search
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Join Today
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
    • FEATURED PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
    • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
    • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
    • TECHNOLOGY
    • WATER TREATMENT
    • PMC COLUMNS
      • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
      • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
  • ENGINEERS
    • CONTINUING EDUCATION
    • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
    • FIRE PROTECTION
    • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
    • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
    • PME COLUMNS
      • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
      • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
    • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
    • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
    • CODES
    • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
    • PROJECT PROFILES
    • COLUMNS
      • Codes Corner
      • Kristen R. Bayles: Editorial Opinion
      • Guest Editorial
    • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
    • PODCASTS
    • PM After Dark
    • VIDEOS
    • EBOOKS
    • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • BIG BOOK DIRECTORY
    • REP LOCATOR
    • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
    • Letters to the Editor
    • PM BOOKSTORE
    • CE CENTER
    • MARKET RESEARCH
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
    • EMAGAZINE
    • ARCHIVE ISSUES
    • CONTACT
    • ADVERTISE
  • JOIN
Plumbing News

A. O. Smith promotes Jones to executive chairman

October 9, 2012
Ajita G. Rajendra will then assume the role of president and chief executive officer.

Paul W. Jones is the new executive chairman of A. O. Smith.


The A. O. Smith Corp. announced that Paul W. Jones will transition from chairman and chief executive officer to executive chairman of the corporation, effective Jan. 1, 2013. In addition, Ajita G. Rajendra will assume the role of president and chief executive officer.  

In this newly created role, Jones will continue to lead the company’s board of directors as the executive chairman and will remain actively involved in the company’s strategy development, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations and developing executive talent for the Milwaukee-based water technology company. Jones joined A. O. Smith in January 2004 as president and chief operating officer and was named to the company’s board of directors in December of that year. He was named chairman and chief executive officer in December 2005.  

Rajendra, who is currently president and COO, will assume the role of chief executive and have responsibility for strategy development and implementation, profitability and shareholder returns. Rajendra joined A. O. Smith in February 2005 as president of its Water Products Co. and was named an executive vice president of the corporation in 2006.

Rajendra was named president and chief operating officer in August 2011 and was elected to the company’s board of directors in December of that year. Currently, he also serves as chairman of the Air-conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).  

“With our water technology strategy well under way, now is an appropriate time to transition the chief executive responsibilities to Ajita, who was actively involved in the development of this strategy,” Jones commented. “In addition, he is well known and respected throughout the industry and is an outstanding business person with strategic vision and excellent execution skills.”    


Source: A. O. Smith

Links

  • A. O. Smith

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • 2025 Next Gen ALL-STARS hero 1440

    2025 Next Gen All Stars: Top 20 Under 40 Plumbing Professionals

    This year’s group of NextGen All-Stars is full of young...
    Plumbing & Mechanical Contractor
    By: Kristen R. Bayles
  • Worker using the Milwaukee Tool SWITCH PACK drain cleaner

    Pipeline profits: Drain cleaning, pipe inspection create opportunities

    Drain cleaning and inspection services offer lucrative...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke
  • Uponor employee, Arturo Moreno

    The reinvestment in American manufacturing and training

    Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke and...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke and Natalie Forster
Manage My Account
  • Join Plumbing & Mechanical
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Plumbing & Mechanical audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Plumbing & Mechanical or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Industrial cooling tower, pipe system and valves infrastructure on rooftop
    Sponsored byRemarcable

    Why Mechanical Contractors' CFOs See Job Costs Weeks Too Late

  • ClearLOC pipe fittings
    Sponsored byLegend

    How Plumbing Professionals Are Reducing Installation Time Through Smarter Connection Design

  • HyperPure® PE-RT tubing
    Sponsored byLegend

    Why Sustainable Innovation Will Shape the Future of Plastic Pipe

Popular Stories

Tony Calabria, Jeff Camuso, Mary Turgeon, Sean Roberts and Jason Perry at CDS’ Avon main house.

Meet the 2026 Supply House of the Year: Charles D. Sheehy

Hydronic Mechanical Room

Hydronic Heating: Why 20°F Delta T Is Just a Number

Houston Plumber's Work Van - Stolen Tools

Thieves Steal $8,000 in Tools From Houston Plumber’s Work Van

Meet PM After Dark - Watch the latest episode

Poll

Choosing a Distributor

What matters most to you when choosing a plumbing distributor?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

The Water Came To A Stop

The Water Came To A Stop

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Headshots of Kevin Wheeler (Left) and Steve Shafer (Right)

    A. O. Smith announces Kevin Wheeler to become executive chairman, Stephen Shafer named president and chief executive officer

    See More
  • Kevin Wheeler (Left) and Steve Shafter (Right).

    Kevin Wheeler to Retire as Executive Chairman of A. O. Smith

    See More
  • A.O. Smith

    Ajita Rajendra retires as executive chairman; A. O. Smith names new chairman, president and CEO

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • Lessons Learned in a Boiler Room: A common sense approach to servicing and installing commercial boilers

  • Inspector Book.jpg

    Lessons Learned: A Guide to Boilers for Home Inspectors

  • the water book.jpeg

    The Water Came To A Stop

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • August 25, 2026

    Every Minute Matters: A Plumber’s Guide to Growth Without Adding

    On Demand Join this webinar for practical strategies to grow revenue, improve profitability, and create more capacity using the resources you already have.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Stay in the know on the latest plumbing & piping industry trends!

Get tailored content delivered your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Supply House Times
  • JOIN TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • Newsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2026. All Rights Reserved BNP Media, Inc. and BNP Media II, LLC.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing