General News - Members & Suppliers
February 5, 2021, Westfield, Ind. – LINC Systems, a national distributor of industrial fastening, packaging, and supply solutions, announced today that Founder and CEO Ted Azar is retiring, effective Feb. 5, 2021. Azar will remain Chairman of the Board and active in planning the strategic direction of the business.
LINC Systems President Kelly Evans has been named CEO. Evans is the former owner and CEO of RV Evans, which was acquired by LINC Systems in early 2020. A portfolio company of Center Rock Capital Partners, LINC Systems has more than 200 employees operating in 37 states across the U.S.
Azar is capping off 43 years in the industry. He started in 1978 working for a tools and fasteners manufacturer and founded LINC Systems in 1995. He was the sole owner until he partnered with Center Rock in 2018 to support LINC’s continued expansion and pursuit of growth opportunities.
“When I founded LINC Systems, I didn’t care about being the biggest. I just always wanted to be the best at what we did to distinguish ourselves in the marketplace,” Azar said. “We’ve always focused on the culture and creating a great place to work knowing that would carry over into how we treated our customers. I feel confident in handing the reins to Kelly as the next CEO. He understands the importance of culture in driving the strategy of an organization, and I trust his leadership to move LINC Systems
forward.”
Over the past six months, Evans has been working side by side with Azar in preparation for the leadership transition.
“Ted has left an indelible mark on the industry,” Evans said. “He’s passionate about the business and the
industry, and he deeply cares about his team, customers, and suppliers. We share that passion. Companies do not buy from companies. People want to buy from people they know and trust and who they can depend on. I think that captures LINC Systems, and I’m excited to work with the team to continue deepening our relationships with our customers with value-added services and a broader product offering.”
“Ted has been an incredible leader and teacher to so many,” added Terry Theodore, Partner at Center Rock. “Across our portfolio, we continue to implement many of his lessons for building constructive relationships within high-performing teams. We are honored to be partners with him in continuing to build LINC. We are excited that Kelly Evans will assume the CEO position. We have gotten to know him well over the past year of working together, and we are excited about the future of LINC knowing he shares Ted’s commitment to a great culture and excellence in customer service.”
About LINC Systems
LINC Systems is a leading distributor of fastening, industrial and packaging solutions serving a broad range of industrial end-markets, including pallet, furniture, agricultural manufacturing, automotive, housing, construction and general industrial.
For more information, please visit www.lincsystems.com.