Nematron completes privatization; appoints new CEO

Nematron Corp. reports that it has completed its return to private ownership and initiated several plans to improve customer service and financial performance. Also, the managing director of the firm's international business group for the past seven years, David Hicks, has been appointed CEO and will review and improve Nematron's operations worldwide.

By Staff July 1, 2004

Nematron Corp. reports that it has completed its return to private ownership and initiated several plans to improve customer service and financial performance. Also, the managing director of the firm’s international business group for the past seven years, David Hicks, has been appointed CEO and will review and improve Nematron’s operations worldwide.

Nematron reports that progress made in international automation markets in recent years, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, emphasized to the 21-year-old industrial automation supplier that it needs a more globally oriented operational structure.

“While I envision that the U.S. domestic market will remain our number one market in terms of revenue for the foreseeable future, we must also prepare the organization to take advantage of the exciting growth potential for our products in the international markets,” says Hicks. “This restructuring will include expanding Nematron’s international headquarters in Europe. Nematron will also continue to build on its U.S. operations to service and develop its home market.”

Nematron adds it’s also reviewing its product strategy, following its recent, encouraging entry into the programmable automation controller (PAC) market. With markets showing renewed interest in PC-based control solutions, Nematron has introduced its Pointe Controller products. This line includes PTC-5800, which is a communications- and control-intensive PAC system, employing industrial Ethernet I/O. It is the first in a line of products to be co-developed in Ann Arbor and at Optimation Inc., Nematron’s subsidiary in Huntsville, AL.