GKN Sinter Metals Names Kenneth W. Sparks As Senior Vice President, Manufacturing
3 April 2000
GKN Sinter Metals Names Kenneth W. Sparks As Senior Vice President, Manufacturing
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 3 GKN Sinter Metals today named
Kenneth W. Sparks as Senior Vice President, Manufacturing.
The announcement was made by GKN Sinter Metals President & Chief Executive
Officer Seifi Ghasemi.
Mr. Sparks will be responsible for overseeing all manufacturing operations
at GKN Sinter Metals which, including joint ventures, now comprise more than
30 production plants spanning 10 countries across five continents. He will
report directly to Mr. Ghasemi.
In announcing the appointment, Mr. Ghasemi said that the extraordinary
growth of the Company over the past two years necessitated the addition of a
senior executive dedicated exclusively to the manufacturing function.
In 1998 and 1999, GKN Sinter Metals made acquisitions that added 16
production facilities on four continents to its global operations. In
addition, the Company last month began construction on a greenfield plant in
Hortollandia, Sao Paulo, Brazil; last year completed construction of a new
annex in Bonn, Germany; is in the midst of major expansions at facilities in
Emporium, Pennsylvania, Salem, Indiana, Bad Bruckenau, Germany, and Milan,
Italy, and has made significant capital investments to increase capacity at
several other plants.
"It has become very clear that GKN Sinter Metals needed a senior executive
with global experience to undertake the task of streamlining our extensive
manufacturing facilities," said Mr. Ghasemi, "and we believe that Mr. Sparks
has the know-how and experience to get the job done."
A metallurgical engineer with 27 years of professional experience in plant
and manufacturing operations management, Mr. Sparks comes to GKN Sinter Metals
from TRW Corporation, where he was Vice President, Central European
Operations-Chassis Systems, Koblenz, Germany. In this capacity, he was
responsible for $1.4 billion in sales and 7,500 employees.
From 1991 to 1996, Mr. Sparks worked for Varity Kelsey-Hayes, initially as
Director of Manufacturing and then Vice President, Operations for Rotors &
Drums for its Foundation Brakes Division in Romulus, Michigan. He eventually
was transferred to Wiesbaden, Germany, where, as Director, Foundation Brake
Business Development, he was responsible for building the Division's business
in the European automotive market.
In 1995, Mr. Sparks was named Vice President of Operations, Europe, with
responsibility for manufacturing, quality, procurement, and sales. A little
more than a year later, he became Vice President-Europe, with full profit &
loss responsibilities for all activities in Light Vehicle Braking Systems.
Late in 1996, Mr. Sparks was appointed Vice President Operations-European
Braking Operation, for LucasVarity Corporation which, in the post-Varity and
Lucas merger era, became a $1 billion division of the TRW Chassis Systems
Division.
From 1983 to 1989, Mr. Sparks was an executive with Echlin Corporation,
serving first as Vice President Operations for its Midland Brake Division,
Owosso, Michigan, and then as President of its Ace Electric Division,
Columbus, Kansas.
Late in 1989, he became Executive Vice President, Operations for
Hammerblow Corporation, Wausau, Wisconsin, a manufacturer of screw jacks for
boats, utility trailers and agricultural implements.
Mr. Sparks began his career in 1973, in the Corporate Manufacturing area
of Bendix Corporation, where he spent 10 years in positions of increasing
responsibility and eventually served as Plant Manager in Frankfort, Kentucky.
Mr. Sparks attended Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, where he
earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgical Engineering in 1972 and a
Master of Science degree in Industrial Administration in 1973. He served over
four years in the United States Air Force, including two years based in Tokyo,
Japan.
A native of La Porte, Indiana, he currently resides in Vallendar, Germany,
and will be relocating to the Detroit area in the near future.
GKN Sinter Metals, with over 30 locations worldwide and business assets
spanning 13 countries, has annualized sales of approximately $850 million and
is the world's leading producer of powder metal components. The company
employs some 6,500 people and produces some 10,000 different parts for the
automotive, commercial vehicle, home appliance, lawn & garden, office
equipment, power tool, and recreational vehicle markets. GKN Sinter Metals is
a wholly owned subsidiary of U.K.-based GKN plc, a global industrial company.