Arctic Cat Names Christopher Metz CEO To Succeed Twomey

(RTTNews) - All-terrain vehicles maker Arctic Cat, Inc. (ACAT) on Friday announced the appointment of Christopher Metz as its new president and chief executive, effective December 3, 2014.

Metz, age 49, will take over as CEO from Christopher Twomey, who was named interim chairman and CEO after Claude Jordan stepped from the positions in early June.

Plymouth, Minnesota-based maker of snowmobiles and ATVs, said Twomey will remain as chairman, and stay closely involved with Metz to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

Twomey previously served successfully for more than two decades as Arctic Cat's CEO from 1986 to 2010. He was named a director of the company in 1987 and was also chairman from 2003 to 2012.

Meanwhile, Jordan had served as Arctic Cat's CEO for three years. He joined the company as president and COO in 2008 after having served as a vice president at Home Depot, Inc. (HD).

"The board conducted a national search for a new CEO and we are delighted that Chris is joining Arctic Cat. Chris is a proven leader in the consumer and durable goods industries. He has built a career on improving the performance of market-leading companies," Twomey said in a statement.

The company in late June retained executive search firm Spencer Stuart to assist with the recruitment of a new CEO after Jordan stepped down in early June as chairman and CEO.

Metz joins the company after serving as a managing director of the private investment firm Sun Capital Partners, Inc. since 2005. Prior to that, he was president at Black & Decker, leading its Hardware and Home Improvement Group from 1999 to 2005.

"He brings an outstanding strategic skill set to his new role at Arctic Cat - a keen focus on executional excellence and deep experience in product marketing, finance, global operations and talent management," Twomey added.

ACAT closed Thursday's regular trading session at $32.83, down $0.63 on a volume of 0.29 million shares.