Keel Holdings, LLC ("Keel"), a leader in heavy fabrication for the nuclear navy and broader defense industry, announced today that Matt Klein has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and John N. Geiger II has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO).

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Matt Klein, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (Photo: Business Wire)

Klein brings more than 20 years of financial leadership to Keel, with proven experience in scaling companies in the defense and government market, as well as developing and implementing complex corporate growth strategies. He previously served as the Executive Vice President and CFO for private-equity backed LinQuest and as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Vectrus, Inc, a publicly-traded company. As Keel’s CFO, Klein will be responsible for all aspects of the company's financial leadership.

With over 20 years of experience in large-scale precision manufacturing, Geiger brings a wealth of expertise in program management, quality assurance, supply chain, welding, machining, and integration. Prior to assuming this role, he served as the President and COO at Merrill Technologies Group, which merged with Pegasus Steel and Metal Trades earlier this year to form Keel. In his new role, Geiger will oversee the ongoing vertical integration and capacity expansion to build upon Keel’s position as the leading advanced manufacturer for the nuclear navy, maritime defense and land, launch and surveillance markets.

"Keel believes in building things the right way – and that starts with a strong foundation and the right people to help us grow," said Brian Carter, Chief Executive Officer of Keel. "Along with more than four decades of combined senior leadership experience, John and Matt bring a shared vision for delivering unmatched quality and value to our customers and employees. They will be instrumental in leveraging Keel’s defining characteristics, including its strong workforce, unique past performance and deep-water access, to deliver sustainable and continuous capacity expansion to the defense industrial base."

Both Geiger and Klein will assume their roles immediately.

Keel is a portfolio company of Arlington Capital Partners, a private investment firm in the Washington, D.C. area, specializing in government-regulated industries.

About Keel

Built for precision with an eye for innovation, Keel was formed through the merger of Pegasus Steel, Merrill Technologies Group, and Metal Trades. We are focused on delivering unmatched quality in fabrication, machining and integration to the U.S. Navy, the broader Defense Industrial Base supply chain, and our industrial customers. For more information, please visit our new website keelusa.com.

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