BELTON, Mo., March 10, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Safe Fleet, the leading provider of safety solutions for fleet vehicles, is pleased to announce the appointment of John R. Knox as President and Chief Executive Officer.

"I am honored to join Safe Fleet at this exciting time in its development," said Knox. "I look forward to working with our employees, customers and suppliers to continue delivering industry leading products and growth. Our plan is to significantly expand our product offering through strategic acquisitions, as well as internal development."

Knox previously served as Chairman of Royal Adhesives and Sealants after its acquisition of ADCO Global – a global supplier of adhesives and coatings. Prior to ADCO, Knox was President and COO of Sovereign Specialty Chemicals and President of Valspar Europe.

"John brings a significant amount of experience building high growth companies," said Gary Rosenthal, Partner at The Sterling Group and Chairman of the Safe Fleet Board of Directors. "His prior work integrating companies and accelerating growth through organic initiatives and strategic acquisitions will benefit Safe Fleet customers, employees and shareholders."

The Sterling Group formed Safe Fleet in September 2013 through the acquisitions and merger of ROM Corporation and Specialty Manufacturing, Inc. Three months later, Safe Fleet completed its first add on acquisition, FoamPro.

About Safe Fleet

Headquartered in Belton, MO, Safe Fleet owns a portfolio of brands committed to saving life and property, reducing accidents, and improving employee efficiency and job satisfaction. These brands include: R·O·M, Bustin, Prime Design, FRC, Specialty Manufacturing, SpecFlor, Pretoria, Transpec and FoamPro. Safe Fleet serves five major markets: Emergency, School and Transit Bus, Truck and Trailer, Utility, and Industrial. For more information on Safe Fleet please visit www.safefleetsolutions.com.

About The Sterling Group

Founded in 1982, The Sterling Group is a private equity investment firm that targets controlling interests in basic manufacturing, distribution and industrial services companies. Typical enterprise values of these companies range from $100 million to $500 million. Sterling has sponsored the buyout of 43 platform companies and numerous add-on acquisitions for a total transaction value of over $10.0 billion. Currently, Sterling has almost $1.0 billion of committed capital under management through three funds. Current portfolio companies include CST Industries, Universal Fiber Systems, Express, B&G Crane, Saxco International, Liqui-Box, Dexter Axle and Safe Fleet.

Contact:

Cameron Blain
R·O·M Marketing Manager
(800) 827-3692