06/11/22  Ronnie Kruger  -  Jefferys Bay, South Africa  -  Former Superformance CEO - 02/28/01 to 11/01/05

Ronnie Stephanus Kruger passed on Saturday June 11, 4:45am at the age of 85. Ronnie was born on April 9, 1937. Ronnie's wife Winkie passed away before him on Monday Morning April 17, 2017, she was 76 years of age.

(A note from Randall Thomas -SCOF);  When I wrote Ronnie a little while back to see how he was doing, Ronnie had this to say, "...When people ask me what the most pleasurable time in my wonderful 81 years have been , I always give the same answer - Winkie and my five years in the US - the excitement of the huge land with its diversity of people, the magnificent landscape, the way everybody made us feel welcome and at home - and having been associated with Superformance and the wonderful Superformance gang - the guys who became my friends and like you - still are..."

Ronnie was one of a kind, I got to know him well and worked with him quite often. He always did everything to the best of his ability and expected nothing less from others around him, thus he made everyone better people for having known him. From the paperboy up to the CEO's of huge companies. The world is a better place for having him in it, and aches in his absence. But, Ronnie left a legacy behind that will keep his name aloft for decades to come.

Ronnie's Superformance Journey

Ronnie Kruger, a retired South African motor and allied industry executive,  was recruited by Jimmy Price on October 10, 2000 to establish and develop a corporate headquarters for Superformance International Incorporated, Jimmy Price's United states procurement and distribution subsidiary.

Originally it was planned to only  be a two year project, but just before Ronnie and his wife Winkie arrived in Newport News, Virginia on Feb 28, 2001, Superformance was sued by Shelby American.

Ronnie and Jimmy agreed to a strategy of defending the charges, and in May 2001 Ronnie promised to stay on as long as it took to conclude the Shelby and Ford lawsuits, one way or another. In essence, Price was the iron fist and Kruger the velvet glove, but neither ever considered the possibility of ever giving up.

By late July and early August in 2004, the SPF organization was well established and some of the law suits had already been won and others had been settled. Thus Ronnie Kruger's objective of establishing a mutually favorable working relationship between Superformance and both Ford and the Shelby organization, had been achieved.

From September 6, 2001 through April of  2003, and after a heart attack and issues resulting from cancer,  Ronnie had developed serious health problems. In September 2004 Ronnie and his wife decided to return home to South Africa at the end of 2004 to be close to their families. Jimmy Price asked Ronnie to continue managing the US operation from the Hi-Tech head office in Port Elizabeth, thus allowing Jimmy the necessary time to recruit either an American, or another South African to run Superformance Inc. Ronnie left the United States permanently on December 2, 2004.

Jimmy Price stated that, "I tried to find a suitable chief executive locally and after interviewing a selected few, I simply could not find another Ronnie. With his wide knowledge and experience in the motor and retail industry, he had specialized skills which I found impossible to replicate."

Price added, "Although the small management team he had developed in Newport News continued the good work under his guidance, I decided that Superformance had to be developed

laterally to ensure continued customer and dealer service and satisfaction, and I have decided to sell the distribution operation to an experienced and well-funded Superformance dealer with a full understanding of the Hi-Tech and Superformance operating procedures and ethics."

Price concluded with, "I offered the company to a few selected dealers, however, long time dealer Lance Stander emerged as the most suitable candidate to take over the operation from Ronnie and to develop Superformance in the manner that would best serve the interests of Hi-Tech, Superformance, the dealers and our customers".

In July of 2005, Ronnie Kruger initialized the transaction with Lance Stander, supervised the winding down of the Newport News operation in Virginia as well as the transfer to the new California headquarters which was completed in late September and early October of 2005.

By the end of October 2005, Kruger relinquished his contract with Superformance Inc. On November 1, 2005, he and his wife retired to their permanent home at Jeffreys Bay, South Africa , a seaside hamlet often referred to as South Africa's "Laguna Beach, California", as it was in the 1970's. Now in his 70's, Ronnie and his wife Winkie enjoyed their much earned and deserved relaxed lifestyle.