CHICAGO, Jan. 02, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LKQ Corporation (Nasdaq: LKQ) today announced that Andy Hamilton has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Euro Car Parts Group (“ECP”), LKQ’s business in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, effective immediately. Mr. Hamilton succeeds Martin Gray who has decided to leave ECP to pursue other interests. Hamilton joined ECP in 2010 where he held several executive roles, the last of which was Chief Operating Officer. During that period, ECP saw unprecedented growth as the ECP network grew from 89 to over 220 branches. In 2016, Hamilton was appointed Chief Commercial Officer of LKQ Europe, where he was responsible for several key pan-European projects related to digital strategy, revenue optimization, category and product management, data analytics, and garage customer concepts.  Prior to ECP, Hamilton held a variety of management roles for Halfords Group, the UK’s leading automotive and leisure retailer with over 500 locations. 

John Quinn, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of LKQ Europe, said, “I am pleased to have someone with Andy’s customer focus and experience leading ECP. And with the completion of our new National Warehouse in Dublin servicing the Republic of Ireland and our Tamworth distribution facility now fully operational, Andy has the resources to continue ECP’s long track record of profitable growth.”

Mr. Hamilton stated, “It is an exciting time to be leading Euro Car Parts and I look forward to re-joining my UK colleagues as we pursue the multiple opportunities in front of us and take Euro Car Parts to the next level of operational excellence.”

Dominick Zarcone, President and Chief Executive Officer of LKQ Corporation added, “Given his extensive history and background with ECP’s operations, Andy brings a unique vantage point and knowledge base that will provide for a smooth leadership transition and strategically position ECP for continued success. We are fortunate to have a deep pool of senior leadership talent like Andy to evolve and grow ECP and execute on our overall pan-European strategy. Also, on behalf of all of us at LKQ, I would like to extend our deepest appreciation and gratitude to Martin for his many years of contributions and accomplishments at ECP. We wish him continued success and the very best in his future endeavors.”

Mr. Zarcone also indicated, “We continue to make progress towards our stated strategies in the UK, including providing unparalleled depth and breadth of inventory and service quality to our customers and realizing efficiencies from our advanced logistics distribution centers, the integration of the Andrew Page business, and the scale benefits of our European procurement program.  Moreover, despite the rumors in the recent press, we have no intent to eliminate hundreds of jobs at ECP.”

About LKQ Corporation

LKQ Corporation (www.lkqcorp.com) is a leading provider of alternative and specialty parts to repair and accessorize automobiles and other vehicles.  LKQ has operations in North America, Europe and Taiwan. LKQ offers its customers a broad range of replacement systems, components, equipment and parts to repair and accessorize automobiles, trucks, and recreational and performance vehicles.

Media Contacts:

Joseph P. Boutross LKQ Corporation                                               
Vice President, Investor Relations                                      
(312) 621-2793                                                                       
jpboutross@lkqcorp.com                                                  

Guido Weber- LKQ Europe
Director, Corporate Communications & Government Affairs
+49 (0) 8121 707-77151
guido.weber@stahlgruber.de