ARC Automotive Products Group Appoints Vice President of Operations
29 January 1998
ARC Automotive Products Group Appoints Vice President of Operations
GAINESVILLE, Va., Jan. 29 -- Atlantic Research Corporation
(ARC), a leading developer and producer of automotive air bag inflators, has
appointed John E. Skladan vice president of operations of its Automotive
Products Group, according to James R. Sides, chairman and CEO, ARC.
ARC Automotive Products Group recently acquired AlliedSignal's interest in
BAICO, a 50/50 joint venture for the development, production and marketing of
automotive air bag inflators. ARC became the sole owner of BAICO technology
and manufacturing operations as a result of the acquisition. BAICO will be
combined with the ARC Automotive Products Group. BAICO will be retained as
the trade name for the products.
Skladan most recently was associated with Navistar International, and
prior to that was vice president and general manager -- North American Seat
Belt and Air Bag Operations of AlliedSignal Safety Restraint Systems. His
university training is in industrial management, and he has been in the
automotive restraint industry since 1968.
The ARC Automotive Products Group is led by Roy G. Brown, senior vice
president. Brown, a mechanical engineer, has held technical and management
positions at ARC since he joined the company from Pratt & Whitney in the
1960's. He played a key role in ARC's air bag activities from its beginning
in the 1970's.
"The combined technology of ARC and BAICO is a solid match," Brown said.
"John is an equally solid match for our company based on his experience,"
Brown said.
Having pioneered hybrid technology in the 1970's, ARC and AlliedSignal
formed BAICO in 1989 to offer hybrid inflators as the first alternative to
sodium azide-based pyrotechnic inflators. The first BAICO inflators were for
the passenger side, but the product family now includes inflators for driver-
side and side impact, including the new side-impact "curtain" applications.
BAICO has an aggressive program of continuous development of new inflator
designs that meet the evolving requirements of the industry, according to
Brown. These innovations include variable onset and duel level inflators
offering automakers assistance with "smart system" technology and an all-pyro
inflator set to the lead the industry in packaging and cost effectiveness.
ARC supplies BAICO inflators to major auto manufacturers in North America,
Europe, Japan and Korea from its facility in Knoxville, Tenn. ARC also is a
partner in BAG S.p.A, a joint venture in Collefero, Italy. Via a licensing
agreement with ARC, BAG S.p.A manufactures a variety of inflators designed and
developed by BAICO. Additionally, ARC supplies energetics for all of these
inflators from its Camden, Ark. facility.
ARC has extensive experience in development of propellant chemistry and
cost-effective designs for the generation and management of gases. ARC's
parent company is Sequa.
Sequa Corporation is a diversified technology company with 1996 sales of
$1.4 billion. Sequa's other operation serving the automotive industry is
Casco Products Corporation, a leading supplier of automotive cigarette
lighters, power outlets and electronic sensors. In addition to automotive
industry businesses, Sequa operations include the repair and manufacture of
components for jet aircraft engines; the production of rocket motors and solid
propellant for missiles and space applications; the manufacture of specialty
chemicals for the detergent, paper, textile and graphic arts markets; and, the
production of machinery to form and decorate two-piece cans.
SOURCE Atlantic Research Corporation