Kaman Distribution Group Appoints Industry Veteran Benjamin Mondics as Chief Executive Officer
Bloomfield, CT – November 18, 2019 – Kaman Distribution Group (“KDG” or the “Company”), a leading value-added distributor of bearings and power transmission, automation, and fluid power products, today announced that Benjamin Mondics has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Littlejohn & Co. acquired KDG earlier this year.
Mr. Mondics is a seasoned executive with a thirty-five-year track record of success in the industrial distribution industry. He most recently served as President & CEO of ERIKS North America, a global distributor of gasket, hose, sealing, flow control, power transmission, industrial plastics, and maintenance products. Prior to ERIKS, Ben served as President of Kaydon Corporation, a subsidiary of SKF Group. Ben also spent nearly twenty years with Applied Industrial Technologies (“AIT”), a distributor of bearings, power transmission products, hydraulic and pneumatic components, industrial rubber products, and general maintenance supplies. While at AIT, Ben served in a variety of successive leadership positions, including most recently as President and Chief Operating Officer.
“Kaman Distribution Group is a leading industrial distribution platform, and I am excited to serve as its CEO,” said Mr. Mondics. “I was attracted to KDG’s national footprint, excellent reputation in the market, full product offering and service capabilities, longstanding customer and supplier relationships, and talented workforce of over 2,000 associates. With Littlejohn’s support, I am eager to accelerate KDG’s growth, both organically and via acquisition, and execute on a variety of operational improvement opportunities available to the Company.”
Tony Miranda, Managing Director of Littlejohn and a member of KDG’s board of directors, said, “We are thrilled to have an executive of Ben’s caliber join KDG. Ben’s decades of experience across a variety of industrial distribution and manufacturing platforms is a wonderful asset, and will enable him to have an immediate and measurable impact on the business.”
As part of the transition, Al Lariviere will be stepping down as KDG’s CEO. Mr. Miranda added, “On behalf of the entire KDG organization, I would like to thank Al for his contributions to the Company and the instrumental role he played in leading the separation of KDG from Kaman Corporation. During Al’s tenure, several strategic initiatives were initiated and implemented which has positioned KDG for future success. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
About Kaman Distribution Group
Kaman Distribution Group is a leading value-added distributor of bearings and power transmission, automation and fluid power products. KDG’s national footprint includes five distribution centers, 18 fabrication and assembly centers, and over 220 branches across the United States. KDG serves as a critical partner to approximately 50,000 customers and 10,000 suppliers through its extensive product offering and sophisticated design, customization, and technical services capabilities. KDG’s broad suite of value-added services include application engineering, belt fabrication, fluid analysis, fluid power systems design, hose and coupling assembly, inventory management, system design and build, inspection, and repair and remanufacturing. For more information about KDG, visit www.kamandistribution.com.
About Littlejohn & Co., LLC
Littlejohn & Co. is a Greenwich, Connecticut-based investment firm focused on private equity and debt investments primarily in middle market companies. With approximately $10.9 billion in regulatory assets under management, the firm seeks to build sustainable success for its portfolio companies through a disciplined approach to engineering change. For more information about Littlejohn, visit www.littlejohnllc.com.
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