LATROBE, Pa., May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Kennametal Inc. today announced a key management change designed to further align the organization and enhance future profitable growth. Effective immediately, Gary W. Weismann will become Vice President and President, Business Groups, assuming responsibility for the company's two business units worldwide. In this role, Mr. Weismann will lead the resources of both the Advanced Materials Solutions Group and the Metalworking Solutions and Services Group to maximize the company's profitable growth through delivering innovative products to customers. Paul Demand, who served as Vice President and President of MSSG, has left the company to pursue other opportunities.
"Gary has demonstrated his leadership ability by continuing to serve our customers and by delivering double-digit EBIT throughout the worst global recession most of us have experienced in our careers," said Chairman, President and CEO Carlos Cardoso. "His proven leadership skills brought the diverse global AMSG team together under a common strategy and vision, which significantly improved customer satisfaction, employee engagement and profitability during tough economic times. As we continue to evolve and more closely align our organization with the needs of our customers, Gary will provide the strong leadership for growth that will help enable our ongoing success."
Mr. Weismann, who has more than 21 years of total service with Kennametal, originally joined the company in 1979. During his tenure, he has assumed assignments of increasing responsibility, including international marketing, corporate planning and development, and mergers and acquisitions. In 1994, Mr. Weismann left Kennametal to join TRINOVA Corporation, where he became leader of the Corporate Technology Organization before joining what is now Actuant Corporation. At Actuant, he became Senior Vice President and General Manager, Engineered Products Division, leaving in 1999 for Marketing Solutions, a private management and development group, where he served as Managing Partner. Mr. Weismann then rejoined Kennametal in 2004 as Vice President and General Manager of the Electronics Products Group. Since then, he has served as Vice President of Energy, Mining and Construction Solutions Group, and most recently, as Vice President and President, AMSG since August 2007.
Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers seeking peak performance in demanding environments by providing innovative custom and standard wear-resistant solutions. This proven productivity is enabled through our advanced materials sciences and application knowledge. Our commitment to a sustainable environment provides additional value to our customers. Companies operating in everything from airframes to coal mining, from engines to oil wells and from turbochargers to construction recognize Kennametal for extraordinary contributions to their value chains. In fiscal year 2009, customers bought approximately $2.0 billion of Kennametal products and services - delivered by our nearly 12,000 talented employees doing business in more than 60 countries - with more than 50 percent of these revenues coming from outside North America. Visit us at http://www.kennametal.com/
Kennametal Inc.
CONTACT: Media, Joy Chandler, +1-724-539-4618; Investors, Quynh McGuire,
+1-724-539-6559
Web Site: http://www.kennametal.com/
