CAPA announced the election of Chris Northup, CEO of Professional Parts Group, to its Board of Directors.

Northup is one of the most well-known aftermarket parts executives in the country and has been involved in the automotive aftermarket since 1983. He began his career with Keystone Automotive in Pomona, Calif., where his responsibilities included operations, sales management, strategic planning, marketing and brand development. The company expanded from a family owned business with $12 million in annual revenues to a company with over 4,000 employees and annual revenues of over $725 million. Northup was a leader in the country’s adoption and subsequent improvement of aftermarket crash parts.

Northup regularly addresses various collision industry groups, legislative bodies and regulatory agencies on the future of the industry, the importance of quality products and future distribution challenges. As a consultant, he has served a variety of insurance and industry clients. He is active in a number of automotive industry boards and committees and is past chairman of the Collision Repair Education Foundation. Northup is a 1981 graduate of the University of La Verne.

“Chris brings an extraordinary amount of hands-on knowledge and expertise to CAPA’s Board,” said Jack Gillis, CAPA’s executive director. “Few people know more about the aftermarket parts industry than Chris Northup and we’re thrilled to put that knowledge to work for CAPA. Chris is joining a board of outstanding industry leaders and will, no doubt, become an important part of CAPA’s efforts to protect the marketplace from poor quality parts. We’re honored to have him on board.”