Lordstown Motors Names Purcell as VP of Global Quality

LORDSTOWN, Ohio – Lordstown Motors Corp. has named Eric Purcell as its vice president of global quality and tasked him with implementing and overseeing the company’s quality standards.

As the company nears its scheduled start of production in September, Purcell will play “a pivotal role” in the reliability, durability and safety of the Endurance pickup.

“As we ramp up to production and the beginning of vehicle delivery, it is absolutely crucial that we have the strongest and best set of executives in place to ensure Lordstown Motors’ success which is why Eric Purcell is an obvious and natural addition to our team,” said Rich Schmidt, Lordstown Motors’ president, in a statement. “Eric has the necessary quality experience in the automotive industry and a strong track record of building and leading teams, and I look forward to working side-by-side with him as we get the Endurance on the road.” 

Purcell has been in the auto industry for 25 years, most recently with Gibson Brands, where he managed the company’s five sites around the world and deployed policies around lean manufacturing, cost reduction, safety and overall plant performance.

He was also director of manufacturing at Tesla, leading body and stamping work for the Model S and Model X with a team of more than  1,000 engineers, technicians and other employees. During his tenure, he drove a production output increase of 35% and labor content reduction of 33% and reprioritized a previously deployed capital expenditure budget toward higher impact projects with simplified project scope saving $3 million while reducing unnecessary risk.

“I have had my eyes on Lordstown Motors since they said they’d be producing a full-size, all-electric pickup truck with in-wheel hub motors. It’s that kind of innovation and history-making commitment I’m attracted to, both professionally and personally, and I am eager to get started,” said Purcell in a statement. “Lordstown Motors is changing the game, and I’m honored to have a seat at the table.”

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.