Motion's Breaux Promoted to GPC Group President - Modern Distribution Management

Motion’s Breaux Promoted to GPC Group President

Current U.S. Automotive Group President Kevin Herron will retire at the end of 2023 after 34 years with the company.
Genuine Parts CFO to retire

On May 23, Atlanta-based Genuine Parts Company announced that Randy Breaux — current president of GPC subsidiary Motion Industries — will be promoted to the newly created role of Group President, GPC North America, effective July 1. The company also announced that Kevin Herron, President of U.S. Automotive Group (USAG), will retire at the end of 2023 after 34 years at GPC.

Randy Breaux

Herron is expected to serve in an advisory role until his retirement to “assist in an orderly and seamless transition,” GPC said.

“We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Randy to the new role of Group President, GPC North America,” said Paul Donahue, Chairman and CEO. “He has consistently demonstrated an ability to lead high-performing teams and deliver outstanding results. Randy’s leadership and relevant expertise make him the ideal candidate for this role. This transition also represents the depth of our leadership team and our talent initiatives as we continue to foster the power of One GPC.”

In his new role, Breaux is expected to oversee both the automotive and industrial businesses across North America, while assuming day-to-day responsibility as President of USAG. He will continue to report to Will Stengel, President and Chief Operating Officer, GPC said in a news release.

Breaux joined Motion in 2011 as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Distribution, Purchasing and Strategic Planning. He was eventually promoted to Executive Vice President in January 2018 and then President in January 2019.

During the past five years, Breaux has led Motion Industries’ transformation, including the strategic acquisition of Kaman Distribution Group. Motion completed its purchase of Kaman in January 2022 for approximately $1.3 billion in cash.

Kevin Herron

Motion ranked No. 3 among top industrial distributors on MDM’s list of Top 2022 Distributors, reporting 2021 revenues of $7.5 billion. For 2022, Motion reported more than $8.4 billion in revenue.

MDM’s February 2022 Podcast with Breaux and MDM CEO Tom Gale ended up as MDM’s top-performing Podcast episode of the year.

Breaux also was a keynote speaker at MDM’s 2023 Virtual M&A Summit this past February.

Outgoing USAG President Herron has served in his role for the past five years. In statement, Donahue said Herron “embodies GPC’s values.”

“He is a caring leader who always puts customers and people first, and his work ethic and automotive industry knowledge are unmatched,” Donahue said. “We extend our deepest gratitude for his commitment and wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.”

Related Posts

Share this article

About the Author
Recommended Reading
Leave a Reply

Leave a Comment

Sign Up for the MDM Update Newsletter

The MDM update newsletter is your best source for news and trends in the wholesale distribution industry.

Get the MDM Update Newsletter

Wholesale distribution news and trends delivered right to your inbox.

Sign-up for our free newsletter and get:

  • Up-to-date news in a quick-to-read format
  • Free access to webcasts, podcasts and live events
  • Exclusive whitepapers, research and reports
  • And more!

2

articles left

Want more Premium content from MDM?

Subscribe today and get:

  • New issues twice each month
  • Unlimited access to mdm.com, including 10+ years of archived data
  • Current trends analysis, market data and economic updates
  • Discounts on select store products and events

Subscribe to continue reading

MDM Premium Subscribers get:

  • Unlimited access to MDM.com
  • 1 year digital subscription, with new issues twice a month
  • Trends analysis, market data and quarterly economic updates
  • Deals on select store products and events

1

article
left

You have one free article remaining

Subscribe to MDM Premium to get unlimited access. Your subscription includes:

  • Two new issues a month
  • Access to 10+ years of archived data on mdm.com
  • Quarterly economic updates, trends analysis and market data
  • Store and event discounts

To continue reading, you must be an MDM Premium subscriber.

Join other distribution executives who use MDM Premium to optimize their business. Our insights and analysis help you enter the right new markets, turbocharge your sales and marketing efforts, identify business partners that help you scale, and stay ahead of your competitors.

Register for full access

By providing your email, you agree to receive announcements from us and our partners for our newsletter, events, surveys, and partner resources per MDM Terms & Conditions. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Learn More about Custom Reports

Request a Market Prospector Demo

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.