PureForge names CRO to push Europe-first OEM plan and fleets
PureForge named Grant Hanson chief revenue officer to expand from police fleets into commercial fleets and automakers. The pitch splits in two. Data from 120 police agencies backs the fleet case, and a TÜV-Nord test under half the Euro 7 brake limit backs the European OEM pitch.
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Key facts, context, and what it means.
Key takeaways
PureForge now carries two separate proofs for two separate buyers: 15 million police miles for fleet managers watching brake-job costs, and a German lab result for OEM engineers watching a November deadline.
PureForge has said its initial sales focus is Europe, where OEMs face a November 2026 deadline under the Euro 7 brake-emission rules.
For commercial fleets, the figure to test first is the 3–5x pad-life claim; PureForge reported it, so fleets should rerun it against their own brake-job history.
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On Sept. 30, PureForge, the Troy, Michigan, maker of ultra-durable brake systems, announced a new chief revenue officer charged with expanding into commercial fleets and opening a new OEM revenue stream.
Grant Hanson joins as chief revenue officer with a two-part mandate: take the company beyond law enforcement into commercial fleets, and open a new revenue line with vehicle manufacturers. In the company's announcement on PR Newswire, Hanson said PureForge is now shaping its worldwide go-to-market plan and signing up distributors globally, with Europe as the first market it will target.
An appointment like this matters to buyers only if the product has a case they can check. Here there are two cases, aimed at two very different people. PureForge now carries two separate proofs for two separate buyers: 15 million police miles for the fleet manager watching brake-job costs, and a German lab result for the OEM engineer watching a November deadline.
The police miles behind the fleet pitch
PureForge's law enforcement track record
PureForge, via PR Newswire
Those last two numbers are the ones a fleet manager would take into a budget meeting. PureForge argues that longer-lasting rotors and pads let agencies keep more units on the road.
The figures have limits, though. The company reported them itself. For fleets where pad changes are a main reason vehicles go into the shop, the 3-5x pad-life claim is the number to test first. Fleets that already get long brake life from highway miles may see a smaller gap.
A German lab result on a European clock
The OEM pitch rests on emissions. PureForge says testing by TÜV-Nord in Germany in May 2026 found its Atomic-Forged brakes produce less than half the Euro 7 non-exhaust emission limit. The company presents that as a compliance path for automakers ahead of Europe's November 2026 deadline.
That deadline could explain the sequencing. In the announcement, Hanson said the initial focus is Europe because of the Euro 7 brake dust standards. He also said PureForge's systems cut brake particulate matter by up to 80% compared with conventional brakes.
For an automaker's brake engineering team, a third-party test result below the limit is a reason to take a supplier meeting. Getting from there to a production program usually means validation work on the automaker's schedule, not the supplier's, and the announcement gives no OEM customer or program yet. So the November date is better read as the moment the conversations become urgent than as a revenue milestone.
Who is on the team
Hanson has spent his career building revenue at companies that created their own categories. At Jawbone, he helped the business grow into a multi-billion-dollar company that established both the Bluetooth audio and fitness wearable categories before either one existed. At yurbuds, he led the brand to first place in the fitness-audio market and saw it through its acquisition by Harman International. Before that, at Motorola, he managed the company's biggest customers during the period when it came to dominate early wireless. He has set up sales teams and distribution worldwide, reaching nearly 60 countries. Most recently, he ran his own consulting practice, where he developed tools and processes that help organizations shift from legacy sales teams to revenue-architecture teams.
Sarah Olson, vice president of engineering and strategic partnerships, has more than 25 years in automotive, including 16 at Federal-Mogul. She chairs the SAE Brake Lining Standards Committee. An OEM engineering team will want to talk to someone like Olson. Hanson's job is to get them to that meeting.
Signals to watch after November
PureForge pitches its brakes to OEMs as a clear compliance path ahead of Europe's November 2026 Euro 7 deadline. Named European distributor agreements could be an early sign of whether the Europe-first plan is gaining traction.
After that, two signs would show whether the expansion is working. One is a commercial fleet customer reporting its own brake-maintenance results alongside the 120 agencies. The other is a named OEM program. Either would mean PureForge's evidence holds up outside the police fleets where it was gathered.
Sources
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