Apex Tool Group on Monday announced its appointment of Chris Keffer as the company’s new chief executive officer.
Keffer most recently served as president and CEO of outdoor equipment giant Stihl, and previously spent 27 years at Stanley Black & Decker. He succeeds Jim Roberts, who led Apex Tool for a decade.
The company also named Robert Raff, a board member and another longtime Stanley Black & Decker veteran, to a newly created role as non-executive vice chairman.
“Chris is a highly accomplished operator with deep industry expertise, a global commercial mindset, and a proven ability to lead and scale world-class brands,” Apex Tool Chairman Patrick Bartels said in the announcement. “His extensive experience across the professional tools and outdoor equipment sectors, combined with his track record of delivering operational and financial performance and driving innovation and growth, makes him exceptionally well-positioned to lead ATG into its next phase.”
“I am honored to join the company and excited to partner with the board and the talented ATG team to accelerate growth, strengthen our market position, invest in innovation, and continue delivering differentiated solutions for customers around the world,” added Keffer.
Bartels thanked Roberts for “his long-time contributions to ATG” in the statement and wished him well “in his future endeavors.”
Apex Tool manufactures and sells tools under brands including Apex, Crescent, GearWrench and Weller.
