Joe Finn, CEO of the Irvin Products business of supplier Piston Group, is also assuming leadership of Piston’s Detroit Thermal Systems business.
Finn takes the helm effective immediately. Former Detroit Thermal Systems CEO Kurt Hall retired in November, Piston Group said Wednesday.
Piston Group, based in suburban Detroit, is controlled by former NBA star Vinnie Johnson. Johnson led the acquisition of Irvin from scandal-ridden Japanese airbag supplier Takata Corp. in 2016 for a reported $175 million.
Irvin Products primarily supplies seat covers, visors, armrests, consoles and custom accessories. Detroit Thermal Systems supplies climate control systems and components.
Both work extensively with Ford, the group’s largest customer. Under one executive, Detroit Thermal Systems will benefit from Irvin’s other customer relationships with Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, Honda Motor Co. and Tesla, according to the group.
Finn joined Irvin in 1985 in the mechanical engineering department and has since held leadership positions in operations, product engineering, manufacturing engineering, purchasing and quality.
“We’re excited and confident in [Joe’s] abilities to further grow and develop synergies between the two companies, ultimately strengthening their position as automotive industry leaders,” Johnson said in a statement.
Detroit Thermal and Irvin Products represented about a third of the company’s annual revenue last year, according to Piston Group.
In addition to Irvin Automotive Products and Detroit Thermal Systems, the other companies in the group are Piston Automotive and nonautomotive business Airea Inc.
Piston Group has seen other changes in leadership this year. Gordon Fournier was named CFO and COO of the supplier in March and Wilbert James Sr., former president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, was appointed to Piston’s board of directors in October.
Piston Group, of Southfield, Mich., ranks No. 72 on the Automotive News list of the top 100 global suppliers, with worldwide sales to automakers of $2.85 billion in 2019.
