~ Robert Mellor elected independent Chairman of
the Board, effective immediately ~
~ John Van Heel will continue as CEO until the
end of his contract on October 1, 2017, and then act as an advisor
to the Company through March 2018 ~
~ Robert Gross, prior Executive Chairman, to
retire from the Board and the Company ~
Monro Muffler Brake, Inc. (Nasdaq:MNRO), a leading provider of
automotive undercar repair and tire services, announced today that
it has elected Brett Ponton as its next President and Chief
Executive Officer. Mr. Ponton, an executive with more than 20 years
of senior management experience in the auto and tire service
industry, most recently served as CEO of American Driveline
Systems, the parent company of AAMCO Transmissions & Total Car
Care. Mr. Ponton will succeed John Van Heel, who has decided not to
renew his long-term contract when it expires on October 1, 2017.
Mr. Van Heel has been CEO and a member of the Board of Directors
since 2012.
Monro also announced the election of lead director Robert Mellor
as independent Chairman of the Board of Directors. Robert Gross,
Executive Chairman, will retire from the Board and the Company at
the conclusion of the annual shareholder meeting on August 15,
2017.
The transition comes at a time of dynamic evolution and
opportunities for the rapidly growing company, which has 1,118
Company-operated stores and 114 franchised locations in 27 states.
In fiscal 2017, Monro’s sales totaled a record $1.022 billion, 8%
more than the previous year. In the past 15 years, Monro has made
42 acquisitions; the stores it acquired in fiscal 2017 are
projected to add $150 million in annualized sales over fiscal
2016.
“Monro is very pleased to welcome Brett Ponton as its next
President and CEO. His deep industry expertise and contacts, his
success running both franchise and company-operated automotive
service and tire stores and his proven leadership skills will help
accelerate Monro’s successful acquisition strategy. He is the right
person to lead Monro at this stage in its growth,” Mr. Mellor
said.
In announcing the transition, Mr. Mellor added: “We are grateful
to John Van Heel for his distinguished service to Monro. During his
15 years at the Company, the past five as CEO, the Company has
grown from 550 stores and $250 million in annual sales to more than
1,100 stores and annual sales of more than $1 billion.”
Mr. Ponton said: “It is an honor to be chosen as President and
CEO of Monro. Since its founding 60 years ago, Monro has been an
auto care pioneer with a sterling reputation and strong portfolio
of retail outlets. Monro is well positioned to continue its
tremendous growth through increasing same-store sales, acquiring
competitors and expanding into new markets. I look forward to
working with the Company’s talented professionals to expand the
offerings and unparalleled service Monro is known for.”
Mr. Ponton will join Monro as President on August 1, 2017, and
assume the CEO role on October 2, 2017. To facilitate the
transition, Mr. Van Heel will serve as an advisor to Monro for six
months following the end of his contract.
In discussions about succession planning with the Board, Mr. Van
Heel indicated that he did not wish to renew his long-term
contract. Subsequently, the Monro Board of Directors began an
extensive, nationwide search for a new leader. “In Mr. Ponton we
have found a worthy successor to Mr. Van Heel and his predecessor,
Mr. Gross. Mr. Ponton’s strategic vision and proven in-store
operational expertise will help drive our long-term success,” Mr.
Mellor said.
Mr. Van Heel said, “It has been a privilege for me to be a part
of the outstanding growth story at Monro. I am proud of the
accomplishments of our team and want to thank each of our employees
for their hard work and dedication to Monro, our customers and me.
Also, we are grateful to Rob Gross for his outstanding leadership
and contributions to the Company over the past 18 years.”
Monro operates in the $197 billion “Do-It-For-Me” segment of the
U.S. automotive aftermarket industry, which will benefit from
favorable industry trends including a rising number of vehicles on
the road as well as the increasing age and complexity of vehicles.
These factors make it more challenging for motorists to do their
own repairs.
The Company recently completed the acquisition of 16 stores from
a Car-X franchisee, including 13 locations in Illinois and three in
Iowa. The sum total of the Company’s acquisitions completed in
fiscal 2017 are expected to represent 16% in annualized sales
growth over fiscal 2016.
On July 20, Monro will hold a conference call to provide an
update on its business and report its fiscal 2018 first quarter
results.
About Brett Ponton
Mr. Ponton most recently served as CEO and President of American
Driveline Systems, Inc., which owns AAMCO Transmissions Inc.,
Cottman Transmission Systems, LLC, and Global Powertrain Systems,
LLC. He also served on its Board of Directors. Mr. Ponton was
instrumental in orchestrating a turnaround for American Driveline
Systems and recently led its successful sale to Transom Capital
Group. Mr. Ponton joined American Driveline in 2013 from Heartland
Automotive, the largest operator of Jiffy Lube stores in North
America. Mr. Ponton was recruited to join Heartland by its private
owners, The Blackstone Group, to improve revenues and
profitability. Upon achieving these objectives, Heartland was sold
to Sun Capital Partners in 2012. Prior to joining Heartland in
2009, Mr. Ponton served as the Managing Director for the
Asia-Pacific region for Veyance Technologies, a company that was
spun out of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and was owned by The
Carlyle Group. At Veyance, Mr. Ponton was based in Shanghai, and
later Melbourne. Prior to joining Veyance, Mr. Ponton spent 16
years at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, where he rose from a
summer laborer and, later, an accounting intern to Vice President
of Marketing for the North America tire division. At Goodyear he
managed more than 800 retail locations and 8,000 employees.
About Monro Muffler Brake,
Inc.
Headquartered in Rochester, New York, Monro is a chain of 1,118
Company-operated stores, 114 franchised locations, five wholesale
locations, two retread facilities and 14 dealer-operated stores
providing automotive undercar repair and tire sales and services.
The Company operates in 27 states, serving the Mid-Atlantic and New
England states and portions of the Great Lakes, Midwest and
Southeast. The predecessor to the Company was founded by Charles J.
August in 1957 as a Midas Muffler franchise. In 1966, Monro began
to diversify into a full line of undercar repair services. The
Company has experienced significant growth in recent years through
acquisitions and, to a lesser extent, the opening of new
construction stores. The Company went public in 1991 and trades on
NASDAQ under the symbol MNRO.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170628005674/en/
Monro Muffler Brake, Inc.John Van Heel, 585-647-6400Chief
Executive OfficerorMedia:RubensteinCarolyn Sargent,
212-843-8030
Monro (NASDAQ:MNRO)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Monro (NASDAQ:MNRO)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024