Kirby-Smith Machinery, a leading distributor of heavy equipment and cranes in the central United States, has named John Arapidis president and CEO. Ed Kirby, the company's co-founder, president and CEO of nearly 40 years will step back from his current position and will serve as chairman of the board.
Arapidis joined Kirby-Smith Machinery in 2017, serving as vice president of major accounts. Prior to joining Kirby-Smith, Arapidis spent nearly 30 years at Komatsu. Arapidis held various roles at Komatsu, including national accounts manager and vice president of the rental and used equipment division.
"Making the decision to step back from my role was not an easy one, but I know that with the appointment of John to president and CEO, Kirby-Smith Machinery will continue to remain a leader in the industry in John's extremely capable hands," said Ed Kirby. "During the past four years, John's experience, leadership style and vision for the company have proven to be the right fit for this role, and will benefit the entire KSM organization, as well as our partners and clients."
During the remainder of 2021, Kirby will work closely with Arapidis and the management team to transition day-to-day responsibilities while assuming the role of chairman of the board, where he will act in an advisory role and continue to liaise with partners and customers.
"I am honored and humbled at the opportunity to take on this position with KSM and help grow the company into the future," said Arapidis. "My motto is to never stop learning, and I am excited to work alongside the leadership team to continue to learn and build upon the legacy that Ed has built."
Arapidis currently lives in Dallas and will relocate to Oklahoma City with his wife. He holds an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Loyola University.
Kirby-Smith Machinery was established in 1983 and is recognized as one of the premier new and used heavy construction equipment and crane dealers in the country. It has 12 branch locations in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Missouri. KSM also has a strong rental program and is No. 33 on the RER 100.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.