THE WOODLANDS, Texas — FleetPride, one of the nation’s largest independent aftermarket distributors of heavy-duty truck and trailer parts, has created the role of chief operating officer (COO) to establish a sharper focus on business execution. Lee Stockseth has been appointed to this new position.

As COO, Stockseth will assume responsibility for day-to-day regional operations and supply chain operations, as well as improving the company’s existing operations from a best practices perspective. He will remain active in the company’s acquisition growth strategy and will report to President and CEO W.M. McGee.

Stockseth has 28 years of experience in the heavy-duty trucking industry. Prior to joining FleetPride, he was president of SLM Power Group, which was acquired by FleetPride in 1998. During his career at FleetPride, Stockseth has held a variety of positions, including vice president and regional manager of the Western Region and vice president of operations, which included responsibility for IT functions. Most recently, Stockseth was responsible for the sales operations and profit plan for the Central Region, and in addition to his other duties, he has held the position of chief information officer for the past three-and-a-half years.

"In each of his roles at FleetPride, Lee has been invaluable in our efforts to expand and grow the company. This new position allows him to focus more of his time on defining FleetPride’s larger strategic operations, as well as developing new acquisition and investment opportunities," said McGee. "As the company continues to grow in size and national reach, Lee will be instrumental in ensuring that FleetPride has the processes and best practices in place to capitalize on the many opportunities that lie ahead."