Gibraltar Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROCK), has announced the appointment of Andy Blanchard as President, Processed Metals Group, reporting to Henning Kornbrekke, President and Chief Operating Officer.
Blanchard will oversee Gibraltar’s three steel processing facilities (two in the Buffalo, NY area and one near Cleveland, OH), SCM Metal Products (with facilities in Raleigh, NC and Suzhou, China), Hubbell Steel (with facilities in Chicago, IL and Birmingham, AL), and a materials management operation in the Detroit, MI area. Blanchard will also be a member of Gibraltar’s Corporate Executive Council.
Over the course of his 20-year business career, Blanchard has held a number of leadership positions, with progressive levels of responsibility. During the last ten years he held a series of leadership positions with EASB Welding and Cutting Products, a North American industrial products company, where he had responsibility for more than $400 million in annual sales, nearly 2,000 employees, and five manufacturing facilities and five distribution centers. Before that, Blanchard spent ten years with the Michelin Tire Corporation, where he managed a $150-million sales account with Ford. While there, he led a number of product development programs, continuous improvement and customer service initiatives, and a task force for QS 9000 certification.
“Andy brings a wide range of experience to our Processed Metals Group, with a background in strategic planning, financial management, sales and marketing, acquisitions and alliances, asset and brand management, logistics and distribution, purchasing, and lean manufacturing,” said Henning Kornbrekke.
Blanchard earned his bachelor’s degree in Engineering at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a master’s degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California, and an MBA from Michigan State University. He also has a number of professional affiliations and has earned various certifications. He also served for five years in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of Captain.
Gibraltar Industries is a leading manufacturer, processor, and distributor of primarily metals for the building, industrial, and vehicular markets. The company serves a large number of customers in a variety of industries in all 50 states and throughout the world. It has approximately 3,500 employees and operates 77 facilities in 26 states, Canada, China, England, Germany, and Poland.
Information contained in this release, other than historical information, should be considered forward-looking, and may be subject to a number of risk factors, including: general economic conditions; the impact of the availability and the effects of changing raw material prices on the Company’s results of operations; energy prices and usage; the ability to pass through cost increases to customers; changing demand for the Company’s products and services; risks associated with the integration of acquisitions; and changes in interest or tax rates.
Editor’s note: a photo of Andy Blanchard is available via e-mail.
Gibraltar’s news releases, along with comprehensive information about the Company, are available on the Internet, at http://www.gibraltar1.com.
