Former In-plant Manager to Head Duplo USA

Rick Salinas

Rick Salinas, once manager of Ace Hardware's in-plant, has been appointed president and CEO of Duplo USA by its board of directors effective May 1st, 2022. Salinas will succeed Peter Tu, who will step down from the president position after almost 40 years with the company. He will continue to serve as executive chairman of the board.

“Rick’s dedication and tremendous passion to advance the company is truly what our management has been looking for in the new leader of Duplo USA, and we believe, under Rick’s guidance, Duplo USA will overcome any challenge and will be more successful into the future,” said Tu.

“I am humbled and honored to be asked to guide Duplo USA into its next chapter,” said Salinas. “For over 40 years, Duplo has been successful due to its ability to foresee trends and develop strategies early on. We will continue this focus and adapt quickly with new innovations in both product and business offerings.”

Before joining Duplo in 2005 as a direct sales manager for the Chicago area, Salinas served for 10 years as operations manager for Ace Hardware's in-plant in Downers Grove, Ill. He oversaw 75 employees and had an operating budget of $13 million.

During his 17 years with Duplo, his responsibilities increased, and he became the regional sales director for the central United States territory. Owing to Salinas’ extensive knowledge of the market and customer needs, in 2018 he assumed the role of VP of marketing with his primary focus on product development and shifting Duplo USA’s finishing business from mainly commercial print to on demand packaging and print embellishment.

“I am very fortunate to work with an amazing top management group which understands these challenges and has already laid down the groundwork,” Salinas said. “I also feel blessed by the amazing team we have at Duplo who work tirelessly to support our dealers, partners and end users. I am excited to see what the future brings for Duplo USA and my promise is that whatever needs or challenges arise, we will have done our best to foresee them and have plans in place to fulfill and overcome them.”

An experienced, dynamic leader with extensive industry experience, Salinas has the enthusiasm and desire to drive the company’s growth, and will be instrumental in Duplo USA’s future success. Tu will continue to support Salinas during the transition. Tu’s keen vision and long-term strategies combined with his commitment to the company employees’ welfare have substantially strengthened Duplo USA’s business and he has led the company to where it stands today. His leadership, contributions, and kindness will be forever appreciated.

Source: Duplo USA

The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with In-plant Impressions. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of In-plant Impressions.