Hy-Brid Lifts welcomes Jay Sugar as new President and CEO

Hy-Brid Lifts by Custom Equipment, LLC has appointed Jay Sugar as its new President and CEO. Sugar brings over 20 years of industrial manufacturing experience to the organization and will lead the overall direction and strategy of the company.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Jay Sugar back to Custom Equipment, now in the role of President and CEO,” said Steve Ellis, Custom Equipment Chairman of the Board. “Jay is an accomplished leader and with his background in both engineering and operations, Jay brings a wide skill set to drive Custom Equipment forward in value creation and performance.”

Sugar possesses a knack for strategic guidance that allows him to sell into dealer networks, infiltrate new vertical markets and realize company goals. Not only does his analytical approach optimize resources and business systems, but his expertise helps companies pivot to meet future growth opportunities.

He is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of general management and executive experience in the industrial equipment sector. Sugar’s background includes a multitude of business areas—such as engineering, supply chain, finance, and sales—that give him a unique perspective on operations and management.

His dedication to manufacturing was clear from the start. Sugar earned an MBA in accounting and business management from Carnegie Mellon University, in addition to a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Sugar’s career began on the shop floor where he went on to develop several start-ups into multi-million-dollar enterprises, holding positions such as General Manager, VP of Operations, VP of Industrial Sales and Executive VP along the way. He eventually joined the Custom Equipment team for a brief stint in 2019 to implement a new plant layout at the company’s headquarters in Richfield, Wis.

“I’m looking forward to working with the strong leadership team at Custom Equipment again to help position the company for future growth,” Sugar said. “Strategically expanding our product offerings and introducing new products will reinforce our commitment to implementing customer feedback and increase market share.”