The Timken Company Names Three to New Leadership Positions in the Bearing Business
26 March 1998
The Timken Company Names Three to New Leadership Positions in the Bearing Business
CANTON, Ohio, March 26 -- As part of its drive to keep
strengthening the company in the worldwide marketplace, and to further its
strategy of continuing to build profitable growth, The Timken Company
has named three associates to new positions:
* James M. Gresh, vice president - bearings - financial operations and
controller
* Mark J. Samolczyk, vice president and general manager - Precision Steel
Components and
* Michael C. Arnold, vice president - bearings - process advancement.
In this newly created position, Mr. Gresh is charged with strengthening
financial controllership across The Timken Company's worldwide bearing
organization.
"The pace and scope of growth in our bearing business requires an elevated
level of decision-making ability," said Robert L. Leibensperger, executive
vice president, chief operating officer and president - bearings. "The need
for accurate and more timely financial information is of critical importance
given our global growth aspirations and the concurrent need for fast, thorough
decisions.
"Jim is well-suited to assume this important new role," said Mr.
Leibensperger. "As head of Precision Steel Components, which has nearly
tripled its sales in the past five years, he is accustomed to leading an
organization set on a fast growth track. He is a welcome addition to my
leadership team."
Mr. Gresh started his career with the company in 1982 as an associate
manufacturing engineer at the Harrison Steel Plant. He also held positions
there of supervisor - maintenance - electrical and maintenance specialist. In
1985, Mr. Gresh was named area manager - reliability at the company's
Faircrest Steel Plant and, in 1988, senior strategic management specialist.
Mr. Gresh returned to the Faircrest Steel Plant in 1990 as manager -
steelmaking and also has served as general manager - accelerated continuous
improvement - steel and general manager - parts business - steel, his most
recent position.
He is a graduate of Central Cambria High School, Ebensburg, Pa. Mr. Gresh
received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Carnegie-Mellon
University and a master's degree in business administration from Harvard
University Graduate School of Business Administration.
Mr. Samolczyk, previously vice president - sales and marketing -
industrial original equipment, succeeds Mr. Gresh and becomes vice president -
Precision Steel Components.
He began his career with the company in 1981 as a marketing associate in
Canton. He also held positions of associate analyst - marketing, section
manager - scheduling and inventory control - bearings and manager - master
scheduling - bearings. In 1988, Mr. Samolczyk moved to Timken France as
manager - business coordination - Europe, Africa and West Asia. He moved to
Timken do Mexico in 1990, where he served as assistant general manager and
general manager. In 1992, he was named president of Canadian Timken, Limited.
Mr. Samolczyk returned to Canton in 1995 as general manager - sales and
marketing - bearings - North and South America - mobile industrial.
A graduate of St. Joseph's High School, South Bend, Indiana, Mr. Samolczyk
received a bachelor's degree in sociology from The University of Notre Dame
and a master's degree in business administration from The University of
Denver.
In moving from director to vice president - bearings - process
advancement, Mr. Arnold will continue to drive the worldwide interaction and
integration of our geographic- and market-based business segments.
He began his career with the company in 1979 as an associate sales
engineer in Canton. He served as sales engineer in the company's Cleveland
sales offices and account manager - original equipment sales - bearings in the
Detroit sales office. Mr. Arnold returned to Canton in 1988, where he held
positions of manager - international market development - bearings, assistant
to director - manufacturing - bearings - North and South America, area manager
- large industrial bearings and project manager - 21st Century - Asheboro. In
1993, Mr. Arnold was named general manager of the company's Asheboro Plant in
Randleman, North Carolina, and, in 1995, he was named director - manufacturing
and technology - Europe, Africa and West Asia. Most recently, he served as
director - Bearing Business process advancement.
A graduate of Manchester High School, Akron, Ohio, Mr. Arnold received a
bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in sales and
marketing, both from The University of Akron.
The Timken Company is a leading international manufacturer of
highly engineered bearings and alloy steels. The company employs some
21,000 people worldwide and reported 1997 sales of more than $2.6 billion.
SOURCE The Timken Company