Columbia Showroom
The Staff
Larry Polk
According to Larry Polk, there is only one Carolina: North Carolina!! That really puts him in the minority here at General Sales, but as the Vice President and part owner, he is just fine with that. Larry and his family bought the company in September of 1998 from the original owners of General Sales: Jim Armstrong and L.P. Garrett-Armstrong. The different titles Larry holds are General Manager, IT Support, Contract Sales, Sales Manager over outside and showroom sales, as well as Chief Vacuumer and Night Watchman. He’s been married since 1993 and has two wild and crazy boys that keep him on the move. When Larry does get a moment for himself, you might find him on the golf course or watching sports. (If the chance came up to work at ESPN, he might jump at it!!) He feels very fortunate to work with the people he does at General Sales and states “The best thing about my job is the people I work with everyday. They are the best people in the industry and General Sales would be nowhere without them.”
Laura Carlson
Laura Carlson has been with General Sales since 1983. While originally from Ohio, she’s come to absolutely love Carolina football, both the Panthers and Gamecocks. She loves Braves baseball and also a NASCAR fan, supporting #88! She’s the backbone of the office, and while she’s handled virtually everything in the office at one point or another, her main focus is managing purchasing, bidding, and taking care of her customer base that she has built up over the years. She loves what she does and enjoys the competition of bidding against her competitors. She’s the proud grandmother of two beautiful girls. When you drop by her office, you can see their photos, along with great memorabilia of all her favorite sports teams!
Denise Green
Denise Green has been in the industry since 1982, and since 2004 at General Sales. Her incredible memory and organizational skills keep everything running smoothly. Denise is both knowledgeable and friendly, and the combination makes her an invaluable resource not only to her customers, but to all her coworkers as well. She works closely with Laura, which is great since she is also a huge fan of both the Gamecocks and NASCAR. If you need something, Denise will know what it is, and also several manufacturers that make something similar. Stop in and say “Hi” when you come by – she’s got an office on the right.
Bruce Hamilton
Bruce Hamilton has worked in the commercial foodservice industry for over 30 years. He’s worked for Hobart Corporation as a manufacturers representative, a major wood & metal fabricator, and in the used restaurant equipment business. He’s been with General Sales for since 2003. Bruce loves that General Sales has excellent working relationships with all the major restaurant equipment manufacturers. With his extensive knowledge of the foodservice equipment industry, he’d be great at helping you plan your next project. In his spare time Bruce enjoys cruising Lake Murray in his classic baby blue speedboat Elvis. If
you see him out there on the weekend, wave!!!
Niki Davis
Niki Davis’s philosophy can be summed up in a few words: Value, Integrity, and Honesty. She provides her customers with a competitive price, in a professional manner, delivered with a sense of urgency. Niki’s from South Carolina, and thoroughly enjoys all Gamecock sports, boating, live music, NASCAR, drag racing, and the company of her two wonderful children. As an outside salesperson for General Sales, she will come to your establishment and assist you with every equipment, small ware, or front of the house need! From the table top to the back dock, she has all the resources to save you on the clock!
Melanie Stanley
Melanie Stanley has been with General Sales since 2004, starting in administration and moving to sales. As a North Carolina native, she loves being outdoors. She’s a Harley girl, and is always redesigning the paint job or finding new custom accessories for her Electra Glide. She also loves to read. Melanie’s currently our salesperson on the showroom floor. She really enjoys helping our customers, and she can track down anything. Melanie loves to help local businesses stay equipped to run smoothly. She’s also the one keeping the showroom organized and looking great. When you stop in and visit, she’s either behind the front counter, or reorganizing the store.
Meghan Sule-Kubiak
Meghan Sule-Kubiak has been with General Sales since December of 2010, and loves it. Her background is strong in both customer and administrative support and she’s had fun applying that background to the food service industry. With all the environmentally friendly changes, it’s a great time to be getting familiar with all the products available. Meghan works mostly on the contract jobs side of the business and provides administrative support. She’s a transplant from Green Bay, WI. She loves the weather here because it allows her to ride her motorcycle year round, but laments the unavailability of squeaky cheese curds. When you stop by to visit, Meghan’s at the desk against the far wall, so shout out “Hello” and she’ll be glad to help you.
The Guys that Make it Happen!!!
Our Warehouse guys are the face of General Sales to many of our customers, and we think they are by far the best crew in the industry. They’re dedicated to delivering and installing your equipment in a professional and friendly manner. With more than a combined 60 years of experience at General Sales, they know how to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Daniel Jacobs, our Operations Manager, has been with General Sales since 1982. There is nothing that Daniel can’t do: run wire for electricity, put up walk-ins, hang hoods, fix plumbing, install ice machines. He’s also a good hunter and fisherman when he gets the chance. Carlos Jacobs has been with General Sales since 1988, and is our Warehouse Manager. His attention to detail makes him great at accurately processing all of the receiving and shipping, and he can also go into the field and install a walk-in himself. Carlos can hold his own on the lake as well. JC Jacobs and Josh Daniels round out the warehouse crew. JC is the third Jacobs working here, and is the whistling wonder. Josh is our resident motor-head, and helps keep all the vehicles in good running order. This crew makes sure that everything under the roof is running properly, and that all of our deliveries and installations get done right!
