Trailer, truck, & body OEMs

March 1, 2011
MBB Palfinger has promoted Coleman Lidie and John Burger to eastern and western sales directors. Mark Johnston has been appointed general manager of the

MBB Palfinger has promoted Coleman Lidie and John Burger to eastern and western sales directors. Mark Johnston has been appointed general manager of the Cerritos CA location. Leading the engineering and manufacturing efforts in Cerritos and Council Bluffs IA, Mike Jones was named product manager for Palfinger Liftgates. MBB Palfinger has added Mark Sobol and Eric Nelson as regional sales managers responsible for the Southwest and Midwestern regions. Xander Vooys has been named to fill the newly established role of product specialist for the Palfinger line of Epsilon cranes, hooklifts, and cable lifts. Vooys joins Palfinger with more than five years' experience with scrap, waste, and recycling equipment.

Robert W Wilson, president and chief operating officer of Supreme Industries Inc and president and chief executive officer of the company's wholly owned operating subsidiary, Supreme Indiana Operations Inc, has announced his retirement. He will be an advisor to the board of directors on special projects and will continue in his position on the board. Herbert M Gardner, chairman of the board and CEO of the company and the chairman of the board of Supreme Indiana, will continue as chairman of the board but has relinquished the role of CEO. Kim Korth, president and owner of consulting firm IRN Inc, has been appointed president and CEO of the company and Supreme Indiana in an interim capacity. In December, the company announced a new executive leadership team composed of Tom Beard, vice-president of operations; Bob Besse, vice-president of sales and marketing; Mike Oium, vice-president of systems management; and Jeff Mowery, vice-president of finance. This team will report directly to Korth. A special committee has been formed of the current board members, including Gardner, Korth, William J Barrett, and Mark C Neilson, to assist the leadership team during the transition and to begin a process to hire a new president and CEO of the company and Supreme Indiana.

Manac Trailers USA announces the appointment of John Shuttleworth as regional sales manager for the central states. He previously worked as director of sales for a manufacturer of custom dry freight semitrailers and developed specialized product segments.