Bekaert, Bolsters Sputter Products Group Management Team, Realigns to Educate Market about Window Film

Bekaert has announced changes to its management team, which it says are designed to enhance the company's ability to market to consumers and to interact more productively with its worldwide network of professional installers and dealers. As part of this effort, the company has hired several new marketing professionals, including Mike Harris as vice president of marketing and Peter Lovasz, automotive product market manager. Additionally, Bekaert has promoted Lawrence Constantin to the position of regional sales manager Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Harris will report directly to company president Christophe Fremont. His experience includes leadership roles in marketing and product planning for Philips Consumer Electronics, a division of Royal Philips Electronics. Harris began his career as a management consultant with Coopers & Lybrand.

Constantin, who has been with Bekaert for five years and recently appointed as regional sales manager Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), will also report to Fremont and will work closely with the regional managers responsible for the Americas and Asia.. Prior to taking this position, Constantin was the Panorama Program Manager, based in Clearwater, Fla. In his new role, which is based out of Belgium, he will be responsible for synchronizing EMEA sales execution with the marketing vision of Bekaert.

Lovasz joined Bekaert as automotive product market manager. He will report to Harris and work with customers and sales and marketing teams around the world to align the company's strategic vision for its automotive business with the marketplace. Lovasz has spent the past eight years in sales, marketing and product management roles with Mitchell International, the second largest global developer and marketer of software and web enabled solutions for the automotive collision repair industry.

"We are confident that our team - both the new members and those who have been a vital part of our success to date - will help Bekaert extend our position as the leading manufacturer of window films for commercial, residential and automotive installation," said Bekaert President Christophe Fremont. "Our team is focused on educating consumers, architects, builders, and our vital network of installation professionals, about the benefits of window film in general, and ours in particular."

Bekaert is seeking to realign the perception of dark, heavily tinted window film as the only option for cars and shaded, tinted film as the only option for energy and glare control with the reality of window film today - that window film is available in a variety of "tints" from transparent to dark, and not only improves energy efficiency of homes, buildings and automobiles, it can also provide security against vandalism and storm force winds, as well as providing privacy. Further, it says the transparent window films available now, such as Bekaert's Panorama Hilite window film, can offer the same level of protection from solar damage - to skin, furnishings and car interiors - as the darker tints, making window film a viable solution for consumers who want the benefits of window film without changing the appearance of their home or car.

Additionally, Bekaert has also announced several strategic personnel changes within the sputter products division. The company has appointed Rémy Rochard to general manager and product market manager for sputter products; Bart Verlinden to technology and key learning manager for sputter products and Wilmert DeBosscher to applications manager.

Rochard joined Bekaert as in 2004 as part of the company's strategic acquisition of Solaronics. He brings more than 23 years of technical and international management experience to his new role, in which he will be responsible for the management of the sputter products team worldwide, from research and development to customer sales and support.

Verlinden joined Bekaert from Agfa Gevaert NV, and brings with him more than 20 years of experience in research and development. Verlinden will be responsible for process control and best practices in all advanced coatings plants worldwide, as well as managing the company's global R&D efforts. Verlinden will head several R&D teams focused on a variety of areas, including sputter hardware and target development, vacuum and coating equipment engineering and vacuum web coatings for optical, electrical and magnetic thin film applications.

Verlinden has more than 171 patents filed as inventor or co-inventor in such fields as thin glass applications and new construction methods.

De Bosscher will be in charge of defining innovative large area coating solutions that contribute towards the fulfilment of the existing customer needs while anticipating future customer needs. With almost 20 years of experience in research and development, DeBosscher will coordinate the dialogue between the company's marketing and sales teams and the research and development organization to realize and validate the best fit-for-use products in their desired application context (e.g. for specific architectural, optical or display coatings). De Bosscher is the author of more than 70 scientific articles and holds more than 25 patents.

"Because of the long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships we have established with customers worldwide, Bekaert's business continues to grow substantially, both in existing and new markets," said Rochard. "Bart, Wilmert and I look forward to using our combined technical, marketing and industry expertise to continue the Bekaert tradition of delighting customers by delivering unmatched service and the most innovative sputter products to lower the total cost of ownership for large area display and glass coaters."