DAVENPORT, Iowa — The board of directors at Republic, a distributor of HVAC and electrical products, has named Todd Wade to the board and has chosen him to succeed Mark Kilmer as CEO beginning in October.

Wade has been with Republic since 2012, has served as the president of the mechanical division since February 2022, and will be only the fourth CEO in Republic’s 107-year history.

"Todd’s record of success, integrity and proven leadership skills and experience in sales, vendor relationships, marketing, and technology make him highly qualified to lead Republic in driving the company’s growth strategies,” said Mark Kilmer, the current CEO, in a press release.

Kilmer will continue to serve as a member of the board and will retain substantial ownership. In addition, he will assist Republic in consulting and business development capacities as the company continues to grow and expand its footprint throughout the Midwest.

Republic was founded in 1916 by J.S. Kimmel, and later led by Joe Kimmel Jr. until he turned the reins over to his son-in-law, Kilmer, in 1998. Wade will become the first non-family member to lead the company.

Todd Wade joined Republic as chief information officer and later took the lead over marketing and dealer success programs. In 2018, he was promoted to senior vice president of the mechanical division, and then in 2022 to president of the mechanical division.

In addition, Robert P. Smith and Jim Probst were elected to Republic’s board of directors.

Smith was most recently president and CEO of IMARK Electrical and coordinated the efforts of IMARK Group verticals in electrical, HVACR, and plumbing. Probst is currently president of Quality Home Maintenance (QHM), George Brazil Services, and Patrick Riley Services in Phoenix.