Transportation Insight & Execution

Chris Milani, is a founder and the Principal of Rustbelt Group with more than 30 years of professional business experience including senior executive operational and marketing positions with leading transportation, distribution and original equipment manufacturing companies. He specializes in developing and leading successful strategies for profitable growth initiatives in highly competitive markets. Since 2014, Milani has worked as a CNG advisor to FCA US' transport fleet as well as a strategic advisor to Ford Motor Company's Fleet Service organization, supporting government fleet component sales.

From April of 2009 through June of 2015, Milani held senior executive positions including Vice President, Operations and Vice President, Industry and Public Affairs with Schupan & Sons, Inc.  Milani conceived and led the successful build-out of CNG infrastructure (the two largest volume natural gas fueling stations in Michigan) for UBCR, LLC, a dedicated 3rd party logistics subsidiary of Schupan & Sons and is the first fleet in North America to exclusively deploy Class 8 tractors dedicated to CNG fuel.

Earlier, Milani served as President and CEO of Fleetsource, LLC, where he was responsible for the operational and day-to-day activities of the largest OEM authorized rebuilder and distributor of high pressure direct injection diesel components in the Eastern U.S. As CEO, Milani directed Fleetsource's business as a service distributor and authorized remanufacturer of Bosch, Denso, Delphi, Delco and as a large full service dealer and distributor for Capacity, Caterpillar, Cummins and Allison products. He was responsible for maintaining availability and service quality to dealers and end-users in major markets. Prior to Fleetsource, Milani was Vice President of Operations with Contrans Corporation, the largest publicly traded truckload carrier in the eastern provinces of Canada with over 3,000 pieces of rolling stock. Eaton Corporation is where Chris Milani started his professional career in 1985 and where he held senior executive positions within the Truck Components Group including Manager, Aftermarket, of the Americas; Great Lakes Region Manager; and General Manager of the group’s Canadian business unit.  His experience at Eaton included leading the OEM and the wholesale/retail distributor business units of their $450M aftermarket product lines that included transmission, axle and clutch products. Milani was also in charge of continuous improvement in the reliability of the service and emergency parts support channels.    

Mr. Milani has extensive experience in the compressed natural gas (CNG) heavy truck industry. Since 2005, he has consulted primarily with private and public refuse and over-the-road fleets transitioning to CNG powered equipment. Working with municipalities in New York State, Milani consistently demonstrated an ability to thoroughly deliver complex and multifaceted projects on time and on budget. In 2011, he introduced CNG to a Michigan based fleet that was the first heavy duty truck fleet in North America to convert its entire operation to CNG. The fleet, UBCR, LLC, has displaced more diesel fuel with natural gas than any other Michigan fleet through 2012. Since 2014, he has been engaged as a project manager and consultant with FCA Group Transport in Detroit, Michigan to support the deployment of nearly 200 Class 8 CNG vehicles and the largest commercial CNG station in North America.

Mr. Milani currently sits on the Executive Board of Directors as First Vice President for the Michigan Trucking Association. He previously contributed as a board member with leading distribution, remanufacturing, truck leasing and transportation companies as well as a non profit foundation.