Bradford White Corp. announced the passing of its chairman A. Robert “Bob” Carnevale. In a press release, the company stated that he was the visionary leader who saw the opportunity to create a water heater manufacturer that would stay true to industry professionals and remain steadfast in its commitment to U.S. manufacturing, a philosophy that remains the cornerstone of today’s Bradford White.
Carnevale began his Bradford White career in 1961, shortly after serving in the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division in Bamberg, Germany. He started with the company as an inside order entry clerk while completing his education in a night school program at Penn State University. He rose through the ranks of Bradford White by immersing himself in all aspects of the business including sales, engineering, manufacturing and finance. Eventually attaining the positions of executive vice president and then chief operating officer, Carnevale, along with a small group of his colleagues, saw the opportunity to buy a portion of Bradford White from its then parent company to set the foundation for his goal of creating an American-owned, wholesale-only water heater company with its manufacturing facilities located in the United States.