The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

X-Rite, Inc. Announces Strategic Company Restructuring

17 September 1998

X-Rite, Incorporated Announces Strategic Company Restructuring

    GRANDVILLE, Mich.--Sept. 17, 1998--X-Rite, Incorporated , Grandville, MI, has unveiled plans to reorganize the company based on four market-focused strategic business units (SBUs): Imaging; Coatings, Plastics and Textiles; Printing; and New Business Development.
    This restructuring initiative will position the global manufacturer of color measurement and quality control instruments closer to its customers, enhancing X-Rite's accelerated product development, strategic market penetration and high sustained growth.
    "The positive impact this reorganization will have on our business growth and new product development process is tremendous," said Richard E. Cook, president and chief operating officer of X-Rite, Incorporated. "Transitioning from a traditional, functional corporate structure to one with dedicated, market-focused SBUs will position X-Rite to sustain the high sales and earnings growth that our shareholders have enjoyed since the company went public in 1986. The new structure will bring X-Rite even closer to our customers, enabling us to meet a faster pace of demand and more effectively penetrate key markets. We are equally excited that the restructuring will allow us to dedicate significant resources to developing opportunities in new and emerging markets for our instruments and software."
    Each SBU will be led by a general manager responsible for directing the sales, marketing and new product development efforts of the business unit. Dave Hazlett will lead X-Rite's Imaging Business Unit, which includes color measurement and quality control solutions for the pre-press publishing, photographic and medical markets. Brian Teunis will take responsibility for the Coatings, Plastics and Textiles Business Unit, which includes industrial and retail paint matching (Match-Rite(TM)) instruments and software, as well as color formulation and quality control products for the plastics and textiles industries. Hal Ockerse has been appointed general manager of the Printing Business Unit, which includes ink formulation and pressroom applications, such as hand-held and on-line pressroom color quality control instruments and systems. Bernie Berg, vice president of engineering, and Tom Nyenhuis, vice president of sales, will manage the New Business Development Unit, which will identify and build major business opportunities in new and emerging markets.
    According to Cook, the new corporate structure will assist the X-Rite senior management team as they focus on the strategic management of the company, including steering strategic growth and managing global market penetration. In addition to Cook, the X-Rite senior management team includes: Ted Thompson, chairman and chief executive officer; Joan Andrew, vice president of sales and marketing; Duane Kluting, vice president of finance and chief financial officer; Bernie Berg, vice president of engineering; Jeffrey Smolinski, vice president of operations; Tony Sanders, vice president of human resources; and Rob Claflin, president of Labsphere.
    "The current functional management structure served X-Rite well in reaching the $100 million mark in sales," said Cook. "We have experienced great profits and returns and have introduced many exciting new technologies to the market. To reach our sales goals, we need to create a highly flexible, innovative and responsive company. This restructuring initiative will give X-Rite the momentum necessary to reach our business goals and proactively meet the current and future needs of our customers."
    X-Rite, Incorporated , headquartered in Michigan, along with Labsphere, its wholly owned New Hampshire subsidiary, maintains offices in Massachusetts, California, Germany, England, Hong Kong, the Czech Republic and France.
    X-Rite, Incorporated is the world's leading provider of technically sophisticated instrumentation and user-friendly software solutions for a wide variety of color-critical applications including corporate branding, medical diagnostics, consumer products and on-line commerce.