Wilson Tool Names Brian Robinson New CEO


Company founder Ken Wilson will continue as advisor to Robinson, board of governors

WHITE BEAR LAKE, MINN. (June 26, 2007) - Wilson Tool International has named Brian Robinson as its new CEO. Robinson, a Wilson Tool employee since 1991 and co-president since 1999, has full responsibility and authority to manage Wilson Tool and all its subsidiaries worldwide.

After 41 years, company founder, innovator and industry icon Ken Wilson is stepping down. Wilson will retain an advisory role to the new CEO and to the company's board of governors to ensure a seamless transition. He will also remain involved in select company initiatives.

"The time is right for the company to have new leadership." said Wilson, 75. "Brian Robinson's experience in manufacturing, mentoring and his leadership ability makes him the right person for the job. He has the respect of employees, owners, customers and competitors."

Under Robinson's direction, innovation and a strong customer focus will continue to be the cornerstones of Wilson Tool. He also sees an emphasis on international business as a key factor in the company's long-term success.

"I've always believed that if you're not creating change, you're falling behind." commented Robinson. "As the world gets flatter and faster, we'll continue to adapt and innovate to meet the needs of sheet metal fabricators worldwide."

Ken Wilson founded Wilson Tool in 1961 as a simple tool and die shop and turned it into the leading provider of tooling for sheet metal fabricators around the globe. He has mentored Robinson for the past ten years, instilling the values that have made Wilson Tool successful. Robinson plans to apply what he has learned from Wilson as he leads the company to its next stage.

"I'm honored be selected as Wilson Tool's new CEO, and I'm excited to continue Ken Wilson's legacy," noted Robinson. "Ken set the bar high, and our customers can expect the same level of quality and service that has always made them more successful."

About Wilson Tool International

For more than 40 years, Wilson Tool International® (www.wilsontool.com) has been a leading provider of tooling solutions that enhance the performance of sheet metal fabricating machinery worldwide. Wilson Tool is the world's largest independent manufacturer of tooling systems for punch presses, press brakes and punch and die components for the stamping industry. Products are manufactured at the company's world headquarters in White Bear Lake, Minn., USA, at their European facility in Swindon, England, and now at their site in Shanghai, China, which serves a growing customer base in that region. Wilson Tool's network of sales engineers and international distributors operate in virtually every industrialized nation around the globe.

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