LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Vipar Heavy Duty introduced its new president, Chris Baer, to the industry at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, where he outlined the organization’s growth plans.

Baer said he is looking to grow reported program purchases to a billion dollars within five years, which would represent an increase of $350 million or 9%. He has dubbed the initiative Vipar’s “Game plan for growth.”

He also made several key appointments to the organization’s executive ranks. Larry Griffin has been named vice-president of program management, Andrei Katibnikov was appointed vice-president of information technology and Jeff Paul is now vice-president of marketing. All three previously served as directors within the organization.

Vipar will be looking to improve its speed to market. It has also entered in a global partnership, which gives it access to suppliers around the world.

“As we enter our third generation of leadership, we have been diligent in assembling a strong and respected team to best serve our customers,” Baer said. “Collectively, this group represents a vast amount of aftermarket industry knowledge and experience, with the vision to fully support our organization’s goals.”