CHICAGO – After a national search, Leonard "Len" O’Connell, a veteran automotive aftermarket leader, has joined A&A Midwest as chief operating officer (COO). In this newly created position within the 63-year old privately held, family company, O’Connell will be based at the A&A Midwest Chicago location.
 
All company managers now report to O’Connell, who has taken over the day-to-day administration operations for A&A Midwest, which offers cores, recycling and auto wrecking services. The company also sells engine and transmission hard parts through its EngineQuest and TransmissionQuest divisions. In addition to Chicago, the company operates from a location in Las Vegas, Nev., and also owns an auto recycling facility in Blue Island, Ill.
 
O’Connell reports directly to both Scott Stolberg, who is based in Las Vegas and his brother, William “Billy” Stolberg, who is located in Chicago. The brothers jointly operate the company as co-presidents.
 
"We are pleased to welcome Len to the team," said Scott Stolberg. "As our company has grown, we’ve been looking for an individual who could roll up their sleeves to lead the operational side of our business. Len’s unique background in the aftermarket with a major corporation and hands-on approach to problem-solving, was a perfect fit. He’s the kind of leader we need to help take us to the next level in our company’s growth."
 
O’Connell comes to A&A Midwest with a breadth of experience after a 30-year career at SK Hand Tool Corp., a manufacturer of professional mechanics hand tools. As vice president at SK Hand Tool he was responsible for human resources and labor relations, and held key problem-solving roles in purchasing and marketing. He later helped manage the distribution process for tools and developed performance measuring tools to improve the efficiency of the operation.
 
O’Connell earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in industrial relations from Loyola University Chicago.