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.

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.

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.”