INTERMET Names President and CEO Gary F. Ruff as Chairman and CEO; John Doddridge Retires
TROY, Mich., July 15 -- INTERMET Corporation , one of the world's leading manufacturers of cast-metal automotive components, today announced that the company's Board of Directors has unanimously elected President and CEO Gary F. Ruff, 52, to Chairman of the Board and CEO, effective immediately. Ruff succeeds John Doddridge, 63, who joined INTERMET as Chairman and CEO in 1994, and is retiring as Chairman effective July 2004. John Doddridge will continue to serve on the Board of Directors. Doddridge stepped down as CEO in July of 2003.
Ruff has been President of INTERMET since December 2002 and was named CEO a year ago. He joined the company in 1999 as Vice President of Technical Services.
"With Gary's solid business strategy and over 150 years of tradition on which to build, INTERMET has the foundation for a successful future," said Doddridge. "He has put the right people in place who are working with the most advanced casting technologies to help improve performance for our investors and to continue the company's focus on quality and service to its customers."
Commenting on his appointment, Ruff said, "It is an honor and a privilege to take on this new responsibility with this great company. I look forward to the challenges, and most importantly, to continue working with the talented employees of INTERMET and their Board of Directors.
"John Doddridge is a highly respected automotive executive and has guided INTERMET through some demanding times," said Ruff. "We appreciate his dedication and the leadership he has shown through his years of service and wish him well in retirement."
Ruff joined INTERMET from Hayes Lemmerz International, where he was President of North American Wheels and Corporate Vice President. He began his automotive and casting career in 1969 with the Chevrolet Division of General Motors. He held a variety of positions at GM, progressing to Chief Process Engineer with the Central Foundry Division. In 1987, he joined CMI International, a leading metal caster, as Vice President, Materials. Ruff went on to become Chief Technical Officer and Executive Vice President and Director of CMI. In early 1999, when CMI was acquired by Hayes Lemmerz, he became Group President and Corporate Vice President of the company.
Ruff received a PhD in metallurgy and materials science in 1977 from Case Western Reserve University after receiving a Master of Science in Metallurgical Engineering in 1975 from the same University. In 1974 he earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from General Motors Institute. He also completed executive and management education programs at Dartmouth, Michigan State University, University of Michigan and National Technological University in Norway.
With headquarters in Troy, Michigan, INTERMET Corporation is a manufacturer of powertrain, chassis/suspension and structural components for the automotive industry. INTERMET's strategy is to be the world's leading supplier of cast-metal automotive components. The company has approximately 6,000 employees at facilities located in North America and Europe. More information is available on the Internet at http://www.intermet.com/ .
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040715/DETH010AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN5
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
NOTE TO EDITORS: Photo available upon request. (+1-248-952-2546; mkelly@intermet.com )