Steve Arndt Email Address

Former President and Chief Executive Officer of FinishMaster Automotive Paint

FinishMaster , Inc. is an automotive company that is an independent distributor of paint, body, and equipment primarily to the automotive collision repair industry.

Steve serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer of FinishMaster, the leading distributor of automotive coatings and associated products in the U.S. FinishMaster’s activities cover 30 states and 1,700 teammates.As the President and COO of FinishMaster, Steve has the mandate to ensure the entire team shares the same vision to be the leader in creating value in the automotive and industrial paint refinishing industry by distributing products, services and technology that are recognized by customers as key factors in their success. He leads the division in gaining market share, leading acquisitions, and by leveraging scale to achieve advantage over competitors.Prior to taking on the President & COO position January 1, 2013, Steve led FinishMaster’s sales force of over 370 sales personnel, with six Regional Sales Vice Presidents reporting directly to him to drive the sales vision and leadership to the field, holding himself and the sales team accountable for gaining market share, increasing operating income, leading acquisitions and developing vendor relationships. In addition, Steve’s direct reports included the Vice President of Business Development, driving the national accounts vision, and the Managers of Marketing and Customer Support Services, both assisting the sales force in marketing and support services from the home office. Steve held this position since 2008.Before joining FinishMaster, Steve worked for the Sherwin Williams Company as a Jobber Sales representative. Steve also taught and coached Junior High School in Skokie, Illinois. . Steve’s 32 years in the automotive paint industry in varied positions of sales, business management and acquisitions has earned him much respect from peers, customers, vendors and competitors.Steve earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in 1981 from Central College, in Pella, Iowa, where he was a member of the football team.