Kinell Appoints Yannick Billy as Director of North American Development

Kinell, part of the Fétis Group, has announced the appointment of Yannick Billy as Director of North American Development.

The appointment marks a clear step in Kinell’s long-term commitment to growth in North America, at a time when many industrial markets remain under pressure. With this move, Kinell signals its intention to invest, expand, and deepen its support for OEM customers across the region, particularly in off-highway and specialist vehicle applications. This will provide OEMs with local manufacturing, shorter communication lines, and greater responsiveness throughout the product lifecycle.

Yannick Billy brings more than 15 years of experience within the Fétis Group, where he has led acquisitions and business growth across five countries and three continents. His appointment builds on a deep understanding of Kinell’s capabilities, culture, and customer base, combined with strong existing relationships in Canada.

North American operations are currently anchored at Kinell’s production facility in Petrolia. Opened just two years ago, the operation has already expanded into larger premises, reflecting strong early momentum. Initial production has focused on wiring harnesses, a critical component for OEMs across off-highway, agricultural, construction, and other specialist machinery sectors.

Wiring harnesses are a universal requirement for OEMs, but also among the most demanding components in terms of quality and reliability. In hard working machines, wiring faults are often difficult and costly to diagnose, making supplier quality and traceability critical to protecting uptime, warranty exposure, and brand reputation.  Kinell’s Petrolia facility operates to ISO 9001 standards, ensuring the level of quality and accountability expected by OEM customers operating complex, long-life equipment in demanding environments.

“This appointment is a signal of intent for Kinell in North America,” said Yannick Billy. “We are investing for the long term, building on proven capabilities, and strengthening our local presence to better support OEM customers. Having worked in the Fétis Group for many years, I know the depth of expertise we can bring to this market. North America is a strategic priority, and we are ready to scale.”

Beyond wiring harnesses, Kinell’s North American roadmap includes the progressive introduction of a broader portfolio of hardware capabilities already successfully delivered in Europe. These capabilities have been developed in close collaboration with OEMs and Kinell will be seeking opportunities to transfer and adapt them to meet the specific needs of North American customers.

With Yannick Billy leading North American development, Kinell aims to combine local production and proximity with the strength, experience, and investment capacity of the wider Fétis Group. The focus remains clear: supporting OEMs with reliable, high-quality systems and a long-term partnership approach as their machines, platforms, and markets continue to evolve.