A. O. Smith Corp. announced the retirement of Paul Dana, senior vice president — global operations, effective April 1, and Sam Carver, vice president — North American manufacturing, has been named the successor.

In his new role, Carver will help expand global operations and build on the strong foundation Dana and his team have established. Carver joined A. O. Smith in 2006 as plant manager at the McBee, South Carolina facility, and has served in various roles throughout his tenure. He was promoted to vice president — North American manufacturing in 2011.

“Sam has been a driving force behind the development and launch of the A. O. Smith Operating System across our North America Water Heating business,” said Kevin Wheeler, chairman, president and CEO. “Additionally, he is a true champion of talent development and believes that investing and developing people can improve overall productivity and provide growth opportunities for our employees within the organization.”

Dana’s career with A. O. Smith began in 1998 when he was hired as plant manager for residential water heater operations in Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas. Over the course of his career, he relocated numerous times and took on greater roles and responsibilities, including vice president — product engineering, president of APCOM and most recently in 2015, when he was named to his current role.

“Paul has proven to be an invaluable resource to the organization with his vast knowledge of our business, global experience and his passion to make things better,” said Wheeler. “We thank Paul for his dedication, dynamic leadership and unwavering commitment to his team and our organization.”

Carver and Dana will work closely over the next few months to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.