Accuride Corp, announced the appointment of Scott Hazlett as senior vice president and general manager, Accuride Wheels and Gunite. Hazlett will take on the added leadership responsibility for Accuride’s Gunite business unit on Sept. 1 upon the retirement of Kenneth Sparks, senior vice president and general manager, Gunite and Imperial, who is concluding three years of service to Accuride.

“Scott Hazlett has done an exceptional job revitalizing our core Wheels business, while directing the launch and commercialization of critical new aluminum wheel manufacturing capacity this year,” says Rick Dauch, president and chief executive officer. “He is a highly effective operations leader, and I am confident that he will complete the manufacturing improvements and consolidation under way at Gunite with speed and efficiency. The members of Accuride’s Leadership Team appreciate Ken Sparks’ contributions to the company’s positive momentum and wish him the very best in his retirement.”

Hazlett joined Accuride as senior vice president and general manager, Accuride Wheels, in October 2011 from Kansas City-based MachineryLink Inc., an early-stage agricultural services firm, where he had served as president and CEO since 2006. Previously, he was a partner with Detroit-based industrial turnaround firm Conway, Mackenzie & Dunleavy and contributed to its interim management and operations practice.

Sparks joined Accuride in 2009 and subsequently led its Imperial, Gunite and Brillion business units, as well as the former Bostrom business unit. Most recently, he served as senior vice president and general manager, Gunite and Imperial. In 2011, he was vice president and general manager of Gunite and Brillion, and in 2010 was vice president and general manager of Structural Products, which then included the Imperial and Bostrom units.