Praxair Surface Technologies Announces New Management Team
8 December 1999
Praxair Surface Technologies Announces New Management Team for Newly Combined Thermal Spray Business
INDIANAPOLIS--Dec. 8, 1999--Tim Moser, general manager of the Thermal Spray Products group within Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc. announced today the following key management appointments resulting from the company's recent acquisition of TAFA, Inc:| - | Val Zanchuk will lead the worldwide sales and marketing efforts for both equipment and powders as global sales and marketing director. Zanchuk, was formerly president of TAFA, Inc., and played a vital role in the growth of the company. He will be based in Concord. |
| - | Dean Hackett will assist Zanchuk in the newly created role of global product manager. Hackett will be responsible for developing and supporting the combined group's product offerings. Hackett has held a number of sales and marketing management positions with Praxair Surface Technologies. He will be based in Indianapolis, Indiana. |
| - | Bob Unger, North American sales manager, will lead the direct selling team and manage key distributor relationships in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Unger was formerly vice president of sales with TAFA, Inc. |
| - | Tony Kenyon joins the organization as general manager - thermal spray equipment. He will have responsibility for engineering, manufacturing, and plant support operations based in Appleton, Wisconsin, Concord, and Indianapolis. Prior to his new assignment, Kenyon had similiar responsibilities with Asian Surface Technologies, a joint venture of Pratt & Whitney, Singapore Airlines, and Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc. based in Singapore. |
| - | Assisting Kenyon as integration manager is Rex Heitz. He will be responsible for the sales, marketing, manufacturing, and cultural integration of the former TAFA and thermal spray product organizations. Heitz, who has held a variety of management positions in Sales & Marketing and Human Resources for Praxair Surface Technologies, will be based in Concord. |
| - | Mark Kleis, general manager - powders, will lead the engineering and manufacturing operations for powders. Operations in Indianapolis and Pearland, Texas will report to Kleis. Kleis has held a number of plant management leadership positions within Praxair Surface Technologies and was most recently the company's director of Six Sigma quality management. |
| - | Joachim Beczkowiak, European business manager, will lead engineering, field service, and sales activities. He will be responsible for all former TAFA - Europe personnel, and all Wiggensbach operations. Beczkowiak will be based in Wiggensbach, Germany. |
| - | Erich Abler, operations director - Wiggensbach, will assist Beczkowiak. Abler has played a continuing leadership role in the firm's European-based thermal spray products operations since Praxair acquired his equipment business in 1998. |
Praxair Surface Technologies is a service-based business, and a leading worldwide supplier of coating services and thermal spray powders, equipment, and other consumables to customers in aircraft, computer, optical, printing, plastics, primary metals, and textiles industries. It also provides engine and airframe component repair services for both commercial and military aircraft. During the past 5 years, the company has made 17 acquisitions in thermal spray and related surface treatment markets, and experienced double-digit growth rates in sales. Total annual revenue in 1998 for Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc. exceeded US$ 420 million.
Praxair Inc., parent company of Praxair Surface Technologies, is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 1998 sales of $4.8 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric and process gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technology bring productivity and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, food and beverage, healthcare, electronics, steel, chemicals and refining, metal fabrication, water treatment, glass and others. For more information, visit Praxair on the Internet at www.praxair.com