SANTA ANA, Calif. — IMPCO Automotive has appointed two current sales team members to new director positions.
Jay Sandler has been named director of OEM and fleet sales, and John Cocchiola has been named director of aftermarket and dealer sales. Both Sandler and Cocchiola will report to Rob Lykins, director of sales and marketing.
IMPCO Automotive, a business unit of Fuel System Solutions, is a cost-effective, designer, manufacturer, calibrator and installer of innovative bi-fuel and dedicated gaseous fuel systems (CNG/LPG), focused on the North American passenger car and light and medium duty truck alternative fuels markets.
"As we continue to grow our OEM, fleet and aftermarket business in North America, we want to be smart about managing that growth by ensuring we have in place the right organizational structure to support our business objectives," said Lykins. "I am confident that both Jay and John will succeed in their new roles and additional responsibilities and that IMPCO Automotive will benefit from both their leadership and the efforts of their respective teams."
As director of OEM and fleet sales, Sandler will be responsible for growth and management of IMPCO Automotive’s alternative fuel system business with vehicle manufacturers and major fleet customers. His primary focus will be working with Detroit’s "Big Three" OEMs as well as other U.S.-based commercial truck and bus body builders. Sandler also will be working with major commercial truck and bus fleets in North America to assist them with transitioning their fleets to cost-effective, clean-burning alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquid propane gas (LPG).
Sandler, who is based at IMPCO Automotive’s Engineering Center in Sterling Heights, Mich., is an automotive industry veteran with prior sales and engineering experience at Meritor Automotive, Workhorse Custom Chassis, Navistar International and Azure Dynamics. He holds a BA in automotive engineering from Western Michigan University and an MBA from Central Michigan University.
Cocchiola, a director of aftermarket and dealer sales, will focus on managing and growing IMPCO Automotive’s installation, sales and service network. Working with the IMPCO Automotive aftermarket regional sales managers, he will be implementing a new Certified Installation Partner (CIP) program designed to grow the aftermarket business and to ensure top quality installations for IMPCO’s customers. Cocchiola also will be working to expand IMPCO Automotive’s North American Sales and Service network to create a strong nationwide sales and service presence to support the many vehicles being converted across the country utilizing IMPCO Automotive alternative fuels systems.
Based at IMPCO Automotive’s Kitchener, Ontario, facility, Cocchiola holds a bachelors of engineering science degree from The University of Western Ontario and an MBA from Colorado State University.
