Akebono Brake Corp. says it plans to invest heavily in technologies, processes and equipment at its Elizabethtown plant through 2009. The amount invested was not announced.
To best support these improvements, the following management changes were made:
* Seiji Onoda returned to Akebono Brake Corp. from its parent company in Japan, Akebono Brake Industry Co. Ltd. As director of manufacturing, he will lead the Elizabethtown revitalization project.
* Roy Okawa was named the plant's general manager; he will continue as general manager at Akebono Brake's Glasgow, Scotland, plant.
* Harold Rumple is the new director of production engineering for Akebono.
To fully utilize the improvements at the Elizabethtown facility, and strengthen the original equipment sales team, Tim Wakabayashi was named vice president of OE sales. In his new position, he will lead both the domestic and Japanese OE sales teams with Hiro Sato, general manager of OE sales. Sato has been given marketing responsibilities as well.
For further information on Akebono, visit www.akebonobrakes.com.
