ACtion Magazine - July/August 2017 - 32

distributors.
"At Red Dot, we know that we're
only as good as our distributors and
Ken will play a key role in supporting and bolstering our partnerships
in the aftermarket segment," said Pat
Carroll, vice president of sales at Red
Dot. "We can't wait to equip our distributors with the industry expertise
and market know-how that Ken brings
to the table. We're thrilled that Ken's
joining the Red Dot team, and we
think our distributors will be too."
With more than two decades of
sales experience, Montelongo brings
a versatile skillset to his role at Red
Dot. Most recently, Montelongo directed sales at Genuine Parts Company as the district sales manager
in Sacramento, California, where he
oversaw equipment and tooling sales
for all Napa Auto Parts stores in northern California and northern Nevada.
Montelongo will leverage his deep
familiarity with those markets as Red
Dot's aftermarket regional manager, where he will primarily focus on
strengthening the company's foothold
throughout the West Coast. Working
directly with customers in the region,
he will partner with distributors to
identify opportunities for growth.
Prior to joining Genuine Parts
Company, Montelongo managed online sales and advertising at Folsom
Buick GMC, and was the owner and
general manager of Unique Motors
and Marine.
"With my experience in aftermarket, I know how much weight the Red
Dot brand carries with customers-
and what a distributor needs to be
successful," said Montelongo. "I'm
excited to join the Red Dot team to
help make sure that we are the first
and only call any distributor ever
needs to make."

Spectra Premium's Jason Best
honored by AIA Canada
On May 16, members of the Automotive Industries Association (AIA)
of Canada celebrated the 2017 Young

ACTION * July/August 2017

Stride tool announces
new head of marketing
Stride Tool, located in Glenwillow
Ohio, announces the hiring of Jon Vyn
as vice president of sales and marketing, effective June 1, 2017. Jon brings
many years of direct experience in the
hand tool industry to the Stride team.
Jon joins Stride from Nupla Corporation, where he was V.P. of sales and

Leader of the Year Award recipient,
Jason Best, executive vice president,
aftermarket for Spectra Premium Industries.
The award was presented following AIA's 75th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Volunteer Recognition Luncheon taking place at the
Hilton Meadowvale Hotel.
Born into the industry, Best is
well-known and respected for his
approach to leadership and his ability to share his vision with his team
and customers. His enthusiastic approach is visible from the boardroom
to the plant floor and everywhere in
between. Named an AMN Newsmaker
of the Year by Babcox Media in 2010
and 2014, Best has been a speaker at
many industry events in addition to
being featured on numerous occasions
in the trade press. Under his leadership, Spectra Premium Industries
has moved from a company with one
product line to a valued and soughtafter company with multiple product
lines in its portfolio.
He has dedicated many hours to
AIA Canada and has served as a director on the AIA board since 2014
and following this year's AGM, will
be joining the AIA executive board as
second vice-chair. Best is also a longtime MACS member and supporter.

marketing. Previously, Jon was V.P. of
marketing for Matco Tools and held
several V.P. positions with Generac
Power Systems. He holds a Master in
Business Administration, Executive
Program from Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland, Ohio and
a Bachelor of Science in Marketing
from Southern Illinois University.
Stride Tool, LLC designs, manufactures and markets innovative specialty tools and solutions for the
professional technician. Its flagship
brand, Imperial®, is sold worldwide
through HVAC, retail, industrial and
automotive distribution. More information is available at www.stridetool.
com. ❆

Send information on
your Industry News to:
marion@macsw.org. All
releases may be edited.

http://www.stridetool.com http://www.stridetool.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - July/August 2017