Key Technology Appoints Louis C. Vintro as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Global Operations


OCTOBER 12, 2011 - Key Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTEC) announced today the appointment of Louis C. Vintro as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Global Operations. Effective October 26, 2011, Vintro will have responsibility for evaluating and developing strategic partnerships, a critical component of the Company's overall growth strategy, and will oversee the Company's global operations.

David Camp, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented: "We are very pleased to add Vintro's extensive manufacturing leadership experience to our senior management team. His broad exposure to technology-based capital equipment companies, particularly in the field of laser-based inspection, will bring added depth to our operations strategy. We believe Vintro's global experience in establishing technology partnerships for fully-integrated solutions and targeting emerging markets is an excellent fit and will allow him to make significant contributions to our global manufacturing strategy."

During the past two-and-a-half years, Vintro has served as Vice President and General Manager of the Semiconductor Division of ESI, Inc., a manufacturer of laser-based wafer fabrication equipment. For the four years prior to ESI, he was with KLA-Tencor Corporation, a California-based manufacturer of laser-based particle inspection equipment, where he served as Senior Director of Technical Programs. From 2001 to 2004, Vintro held the position of Global Business Manager for BOC Edwards Kachina, now Applied Materials, Inc., a provider of semiconductor processing services. Previous career responsibilities included various marketing positions at Vitria Technology, a developer of business-to-business connectivity software, and Alcatel Vacuum, Inc., an equipment manufacturer for micro electro-mechanical systems located in Annecy, France. Vintro started his career as a management consultant for A.T. Kearney, Inc., a Chicago-based strategy consulting practice serving companies in the high-tech and electronics industries.

Commenting on his new appointment, Vintro said, "I am very enthusiastic about joining the management team of Key Technology and believe that my business development and acquisition experience will allow me to make a solid contribution to the Company's strategic direction and success. I look forward to leading the Company's global operations team, helping to direct strategies that will bring future growth and help support Key's worldwide customer base."

Vintro holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Stanford University and a MBA from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He earned a BS degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

About Key Technology

Key Technology, Inc., headquartered in Walla Walla, Washington, is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of process automation systems for the food processing, industrial and pharmaceutical markets. The Company's products integrate electro-optical inspection and sorting, specialized conveying and product preparation equipment, which allow processors to improve quality, increase yield and reduce cost. Key has manufacturing facilities in Washington, Oregon, and the Netherlands, and worldwide sales and service coverage.

All Topics