KYB Americas Corporation’s latest internal promotion will see Erick Kinnunen move to the newly created position of national training manager. 

Kinnunen, a 19-year veteran of KYB, started his career as a territory sales manager. His steady climb within the company saw him evolve through district and regional sales manager positions to his most recent role as senior business development manager. 

“Our goal is to continue to develop the most effective training programs in the aftermarket for our distribution partners and service providers,” Erick states. “I’m excited to step into this new role to support the KYB sales team in their efforts to educate and train our customers in the importance of replacing worn shocks and struts and why KYB is the correct choice for the job.”

Erick’s new role will include developing the training materials used in the KYB 4Trainer mobile training vehicle, oversight of the KYB Video Training Series for Parts Pros and Service Technicians, as well as creating content and presentations used by the KYB Field Sales team.

“Erick Kinnunen has served the aftermarket in sales and management positions for over 38 years,” states KYB director of sales Paul Kratzer. “He’s an industry veteran and has a passion for teaching. Erick will train and support KYB’s sales team and help our customers address the challenges of selling ride control products.” 

Kinnunen is a big fan of his hometown Seattle Seahawks, enjoys fishing for the “big one” and avidly mountain bikes throughout the Pacific Northwest. He also enjoys spending time with his family and bonding with his grandson.

About KYB

KYB Corporation produces ride control, hydraulic, and electronic products for use as original equipment and replacement parts in automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, specialty vehicles, buses, aircraft, railroad cars, industrial applications, agricultural applications, and civil engineering projects. KYB global headquarters are located in Tokyo, Japan.

By consistently developing world class ride control products, KYB has become the world’s largest supplier of OE and aftermarket shocks and struts. Today, annual sales exceed $4.2 billion. KYB has 32 facilities in 21 countries, and 15 manufacturing plants in Asia, the United States, and Europe.