CHICAGO — Accuride Corp. has named Scott D. Hazlett as senior vice president and general manager of its Gunite business unit, which makes wheel-end systems and components, as well as its Accuride Wheels unit effective Sept. 1.

Hazlett succeeds Kenneth Sparks, who is retiring from those posts at Gunite and another Accuride subsidiary, Imperial Group, which manufactures truck body and chassis components. Greg Kern, vice president of Accuride’s Imperial Group, will remain in his role.

"Scott has done an exceptional job revitalizing our core Wheels business while directing the launch and commercialization of new aluminum wheel manufacturing capacity this year," Accuride president and chief executive officer Rick Dauch said in a statement.

Hazlett must now complete the manufacturing improvements and consolidation under way at Gunite, Dauch added.

Hazlett joined Evansville, Ind.-based Accuride, a Tier I supplier of components to the commercial vehicle industry, last October after serving as president and chief executive officer of Kansas City, Mo.-based agricultural services company MachineryLink Inc.