Takeuchi announces personnel appointments

National Accounts Manager Derek Koontz

Takeuchi-US has appointed Derek Koontz as its national accounts manager. Koontz will manage sales development and activity on existing national accounts as well as prospect for new accounts. Koontz will also be responsible for forecasting and achieving Takeuchi’s sales objectives in the U.S. and Canada.

“I’m really excited to join the Takeuchi-US team,” said Koontz. “I’ve enjoyed growing my sales management experience over the past 10 years, and I feel like my previous roles have prepared me well for this newest challenge. I’m looking forward to putting what I’ve learned to work for Takeuchi.”

A resident of Wilmington, North Carolina, Koontz comes to Takeuchi from a previous role as a senior director of national accounts for a manufacturer of aerial work platforms. His other experience includes a tenure as vice president of sales for an industrial equipment dealer. Koontz holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

“Derek is a very focused and driven professional,” said Jeffrey Ratliff, director of sales and marketing for Takeuchi-US. “His ability to build relationships with both internal and external customers is a great fit for our national account manager role. Derek has also demonstrated a knack for introducing products and educating clients. His solution-oriented approach will be a true benefit to Takeuchi as we continue to grow in the U.S.”

Southwest Region Product Manager Ian Aarsvold

Ian Aarsvold is the new Southwest region product manager for Takeuchi-US. A current resident of Des Plaines, Ill., Aarsvold is relocating to the Dallas-Fort Worth area during Q1 2025 as he takes on his new role.

As the Southwest region product manager (RPM), Aarsvold will be responsible for supporting Takeuchi’s dealer and national rental accounts support within a multi-state territory. Aarsvold will also work with dealer sales teams and their customers to demonstrate, promote and support Takeuchi’s compact equipment product line. He will collaborate with other associates to develop and implement new product roadmaps and discover new opportunities within the construction equipment market segment.

“I’m very excited to join Takeuchi, because time and time again, when I spoke to dealers about the company, they consistently mentioned Takeuchi’s outstanding equipment and support,” Aarsvold said. “My personal interactions with the Takeuchi team at industry events confirmed they are simply top notch. As a new RPM, I’m looking forward to helping more customers discover the many benefits of Takeuchi equipment.”

A North Dakota native, Aarsvold holds a bachelor’s degree in general agriculture from North Dakota State University where he was also a member of the Agronomy Club. Aarsvold then worked on his family’s farm in Eastern North Dakota, operating and maintaining equipment.

Aarsvold then transitioned into a role as a regional manager for the Association of Equipment Distributors (AED) in Chicago, where he was responsible for a territory of approximately 115 off-highway equipment distributors.