GOLDSBORO, N.C. – AP Exhaust Technologies has announced the appointment of Chris Ostrander as CEO and president. Evangelos “Vange” Proimos will continue as executive chairman working directly with Ostrander on developing the company’s strategic vision, organic and acquisition growth initiatives, and customer relationships.
Ostrander joins AP Exhaust with more than 16 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket and OEM industries. In his most recent role, he served four years as senior vice president and president of the Americas at Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. Prior to Cooper, Ostrander led multiple business units and sales organizations at Eaton Corp., including its global commercial vehicle and aftermarket sales group, torque control products division, performance products division, fuel emissions division and mirror controls division.
Before Eaton, Ostrander held significant leadership roles for the BOC Group PLC, a multinational manufacturer and distributor of industrial gases. Joining BOC in 1998 as a regional engineer, he advanced to vice president of sales and marketing for its distributor network before departing in 2004. Prior to BOC, he was a commissioned officer for the Army Corps of Engineers upon graduation from West Point in 1991. While there, Ostrander advanced through the ranks as a platoon leader, battalion assistant supply officer, company executive officer and assistant professor of military science, instructing ROTC students at the University of Illinois prior to his honorable discharge as a captain in 1997.
In addition to a mechanical engineering degree from the United States Military Academy, Ostrander also holds a master’s of science degree from the University of Missouri at Rolla and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Commenting on Ostrander’s appointment, Proimos said, “Together with the entire AP organization, I am thrilled to have Chris join us to help take AP Exhaust to the next level. AP has a solid foundation with our history of growth, great customer relationships and a market-leading product line. Chris’ experience in leading world-class companies will help us fulfill our vision of solidifying AP as the leading aftermarket exhaust and emissions supplier in the industry as the company enters its next stage of evolution. I look forward to working with Chris to continue building on the legacy of AP Exhaust.”
“I am excited to join AP Exhaust at this transformational stage of the company,” said Ostrander. “Through his leadership and vision, Vange developed AP into the clear leader in automotive aftermarket emissions control products through an impressive track record of growth. I look forward to learning from Vange and continuing his legacy by expanding our product offering to support our outstanding customer base with high-quality products and service, while also driving our acquisition strategy both in the core emissions market as well as adjacent aftermarket segments.”
Young Lee, managing director of Audax Private Equity, added, “Chris joining as the CEO and president, and Vange continuing to support the business as the executive chairman, strategically positions the company to accelerate our growth and provides us infrastructure to execute a transformational acquisition strategy for this business. We look forward to continuing to invest behind the AP platform to support this growth and look forward to Chris and Vange collaboratively developing and executing the strategy.”
