Performance industry veteran Brian Appelgate appointed President and CEO to lead a team of long-standing, engineering-focused employees as Steve Dinan continues as consultant.
(Morgan Hill, Calif.) – February 12, 2015 – As company founder Steve Dinan prepares for a new motorsports management role with Chip Ganassi Racing that begins April 1, the company he founded 36 years ago is proud to announce several exciting new changes in leadership, motorsports and product development that will continue Dinan Engineering’s legacy of producing the finest high-performance parts backed by a comprehensive warranty program.
Brian Appelgate, the CEO of Dinan Engineering’s parent company, Driven Performance Brands, will now take on the role of President and CEO of Dinan as well. Appelgate is a 30-year veteran of the performance aftermarket, having served as president of B&M Racing and as Chairman of the Board of SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association); he has also been inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame.
“Dinan Engineering is on a roll with several fantastic new products and a multitude of new platforms to work with,” Appelgate said. “We have the people, the plan and the capital to succeed with Steve assisting in the background. He loves the company and we all get along very well, so this transition will be smooth. Many of our engineers have been here for decades, and that team is hard at work on the next round of new performance parts. Our latest software package, Dinantronics, is one of the best systems ever offered to the BMW market. We have several new products to unveil in the coming months, and our motorsports program continues to expand.”
Chris McCollum, a 20-year veteran of the automotive aftermarket, has been appointed VP of Sales & Marketing. McCollum will lead the charge to expand Dinan’s distribution to make access to the latest parts and accessories even easier across the country. Several Dinan Engineering veterans will also help lead the company, including VP of Engineering Casper Vanderschoot, Motorsports Manager Stephen Freeth and VP of Finance David Bulow. Steve Dinan will stay on as a trusted advisor.
“The engineering team behind every major Dinan product of the past decade is still in place, now backed with more resources and new equipment,” Appelgate said. “Steve has worked with an amazing team of code writers and engineers who will continue to carry the Dinan flag, as will the strong sales and marketing team. We are in the process of improving our R&D facility, from dyno equipment to a tractor trailer for race and show support. I see nothing but good things ahead for Dinan Engineering, its dealers and its customers.”
About Dinan
Founded in 1979, Dinan is well established as North America’s premiere BMW and MINI tuner. Dinan develops, manufactures and markets a comprehensive line of high-performance products and systems, distributed through a nationwide network of Authorized Dealers, Dinan BMW and MINI Performance Centers, and independent BMW service/high-performance facilities.
Dinan’s industry-leading warranty program, quality products and solid engineering have helped to make Dinan a household word among BMW driving enthusiasts. Road tests conducted by major automotive enthusiast publications over the last 23 years place Dinan-enhanced BMWs on a performance level with some of the most exotic sports cars in the world. At the same time, Dinan BMWs are widely renowned for being civilized and reliable, providing a high-performance driving experience without equal.
As a technical partner to BMW Motorsport in the IMSA Tudor United Sports Car Championship, Dinan has contributed to the winning of back-to-back-to-back championships and two overall wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona — showing the technical expertise of the Dinan team as well as the ability to make extremely reliable high-performance engines.
Dinan’s comprehensive warranty program, introduced in 1997, provides BMW and MINI owners with matching coverage to that offered by the new-car warranty, ensuring that Dinan performance enhancements and the car they have been installed in are covered for up to 4 years or 50,000 miles; including consequential damages. BMW automobiles can now be performance-tuned without the associated concern of negatively affecting the new-car warranty coverage, making the idea of enhanced driving fun and excitement appealing to a much broader range of drivers.
