Steve Crowley, who retired as president and CEO of Vipar Heavy Duty in 2016, was inducted into the Aftermarket Industry Hall of Fame during Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week in Las Vegas.

Tim Kraus, president and COO of the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association, said, “Steve has always been a force in our industry.”

While inducting Crowley into the Hall of Fame, Pete Joy of Phillips Industries, referred to Crowley as a heavy-duty industry icon.

Crowley started his career in the trucking industry as director of North American commercial vehicle sales for CR Industries and lead the company’s aftermarket efforts there from 1981 to 1997. He moved on to vice president of supply chain management for Aurora Capital/QDS Partners from 1998 to 1999.

He joined Vipar in 2000 where he originally served as executive vice president. He became president in 2003 and was named president and CEO in 2004.

In accepting the award, Crowley thanked a host of people for helping him succeed and said, “We are fortunate to work in an industry where personal relationships matter.”

In speaking of his tenure at Vipar, Crowley said, “Vipar by far without hesitation was the biggest challenge but also had the greatest group of people.”

Crowley also thanked his wife Deb for “being a great sounding board and knowing I loved my family and my job.”