Eric Sills

Chief Executive Officer, President & Chairman, Standard Motor Prods

Search every verified Eric Sills interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Eric Sills, CEO, President, and Chairman of Standard Motor Products, discussed the company's strategies and performance at the 49th Annual Gabelli Automotive Symposium in November 2025. He stated that tariffs have been a manageable issue due to the company's diversified manufacturing footprint and geographic positioning. Sills said the company's approach to passing through tariffs to customers at cost, with transparency and fairness, has been well received. He also highlighted the company's investment in new distribution centers, such as one in Shawnee, Kansas, to improve delivery times, and noted that the company's full line of approximately 80,000 SKUs is a key competitive advantage. Sills expressed confidence in the long-term growth prospects of the European aftermarket following the acquisition of Nissens in November 2024. During the first quarter of 2020, Sills reported that the company entered the COVID-19 pandemic with a strong balance sheet and low debt. He noted that the auto care industry was deemed essential and that the company's senior executives volunteered for salary reductions, the board reduced its fees, and the dividend was temporarily suspended. Sills described the situation as temporary and stated that customer orders were down substantially in April, but sell-through was down less, with a sequential rebound in recent weeks. He also mentioned that the company repurposed an automotive heat exchanger for use in a ventilator and was 3D printing face shields for a local hospital.