DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 2, 2025--
Continental Battery Systems (CBS), a leading national distributor of batteries and battery accessories, today announced the promotion of John Rauco to the role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). Rauco most recently served as Senior Vice President of Sales, where he played a pivotal role in accelerating growth, deepening customer relationships and advancing the company’s integrated national go-to-market strategy.
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In his expanded role, Rauco will oversee all commercial functions, including sales, marketing, pricing and strategic customer engagement. He will report directly to CEO Chris Alberta and will continue to shape the company’s commercial direction with a focus on delivering customer value, optimizing performance and driving long-term, sustainable growth.
“John has been a transformational leader at CBS,” said Chris Alberta, CEO of Continental Battery Systems. “His ability to align our commercial strategy with customer needs has been a cornerstone of our recent success. As CCO, John will play a critical role in scaling our platform and unlocking new opportunities in a rapidly evolving marketplace.”
Since joining the company in 2020, Rauco has been a key architect of CBS’ national expansion. He led the build-out of a high-performing sales organization, guided the seamless integration of over 25 acquisitions and championed initiatives that enhanced the company’s commercial agility and market responsiveness.
“I’m honored to take on this role at such a pivotal time,” said Rauco. “Our mission is clear: to deliver meaningful value through performance, reliability and innovation. As both our industry and the broader economy face ongoing disruption, I’m focused on helping our team stay agile, solve problems quickly and build stronger, lasting partnerships across our markets.”
This leadership transition reflects CBS’ ongoing commitment to a “customer-first” focus, strategic growth and industry leadership to face rapidly-growing demand.
About Continental Battery Systems
Founded in 1932, Continental Battery Systems is a leading distributor of batteries and battery accessories, serving a wide range of industries including automotive, commercial, marine, RV, solar and industrial. With a rapidly expanding national footprint and a deep focus on customer service, CBS is committed to leading the charge through innovative battery solutions and a customer-first culture.
Learn more at www.gocbs.com.
John Rauco, Chief Commercial Officer, has been a driving force behind Continental Battery System's national expansion and customer-first growth strategy.
COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The last ghoulish gargoyle has been returned to its perch as part of a two-year restoration of a Kentucky cathedral with a facade modeled after Notre Dame in Paris.
The rehab project at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption was sorely needed to repair deteriorated stone, metal and glass that adorns the limestone exterior. The project included 32 recreated gargoyles along with repairs of deteriorated finials, arches and balustrades.
The 125-year-old church, in Covington just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, offers the experience of a European gothic cathedral in the Midwest, said the Very Rev. Ryan Maher, the cathedral’s rector. The cathedral has an “intimate connection to what is really the most popular and most well-known cathedral outside of Rome itself,” he said.
“I think it's very special and very unique,” said Maher, who watched from the sidewalk as the last gargoyle, made of terra cotta, was raised to top of the facade on Monday.
The renovation price tag was nearly $8 million, and most came from donations, Maher said.
Brian Walter, CEO of Trisco Systems, the contractor, said the final gargoyle going in was “a symbol of the accomplishment of all our facade work.”
“That’s a big, monumental occasion for not only people here, but for us. That kind of symbolized the last stone we’re putting in,” Walter said.
Restoration plans grew out of Maher's discovery in 2018 of a large piece of stone that fell from the exterior.
“We realized at that time that we needed to investigate not only the source of that one piece of stone that had fallen, but to take a look at the overall facade of the cathedral,” Maher said.
Workers will continue with smaller tasks around the facade, including the installation of chimeras that sit on the roofline, but the heavy lifting has been completed, Walter said.
“This is kind of a once or twice in a lifetime project,” Walter said.
The story has been updated to correct that the gargoyles are made of terra cotta, not stone.
Workers are seen beyond an orange cherry picker high on the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, known as "America's Notre Dame," as the final new terra cotta gargoyle is secured with straps to the left, in Covington, Ky., on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The final new terra cotta gargoyle is installed by Cole Burklund, top, and Blake Priest using a cherry picker high on the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, known as "America's Notre Dame," in Covington, Ky., on Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The final new terra cotta gargoyle is secured at right after being installed high on the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, known as "America's Notre Dame," in Covington, Ky., on Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The final new terra cotta gargoyle is installed by Cole Burklund, in the bright yellow, and Blake Priest using a cherry picker high on the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, known as "America's Notre Dame," in Covington, Ky., on Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The final new terra cotta gargoyle is prepared for installation high on the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, known as "America's Notre Dame," in Covington, Ky., on Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
