SEMA News—July 2020
INDUSTRY NEWS
Fast Facts
 Brian Reese |
The Retrofit Source (TRS) announced that Brian Reese joined the company as CEO. He succeeds Matt Kossoff, who will become TRS’s chief product officer and remain on the board of directors. Reese is a veteran automotive industry executive and former CEO of Race Winning Brands. He has more than 20 years of experience in fueling premium brands with products and serving customers with best-in-class support in the automotive aftermarket.
Edemitsu Lubricants America announced the appointment of Michael Park as senior director for aftermarket sales and operations for North America. Park has more than 30 years of experience and proven leadership in the automotive aftermarket, including sales, logistics/distribution, wholesale and retail parts.
The Aftermarket Performance Group (APG), a holding company of automotive performance aftermarket companies in the wholesale, retail, e-commerce and manufacturing segments, named Mike Sinoway as CEO. Prior to APG, Sinoway served as CEO at MaritzCX.
Nexen Tire America Inc. announced a new distribution center located at 2190 Creekside Pkwy., in Lockbourne, Ohio. The new Ohio distribution center marks the third addition to its list of U.S. distribution facilities, joining the existing two located in California and Georgia. Ohio was strategically chosen for its centralized location in the United States, allowing Nexen to increase efficiency. With three distribution centers triangulating most of the United States, customers can now expect shorter delivery times and lower costs, according to the company.
XS Power Batteries announced its acquisition of all of the assets of New York-based ultracapacitor manufacturer Ioxus Inc. Ioxus will continue to manufacture the same products through Systematic Power Manufacturing LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Systematic Power Solutions LLC, dba XS Power Batteries. Existing customer orders will continue to ship on schedule with no foreseeable delays in the manufacturing and delivery process.
 Rob Kinnan |
Accessible Technologies Inc., the parent company of ProCharger and Inovair, welcomed Rob Kinnan as the company’s new marketing director. Kinnan has nearly 31 years of experience in the automotive publishing world, most recently serving as the editor of Mustang Monthly. He also worked with Motor Trend Group, including a seven-year stint as the editor of Hot Rod. Kinnan was also a founding member of the National Mustang Racers Association, serving as editorial director for both Race Pages and Fastest Street Car.
Peterson Manufacturing announced that Al Anderson was named the company’s new vice president of sales and marketing. Most recently, Anderson was director of fleet business development for CIMC Intermodal Equipment. A longtime industry veteran, he served for six years as chair of the associates group of the American Trucking Association’s 2,300-member Technology & Maintenance Council.
H&S Autoshot announced a partnership with Steve Darnell of Welder Up (famous for “Vegas Rat Rods” on the Discovery Channel) for its welding and plasma-cutting products. This partnership confirms Darnell as H&S Autoshot’s official brand ambassador. Darnell is the creative mastermind behind the motorized works of art that emerge from the WelderUp shop.
Melling Engine Parts CEO Mark Melling announced the acquisition of Performance Springs UK Ltd. based in Blackpool, England. Performance Springs specializes in the design and manufacturing of springs for the automotive and industrial sectors. The new company will be renamed Melling Performance Springs Ltd., and all management and sales staff are staying with the company.
Transtar Industries Inc. named David Haynes its vice president of U.S. domestic distribution. Haynes is based in Cleveland and reports to Tim Bowes, president and CEO. Haynes brings a significant track record in leading corporate strategic growth initiatives, according to the company, and joins Transtar from Honeywell International, where he served as vice president of marketing for its Novar and Incom divisions.
Mast Motorsports announced the acquisition of Magnitude Performance. Jason Youd, founder of Magnitude Performance, will be named CEO of Mast Motor-sports. He will manage all aspects of Mast Motorsports and support Mast Powertrain as managing director. According to the company, Mast Motorsports and Magnitude Performance will continue advanced development for motorsports products and technologies as part of Mast Technologies group.
ReadyLift Suspensions acquired Zbroz Racing—an aftermarket performance parts manufacturer focused on UTV and snowmobile suspension components. ReadyLift is a division of Wheel Pros. Zbroz was founded in 1998 by the four Zollinger brothers after their successful snowmobile hill climbing career. Today the company provides suspension products for snowmobiles and
UTVs.
