Credentials of the President, Fred Miller

Fred was the leader of the marketing effort that turned the Thompson's® Water Seal® brand into the dominant national brand in waterproofing.  He founded Consumer Specialists in early 1997.  Fred has developed a strong and growing base of highly satisfied clients.  He makes sure that each assignment is approached in a custom manner that meets the clients needs and budget.

As part of his consulting work, Fred has served as the Managing Director of the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) since late 1998.  HIRI is a membership based trade association of leading retailers,  manufacturers, and publications serving the $200 Billion home improvement industry.  Under Fred's leadership HIRI has restored its underlying financial position, had strong membership growth and has continually increased and and improved the research it delivers to its members.  Fred is often sought out as an expert on this industry for his unique knowledge base and experience.

Fred has 30 years of consumer marketing experience including:

¨      Executive Vice President at Thompson · Minwax

¨      Vice President of Marketing for a subsidiary of Eastman Kodak

¨      Manager of Business Development - General Electric Consumer Electronics

¨      Senior Product Manager at General Foods

Winner of Key Marketing and Industry Awards

¨      Recipient of 1996 award as one of the top 100 marketers in the US from Advertising Age Magazine (click here to see the article)

¨      Received Gold Effie award from the American Marketing Association for proven business results

¨      Numerous industry awards for new products, packaging design and point of purchase materials

14 years in the Home Improvement Industry

¨      Officer and Director of the Home Improvement Research Institute

¨      Leadership position within the National Paint and Coatings Association

¨      Senior Management level interaction with key Home Improvement Retailers

¨      Sales experience in  Home Centers, Mass Merchants, Hardware Stores, and Lumber Dealers

 Other Experience / Education

¨      Four Years of Financial Management experience

¨      Two Years of Retail Store Management

¨      Master of Business Administration from The Pennsylvania State University