of America, played in two PGA Tour events, and multiple mini-tours for five years.

Brian Waller
Brian WallerSite Manager, Salisbury Plant - Salisbury, NC
Brian joined the Johnson Concrete Products team in 2013 working on architectural product finishes at the Lexington plant. Since joining the company, he has spent time working throughout all of the Johnson facilities. In 2017 he became Site Manager of our Pipe & Drainage Structures Plant. His areas of interest include high speed manufacturing, workforce training, and historic masonry design.

Fun fact: Brian is active in various mission outreach organizations, local and abroad. He is an avid fisherman and loves to spend time amidst the sea grass, oyster beds, and solitude of the NC coastal backwaters.

Winston Penley
Winston PenleySite Manager, Raleigh Plant - Willow Spring, NC
North Carolina State, Agricultural Business

Winston has been in the block business since 1996 and specializes in driving production efficiency, mold and unit design, and facility layout. Winston is known for his preventative maintenance programs and strives to train his employees to have the same level of knowledge as he does regarding the production equipment. He has also been a Master Blockmaker since 2000.

Fun fact: When not at work, Winston enjoys spending time with his wife, children, and dogs. He loves to fish and spend time tinkering with anything mechanical.

Billy Meade
Billy MeadeSite Manager, Triad Plant - Lexington, NC
With over 40+ years in the industry, it’s safe to say Billy Meade is passionate about block. Billy became part of the team in 2004 when Johnson Concrete Products acquired Lightweight Block Company. Primarily because of Billy’s talent and discerning eye, JCP moved its architectural CMU production to Lexington in 2012 to be under his leadership. If it can be done on a block machine, Billy will figure out how! The Lexington plant is instrumental in JCP’s efforts in new product development research.

Fun fact: Billy is one of the few people who can sell you a block, make it, cube it, and deliver it to you. All by himself!

Chris Audet
Chris AudetSite Manager, Charlotte Plant - Concord, NC
Fairly new to the concrete products world, Chris started working at Johnson Concrete Products as a Sales Representative in 2018 and soon after was promoted to a key leadership role within the company. He brings a can-do attitude and enthusiasm to every project he takes on, whether it’s handling sales, organizing inventory, managing truck delivery and staff, or finding a better way to optimize our product offerings. His 25 years in retail management helped him transition seamlessly to his new role at JCP.

Fun fact: Chris is certainly busy: he’s married to an amazing wife and together they have four children, a dog, and a cat. For fun, he’s an avid bicycle rider, both on and off road.