Aspen Surgical Announces CEO Succession
Board Member Steve Blazejewski Named New CEO; Retiring CEO Jason Krieser to Remain on Board
CALEDONIA, MI, January 10, 2023 — Aspen Surgical Products, Inc. (“Aspen”), a portfolio company of Audax Private Equity (“Audax”) and a leader in disposable surgical products, announced today the appointment of Steve Blazejewski as Chief Executive Officer. Blazejewski succeeds Jason Krieser, who is retiring from the role and will continue as a Board Member.
After completing its corporate carve-out under Krieser’s leadership in 2019, Aspen completed six acquisitions and grew revenue three-fold, expanding its sales coverage and broadening its product offerings to hospitals, ASCs, and other health care facilities, becoming the premier provider of surgical consumables to acute care settings. New CEO Blazejewski will lead the strategic direction of the global company as it enters a new phase of growth.
Blazejewski has nearly 30 years of medical device industry experience leading large, complex global teams and over a decade of work with products and solutions focused on enhancing surgical and operating-room outcomes. He has spent the last year as an independent board member for Aspen Surgical, and previously served as CEO for Katena Products and held global president roles at Cardinal Health, Medtronic, and Covidien, building a track record for commercial excellence and organic growth.
“I am excited to lead Aspen into this new transformative phase as we bring our latest and largest acquisition, Symmetry Surgical, into our business and portfolio,” noted Steve Blazejewski. “Aspen has a proud history and a strong foundation for growth, and we expect to bring even more value to our global customers with a broad, clinically relevant portfolio.”
Krieser will remain on the Aspen Board of Directors and continue to advise Audax Private Equity, which originally invested in Aspen in 2019 and made an additional investment in 2022 through a continuation fund to support the company’s ongoing organic growth and M&A activities.
“We are grateful for Jason’s leadership over the past three years, during which time he stewarded the company through COVID-19 and a period of extraordinary growth, built an exceptional management team, and positioned Aspen for sustained future success,” said Audax Senior Managing Director David Wong. “Steve brings the right vision and proven experience to help Aspen continue its momentum and accelerate into new markets.”
About Aspen Surgical Products, Inc
As a leading manufacturer of surgical essentials and infection control products, Aspen Surgical has helped drive efficiency and safety in the operating room and beyond since 1999. The company’s extensive portfolio includes Bard-Parker® blades and scalpels, Precept® personal protective equipment, Protek™ probe covers and needle guides, Stork® labor and delivery products, surgical marking pens, orthopedic positioners, basic wound care, and instrument care products.
In 2022, Aspen acquired Symmetry Surgical to offer an expanded portfolio of trusted products essential to surgery, including surgical and specialty instrumentation, electrosurgery products, and minimally invasive surgical devices sold under iconic brands such as Bovie®, Bookwalter®, and Greenberg®.
Aspen facilities in Caledonia, Michigan; Las Piedras, Puerto Rico; and Agua Prieta, Mexico offer vertically integrated, North American manufacturing capabilities including injection molding, sewing, ultrasonic welding, die cutting, automated assembly, and packaging as well as blade stamping, grinding, and finishing.
Backed by Audax Private Equity, Aspen is poised for both organic growth and growth through acquisition. For more information please visit: www.aspensurgical.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
About Audax Private Equity
Audax Private Equity is a leading alternative investment manager with offices in Boston, New York, San Francisco and London. Audax Private Equity has invested over $9 billion in more than 150 platforms and over 1,100 add-on companies and is currently investing in add-ons out of its $3.5 billion, sixth private equity fund. Through its disciplined Buy & Build approach, Audax seeks to help platform companies execute add-on acquisitions that fuel revenue growth, optimize operations, and significantly increase equity value. For more information, visit the Audax Private Equity website, at www.audaxprivateequity.com, or follow us on LinkedIn.
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For more information, please contact:
Aspen Surgical
Mary Hannon, Vice President of Marketing and Communications
616-536-7520
mary.hannon@aspensurgical.com
Audax Private Equity
Julie Rudnick / Zak Tramonti
FGS Global
audax@fgsglobal.com