Holley Inc. has announced the appointment of Brian Appelgate, an industry veteran and operating leader with decades of experience leading teams in the performance automotive aftermarket, to interim chief operating officer (COO). Appelgate, who has advised Holley since 2018 as head of Mergers and Acquisitions, will further align Holley’s operations in support of the company’s highest priorities and largest near-term opportunities.

“Over the last two quarters, supply chain constraints have prevented us from building and shipping our products in the volumes needed to satisfy the demand we’ve seen from our enthusiast consumers and resellers. Supply chain driven production inefficiencies along with inflationary pressures on many of our costs are further depressing our margins. Brian is a performance aftermarket industry veteran with a wealth of operating experience. He is a known quantity to our team and we are excited to partner with Brian to drive near-term improvement in our operating performance,” said Tom Tomlinson, Holley’s president and CEO.

As a performance automotive industry veteran, Appelgate has extensive experience in branded enthusiast consumer products, manufacturing and distribution in private, private equity and public market environments. He has served on multiple boards in the industry and is a former chairman of the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA). Prior to joining Holley in 2018, he was president and CEO of Driven Performance Brands.

“Over the last four years my involvement with Holley as head of M&A has allowed me to develop a thorough understanding of the business and become well acquainted with its people. I’m excited to have the opportunity to further partner with the Holley team and look forward to driving near-term improvements in operating performance,” said Appelgate.

As Interim COO, Appelgate will be focused on driving near-term improvement in end-to-end Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Engineering functional areas.