Vange Proimos, president of AP Exhaust in Goldsboro, N.C., has been elected chairman of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) Board of Governors.
Proimos and his brothers founded the USA Muffler Shop chain in the 1970s. The business grew to more than 20 shops throughout northeast Indiana and included a distribution center to service the muffler shops.
In 1994, he and his family started Catco Catalytic Converters, known today as one of the largest aftermarket converter manufacturer in the country. Catco specializes in universal, direct fit and OBDII technology converters.
In 1998, Proimos acquired the AP Exhaust Aftermarket Division with manufacturing facilities in Goldsboro, N.C. Manufacturing exhaust products for the past several years under the Goerlich’s, Merit, TruckEx and Xlerator brands, the company will begin to market their products as AP Exhaust in 2007.
Other AASA members newly elected to the board include:
Michael Cardone Jr., CEO, Cardone Industries
Michael Cardone Jr. is chairman and chief executive officer of CARDONE Industries Inc., a global automotive parts remanufacturer with headquarters in Philadelphia, PA. He co-founded CARDONE Industries with his father, the late Michael Cardone Sr., in 1970. Today, this family business, spanning three generations, is the largest family-owned remanufacturer of automotive parts in the world. He served as chairman of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) in 2005.
David Coolidge, president, Automotive Aftermarket Division, executive vice president, Robert Bosch Corp.
David Coolidge is president of the Automotive Aftermarket Division of the Robert Bosch Corp. and executive vice president — North America, of the global Automotive Aftermarket Division of the Bosch Group. He has also served as chairman of Robert Bosch, Inc. — Canada, since 2003. Coolidge began his career with Bosch in 1988 as a co-op/intern and has served the company in many different capacities. Coolidge earned a B.A. in Economics from DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind. He also has a MBA with concentrations in finance and marketing from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Master’s degree in Accounting from DePaul University (Chicago, Ill.).
Mike Howarth, senior vice president, KYB America LLC
Mike Howarth is in his third year as senior vice president of KYB America LLC and is responsible for KYB’s North American aftermarket business. From 1997 until assuming his current position at KYB America, Howarth served in various capacities for KYB in Europe. Howarth began his automotive career in 1989 when he joined Moprod-Supra Automotive (now part of Quinton Hazell, a subsidiary of Affinia) as UK Sales Director. Before entering the automotive world, Howarth worked at Duracell (1987-89) as a divisional sales manager in the UK. He also worked for Kelloggs (1982-87) in such various capacities as salesman, territory manager, assistant to the UK marketing director, export manager and divisional sales manager.
Sam Mitchell, president, The Valvoline Co.
Sam Mitchell is vice president of Ashland and president of Valvoline and has served in such capacities since 2002. During the past five years, he has also served as vice president and general manager of retail business and vice president of marketing. Mitchell joined Valvoline in 1997 as director of brand marketing and was named vice president of marketing in August 1999. During the past two years, Mitchell is credited with the marketing success of Max-Life, a motor oil designed for high-mileage cars.
Richard Shiozaki, senior vice president, DENSO Sales California Inc.
Richard Shiozaki is vice president of aftermarket sales and corporate services for DENSO Sales California, Inc., the $500 million affiliate of DENSO Corp. Shiozaki, who formerly served as senior manager of the aftermarket sales group, joined the company in 1986 as a member of the marketing department. A native Californian, Shiozaki graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from California State University, Los Angeles, in 1982. Prior to joining DENSO Sales California, he worked in advertising in the grocery food industry.
Tom Ward, president, Snap-on Diagnostics & Information Group
Tom Ward is president, Snap-on Diagnostics & Information Group. Ward joined Snap-on in 1996 as vice president of underhood sales. He was then named vice president of national accounts in 1998, and vice president of Snap-on Diagnostics in 2000. He became president of the worldwide Snap-on Diagnostics organization in 2001. In March of 2005, he was promoted to vice president – Snap-on Incorporated and president — Diagnostics and Information Group. Ward holds an MBA from The Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
Also at the meeting, Steve Handschuh, AASA executive director, was elected president and chief operating officer of the association.
Other members continuing to serve on the board are: - Guy Andrysick, senior vice president, Honeywell Consumer Products, Danbury, Conn.
- Jack Cameron, general manager, The Timken Company, Canton, Ohio
- Greg Gyllstrom, vice president and general manager, Visteon Aftermarket, Van Buren Twp., Mich.
- Rod McKenzie, president, The Penray Companies Inc., Wheeling, Ill.
- Peter Morse, president, Morse Automotive Corp., Chicago, Ill.
- Edward (E.J.) O’Leary, president, Transportation Americas, Exide Technologies, Alpharetta, Ga.
- Joseph Pomaranski, vice president, sales, Tenneco Automotive, Monroe, Mich.
- John Washbish, president, Affinia Group, customer relations, McHenry, Ill.
- Dennis Welvaert, president, NA automotive aftermarket, Dayco Products LLC, Mark IV Automotive, Tulsa, Okla.
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