H-E Parts International (H-E Parts) is pleased to announce significant changes and additions to the executive leadership team. Donald J. Pfaadt, formerly Executive Vice President of Global Strategy and North American Operations, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer. David Higgs, formerly Global Corporate Controller, has been appointed to Chief Financial Officer. Kyle Smith, formerly the Operations Manager at our facility in Billings, MT, has been appointed to General Manager, North America. All positions are effective as of January 2022. Mr. Pfaadt, Mr. Higgs, and Mr. Smith will report to Simon Pelletier, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Pelletier stated, “H-E Parts has substantial growth potential, both through existing businesses and acquisition opportunities. Additionally, we have a growing need to optimize our supply chain and streamline our functions. With these promotions, I am excited for both DJ, David, and Kyle to help in leading these efforts. North America has undergone significant growth in the last few years and Kyle’s experience and leadership will help us continue on this growth path with a focus to resolving existing constraints.”

Mr. Pfaadt joined H-E Parts in August 2018 as Vice President of Strategy and Business Development.  In September 2019, he was promoted to Executive Vice President of Global Strategy and North American Operations.  As COO and in addition to previous responsibilities, Mr. Pfaadt will be responsible for growth and global supply chain development. Mr. Pfaadt has nearly two decades of significant leadership and professional experience prior to joining H-E Parts.  Previously, he served in various sales, operations, strategy, and finance leadership roles at HD Supply.  Mr. Pfaadt received undergraduate degrees in Finance and History from the University of Kentucky before going on to receive his MBA from the University of Georgia. Mr. Pfaadt graduated with honors from the University of Kentucky.

Mr. Higgs joined H-E Parts in November 2018 as Global Corporate Controller. As CFO, Mr. Higgs is responsible for consolidations, financial planning, accounting, treasury, risk management, tax, compliance, and audit. Mr. Higgs has over 20 years of experience in finance leadership, including 15 years at Fujitsu and three years at Birch Communications. Mr. Higgs is a CPA with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and an MBA from Texas Tech University.

Mr. Smith joined H-E Parts in February 2018 as the Production Manager of our facility in Billings, MT. In his role as General Manager, North America, he will be responsible for the strategy, prioritization, and execution of the North American Mining Solutions group to meet operational and financial goals. This includes sales, operations, production, safety, inventory, purchasing, supply chain, and administrative functions. Mr. Smith brought 12 years of experience in the mining machine maintenance and repair industry to H-E Parts. He got his Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science from the University of Wyoming.