Hillman Solutions Corp. names Jon Michael Adinolfi COO

One of Cincinnati's largest public companies has named its first chief operating officer after years of not having one.

Forest Park-based Hillman Solutions Corp., a provider of hardware solutions nationwide, appointed Jon Michael Adinolfi as COO, a promotion from his former role as U.S. divisional president.

In the new role, Adinolfi will add Canada to the U.S. and Mexico when it comes to territory he supervises, allowing all of the regions to explore joint strategies, improve operations and implement retail strategies.

"The COO role enables me to bring together the U.S. and Canada operations," Adinolfi told the Business Courier in an interview. "We’ll be focusing more on category management and helping our customers make sure they have the right selection to meet their needs and the needs of end users."

Nicknamed "JMA," Adinolfi has been with Hillman since 2019. The company has been without a COO since 2014, prior to its 2021 debut as a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq.

"JMA has been an invaluable strategic partner to me and our leadership team during his time at Hillman. JMA's demonstrated ability to execute Hillman's business strategy, build relationships with our key customers, and manage operational complexity make him a perfect choice to be our first COO," CEO Doug Cahill said in a news release.

Hillman is one of the largest hardware distributors in North America, putting its nails, screws, fasteners and other hardware products in hundreds of stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as making and operating machines that cut or make keys and key fobs.

Hillman is Greater Cincinnati's 11th-largest public company, with $1.49 billion in revenue in 2022, according to Courier research, and 3,773 employees, including 1,000 locally.

Before joining the company, Adinolfi worked in the hardware and home improvement industry, spending eight years at Stanley Black & Decker, most recently as president for U.S. retail; and five years at HD Supply, which included three years as president of Crown Bolt, which serves as the primary supplier of fasteners, rope and chain for Home Depot.

"The Hillman Group is a great company. It started in 1964. It has a great heritage. I admired them from afar when I worked at companies like HD Supply," Adinolfi said. "It's an opportunity to work in an industry I love, with a company that had decades of great performance, great products and great people."

New product development, including fasteners, robotic digital solutions and protective products, such as the next generation of gloves, are driving Hillman's growth, Adinolfi said.

"We continue to expand opportunities in areas we are today," he said.

Hillman became a public company in 2021 and moved its headquarters from Springfield Township to Forest Park in 2023.

"We wanted to make sure it didn't disrupt our associates," Adinolfi said. "We think we have a great space … we worked out the kinks and it's been a great spot for us to come together."

Hillman also announced another personnel move: Scott Ride, the president of Hillman Canada, will begin leading Hillman's Industrial Solutions business throughout North America in addition to his current role of leading Hillman Canada.