CYRSTAL LAKE, Ill. (Oct. 18, 2016) — Vipar Heavy Duty Inc. has promoted Chris Baer to president, succeeding Steve Crowley, who helped to lead Vipar Heavy Duty for more than 16 years.
Mr. Baer has been with Vipar Heavy Duty since 2002 and has been executive vice president since 2014. Prior to joining Vipar, he held a variety of sales management roles throughout17 years with Chicago Rawhide/SKF.
“Chris is well-respected by Vipar Heavy Duty stockholders and suppliers and by his colleagues in the heavy-duty industry,” Vipar Heavy Duty Chairman Bill Nolan said. “He is a proven leader with excellent market knowledge who will help us continue on a strong upward path as an organization.”
Mr. Crowley called Mr. Baer a “valued adviser” and said he's a “natural fit to lead this organization into the future.”
“I appreciate the confidence and trust the board of directors has shown in naming me the next leader of VIPAR Heavy Duty and our family of companies,” Mr. Baer said. “I'm excited about the team we have in place to help us continue on a strong growth path.”
Mr. Baer also has been a member of the AWDA Young Executive Society (YES) committee and earned the Automotive Aftermarket Professional (AAP) designation from the University of the Aftermarket.
The company is a North American network of independent aftermarket truck parts distributors operating more than 630 locations across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico.