Corporate Management

Neil A. Schrimsher joined Applied^® as Chief Executive Officer in 2011. In 2013 his title was expanded to President & CEO. Prior to joining Applied, he served as Executive Vice President of Cooper Industries where he led multiple businesses in Cooper's Electrical Products Group and headed numerous domestic and international growth initiatives.

Before joining Cooper in 2006 as President of Cooper Lighting, Schrimsher worked in Atlanta for Siemens Energy & Automation, part of Siemens AG, the global electronics and electrical engineering company, as Vice President, Residential Infrastructure Division (2001-2003), and Vice President, Power Distribution & Controls (2003-2006).

Schrimsher began his career at General Electric Company in 1984 and rose through a succession of positions in GE Lighting, including National Sales Manager and General Manager of Commercial & Industrial Marketing. He worked at GE Lighting headquarters in Cleveland from 1991-1994 and from 1998-2001.

His career includes extensive experience and a proven track record of generating profitable growth and driving operational continuous improvement. He brings to Applied an excellent understanding of the industrial distribution business from a manufacturer’s viewpoint and a customer's perspective.

Schrimsher currently serves on the Board of Directors of Patterson Companies, Inc. He holds an MBA from John Carroll University and a BS in business administration (marketing) from the University of Tennessee.

David K. Wells joined Applied^® in May 2017 as Vice President – Finance. He became Vice President – Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer in August 2017. In this role, Wells is responsible for oversight of financial, treasury and capital management; internal and external financial reporting; and investor relations.

Prior to joining Applied, he served as Vice President & CFO at Colfax Corporation – ESAB/Fabrication Technologies. His career also includes five years as Vice President & CFO at Apex Tool Group, and extensive industrial experience at both Danaher Corporation and Cooper Industries in various leadership positions.

Wells received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Grove City College and an MBA from Ashland University.

Jon S. Ploetz joined Applied® in March 2023 as Vice President – General Counsel & Secretary. In this role, Ploetz is responsible for the Company’s global legal affairs, governance and compliance activities, ESG efforts, and corporate secretary duties.

Prior to joining Applied, he served at Harsco Corporation (NYSE: HSC), a market-leading global provider of environmental solutions for industrial and specialty waste streams. Since 2018, he had the role of Vice President, Assistant General Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary, and Assistant General Counsel, Corporate & Securities prior to that. His professional career also includes five years as Assistant General Counsel & Assistant Secretary at Arch Coal, Inc., and nearly 10 years of law firm experience.

Ploetz received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Statistics and Management from Luther College, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Colorado School of Law. He is a member of several professional groups, including the Society for Corporate Governance and the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Warren E. “Bud” Hoffner joined Applied^® in 1996 with the acquisition of Engineered Sales, Inc. of St. Louis. An Engineered Sales associate since 1983, he rose through the ranks from a Sales Representative to become its President and co-owner.

Within the Applied organization, Hoffner served as Vice President of Engineered Sales until being named Vice President – Eastern Area Fluid Power in 2002. He became Vice President, General Manager – Fluid Power in 2003. Hoffner currently provides overall strategic direction for Applied’s U.S. fluid power and flow control companies.

Hoffner received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri. He also holds an executive MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.

Kurt W. Loring joined Applied® in 2014 as Vice President – Chief Human Resources Officer with responsibility for the development and execution of the Company’s HR strategy. He is a strategic business partner to the senior leadership team and helps drive the Management Development & Planning Process (MD&P) throughout the organization. Loring also oversees Applied’s talent management, recruiting – including predictive analytics, career development, succession planning, compensation, and benefits.

Loring joined Applied from Precision Castparts Corporation’s Forged Product Segment where he served as VP of Human Resources. In addition, he has more than 11 years of HR experience with Danaher Corporation, including the role of VP of Human Resources for Qualitrol Corp and, later, Fluke Electronics. He began his career with PPG Industries and rose through a succession of positions over a nine-year period, gaining experience in the areas of HR generalist, incentive compensation, health and welfare benefit structure, labor relations, and administrative services.

Loring holds a bachelor’s degree from Bethany College and a master’s degree in Global Human Resources Management from Rutgers.

Jason W. Vasquez joined Applied^® in 1999 as part of the Company’s college recruitment program titled COMET (Career Opportunity Management & Employment Training). In 2000, he was named Account Manager at the Youngstown, OH service center, followed by Service Center Manager and then General Manager at our Elyria service center. Vasquez joined the Strategic Accounts group in 2004 as National Account Specialist – Automotive in Michigan, leading the organization's operations in the domestic and transplant automotive industry before serving as a Strategic Account Manager responsible for the organization's contract agreements.

