John Muratori, COO of Auto Export Corp. , is based in Munich, Germany, and oversees offices in Turin, Italy, and Antwerp, Belgium.
AEC purchases the vehicles from Stellantis, imports them, puts them through homologa- tion — conversion to meet local laws — and then retails them through 150 AEC- branded dealer- ships, Muratori said. AEC was founded in 1996 by St. Catharines native Andrew Pilsworth. The com- pany’s big break came when it helped unload inventory when Chrysler entered bank- ruptcy in 2008, Muratori said.
“We knew it was a big opportunity,” Muratori said. “Almost too big for two guys from St. Catharines.”