Two Seasoned Operating Executives Named to Board of Directors Guiding Apex Tool Group; Thomas Wroe, Jr. and Terry Klebe Appointed

SPARKS, Md., Sept. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Apex Tool Group, LLC, a global leader in industrial hand and power tools, today announced that two senior operating executives from leading industrial companies have been appointed to the Board of Directors that governs Apex Tool Group.

Thomas Wroe, Jr., Sensata Technologies' Chairman of the Board and former CEO, will serve as Chairman and will also be a member of the Board's Compensation Committee.  Joining Mr. Wroe as a member of the Board is Terry Klebe, retired Cooper Industries Vice Chairman and CFO, who will serve as Chair of the Audit Committee.

"We're very fortunate to attract such strong operational and financial leaders as Apex Tool Group continues to leverage global growth opportunities in the power and hand tool industry," said Steve Breitzka, CEO of Apex Tool Group, who also serves on the Board.  "I look forward to their invaluable contributions and guidance as we work to bring the business to a new level of performance, reputation and operational excellence."

Thomas Wroe, Jr. – Sensata Technologies

Mr. Wroe, 62, is Chairman of the Board and former Chief Executive Officer of Sensata Technologies, a $2 billion global sensing and protection solutions industrial manufacturer.  Mr. Wroe had a 34-year career with Texas Instruments, holding a variety of management assignments in operations, engineering, marketing, and business development across all of the businesses in TI's Materials & Controls Division, where he was named President in 1995, and subsequently appointed Senior Vice President of Texas Instruments in 1998.  The division was renamed Sensors & Controls in September 2000, and was purchased by Bain Capital in 2006.  Mr. Wroe was named CEO of the business, renamed Sensata Technologies, in 2006 and served in that position until his retirement in 2012.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors of GT Advanced Technologies and the Chase Corporation, and is Chairman of the Board of Directors for Cape Cod Healthcare. 

Terry A. Klebe – Cooper Industries (retired)

Mr. Klebe, 58, is the former Vice Chairman and former Senior Vice President and CFO of Cooper Industries, a $5.4 billion multinational industrial manufacturer acquired by Eaton Corporation in 2012.  Mr. Klebe was with Cooper industries for 16 years and retired in April 2011.  He was the number two executive at the company, acting as chief operating officer as well as managing the company's finance, tax, internal audit, investor relations, business systems and financial shared services functions.  Prior to becoming CFO, Mr. Klebe held senior executive management roles in information technology, operations and finance, and before that was a partner with Ernst & Young LLP.  Mr. Klebe currently serves on the Board and Audit Committee of Fairchild Semiconductor International.

Apex Tool Group, LLC based in Sparks, Maryland, is one of the largest worldwide producers of industrial hand and power tools, tool storage, drill chucks, chain, and electronic soldering products.  Directly, and through its subsidiaries, Apex Tool Group serves a multitude of global markets, including automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy, hardware, industrial, and consumer retail.  The Company markets its portfolio of diverse products under its own brand names in addition to being the principal manufacturer of several key private label products for major retailers.  Apex Tool Group's global brands include Crescent®, GearWrench®, Armstrong®, Weller®, Lufkin®, Campbell®, SATA® and Wiss®. It is a portfolio company of Bain Capital. Learn more at www.apextoolgroup.com.

SOURCE Apex Tool Group, LLC