In 2009, he was named a Regional Manager in Applied’s Midwest Area, followed by Director of Strategic Accounts – Northeast in 2012, covering all contractual business in the Northeast sector of the U.S. He was promoted to Vice President – Southeast Area, based in Atlanta, GA in 2013.

In 2017, Vasquez was named Vice President of Sales with responsibility for leading Applied’s sales efforts across the U.S. service centers, including the Company’s MRO - Fluid Power Sales Specialists and Strategic Accounts organization. In 2018, he gained responsibility of Applied’s marketing elements, including product management, global pricing, digital marketing, business analytics, corporate communication programs, and promotions.

Vasquez is an active member of the BSA (Bearing Specialists Association), currently serving on its Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Distributor/Manufacturing Relations Committee. He received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Distribution and Engineering Sales from the University of Nebraska at Kearney as well as an Executive MBA from Kennesaw State University’s Coles College of Business.

Christopher Macey joined Applied^® in 2015 as Corporate Controller. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing Applied’s accounting and reporting functions, as well as the Company’s day-to-day financial operations.

Macey joined Applied from Diebold, Inc. in North Canton where he served in positions of increasing responsibility, including Vice President of Corporate Accounting and External Reporting, and Vice President Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. In addition, he previously worked as a Senior Manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Cleveland from 1996-2009.

Macey earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration – Accounting from The Ohio State University. He is a CPA and a member of the American Institute of CPAs.

Ryan D. Cieslak joined Applied^® in 2019 as Director – Investor Relations & Treasury. In this role, he is reponsible for further developing and coordinating the strategic direction of the Company’s investor relations efforts, treasury programs, and cash management activities.

Prior to joining Applied, Cieslak served at Northcoast Research (NCR) in Cleveland as Vice President, Senior Industrial Analyst, with a focus on conducting research and analysis as well as building relationships with institutional clients and management of covered companies. Prior to NCR, he held various analyst and research positions over the course of 10 years at KeyBanc Capital Markets. His career originated at FTN Midwest Securities.

Cieslak earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration – Finance from the University of Dayton.

Lonny D. Lawrence joined Applied^® in 2008 as Vice President – Information Technology. He is responsible for the Company’s global information technology strategy and execution. In addition to a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management, he is a Lean Six-Sigma Black Belt. Under his leadership, Applied received technology recognition from Information Week, Crain’s Cleveland Business, and The University of Akron.

Prior to joining Applied, Lawrence served as Vice President – Operations for Bearing Distributors, Inc. (BDI) in Cleveland, OH. Throughout his 35+ year career, he has held positions in operations, quality, sales, and information technology within industrial distribution. He has traveled the globe doing business in North America, China, India, and Europe.

Tracie M. Longpre joined Applied^® in 2014 as Director of Supply Chain with strategic oversight of our supply chain operations to further improve service levels and enhance working capital. In 2015, she was promoted to Vice President – Supply Chain with leadership of Applied’s procurement, inventory management, transportation, and master data management activities. In addition, she has oversight of the Company’s U.S. distribution center network.

Prior to joining Applied, Longpre served at PPG (whom acquired AkzoNobel), a leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals. There she led two SAP implementations, served as Director of Procurement, and spent several years as part of their supply chain leadership team. Prior to this organization, she worked in supply chain and project management roles for several other consumer product companies, including Playtex Products, L’Oreal, and Sara Lee.

Longpre earned her BBA with a major in Operations Management from The University of Massachusetts and her MBA from The University of Connecticut. She has also earned her PMP (Project Management Professional) credentials. Supplementing her professional credentials are various development training courses on such topics as project management, change management, and Lean Six Sigma.

Longpre serves on the Board of Directors for The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio and as a member of the Executive Leadership Team for the Cleveland American Heart Walk.

Jeremy S. Moorman joined Applied^® in 2016 as Vice President – Operational Excellence to build on our progress by developing and implementing Operational Excellence priorities to impact customer service, profitable sales growth, margin expansion, cost productivity, and working capital improvements.

In addition to leading the Operational Excellence team, he has executive oversight of the Applied Maintenance Supplies & Solutions℠ division and Applied Automation℠ division.

Prior to joining Applied, Moorman served at Apex Tool Group, a leading global manufacturer of hand, industrial and specialty tools. There he led in the dual role of Division President – Spline Gauges business and Vice President, Operations – North and South America Hand Tools. Prior to Apex, he served in various leadership capacities at Aluminum Line Products; Qualitrol, a division of Danaher; and Cooper Cameron.

Moorman received his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Business from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and his MBA in Information Systems from the University of Houston. He brings excellent capabilities and experience to Applied as a seasoned business and operations leader with strong financial, ERP systems, Six Sigma, and strategic planning experience.