Michigan supplier Piston Group names new CFO, COO

DETROIT — Gordon Fournier has been named CFO and COO of suburban Detroit auto supplier Piston Group.

The Southfield, Mich.-based supplier, privately owned by former Detroit Pistons basketball star Vinnie Johnson, said in a statement Wednesday that Fournier will take the titles effective March 16.

Piston Group — which is comprised of Piston Automotive, Irvin Automotive Products, Detroit Thermal Systems and nonautomotive business AIREA Inc. — primarily supplies chassis, electronics assemblies, electric batteries, cooling modules and other automotive components.

Piston Group’s worldwide sales to automakers hit $2.8 billion in 2018.

Ford Motor Co. is Piston Group’s largest customer, bolstered by the supplier’s launch of cooling modules for the Ford F-150. Piston is also assembling lithium-ion battery packs from LG Chem and Panasonic for use in Ford’s plug-in-electric vehicle lineup and has plans to extend production into its battery-electric vehicles.

Piston Group also supplies General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.