BTA member Shore Business Solutions has announced a significant shift in management to start out 2022. Chris Wolowitz has been appointed president of the company effective Jan. 1, 2022. Wolowitz joined Shore Business Solutions in January 2019 as partner and vice president, after spending 20-plus years in the office technology industry working for major industry players like Ricoh Americas Corp., as well as business technology dealers in New Jersey, throughout his career. Joining the team at Shore Business Solutions as partner was a pivotal point in his career and marked the transition into a business he and his family could eventually call their own.

Shore Business Solutions first opened its doors on May 1, 1980, under the leadership of Bob Odgers Sr. In 1991, Odgers retired and named George A. Krebs, his son-in-law, as successor and president. Krebs held that role for 30 years, successfully guiding the company on a growth journey that brought it to where it is today. In 2019, as part of Krebs' own succession planning, he began seeking the next generation to lead the company. His own children had pursued careers outside of the family business; therefore, George started the search externally.

"When I met Chris in May of 2018, I knew he was the real deal," Krebs said. "Everything he said reminded me of Bob and myself all those years ago. He talked about wanting a business for his family to call their own; something he could grow and be close to home. That was the day I stopped looking for a new partner. I had already found him.

"It has always been the plan for Chris to become president and take over the daily operation," Krebs continued. "I can see retirement in my no-so-distant future, and nothing makes me prouder than to name Chris as president and my successor."

Since joining Shore Business Solutions in January 2019, Wolowitz has guided the transformation of the organization from a traditional hardware sales and service organization to a full-scale office automation provider, covering all of New Jersey. Strengthening partnerships with existing manufacturers, Sharp Electronics Corp. and KYOCERA Document Solutions America and adding new strategic alliances with companies like KIP for wide format printing, Collabrance for full-scale managed services and ACDI for a comprehensive suite of cost control and security solutions, to name a few.

"I am honored to be named president of such a long standing and solid organization," Wolowitz said. "When I first joined Shore, I couldn't have imagined the majority of my first three years would have been spent navigating a global pandemic. But despite the challenges that were put in front of us, we always persevered. 2021 was the strongest year in our 41-year story and there are so many more chapters still to be written. We have a solid foundation in our team, tremendous partnerships and a vision for what is to come. I look forward to guiding the company to break more records and achieve great success in the future."

Krebs will remain on the management team as executive vice president until his planned retirement in 2023, working with Wolowitz daily to continue the company on the growth trajectory already set in place. Danielle Wolowitz, currently director of business operations, has been promoted to the role of vice president of marketing and business services, and will assist Wolowitz and Krebs with setting future expansion strategies and spearheading initiatives such as the continued development of the managed services division.

To fuel the future growth of the organization, the company, named #5 Top Places to Work in NJ by NJ BIZ, will also be adding several new roles to the organization in the coming months, further expanding its reach across the state of New Jersey.