July 9, 2007 — Metaldyne Corp., a unit of Asahi Tec Corp., has named Bob DeFauw as vice president and general manager of its Powertrain Products Group, effective immediately. He will oversee the operations in Bluffton and Fremont, IN; Niles, IL; Hamburg and Middleville, MI; Twinsburg, OH; and Pyeongtaek, South Korea. He also has responsibility for Metaldyne's technical center in Solon, OH.
Metaldyne designs and manufactures components, assemblies, and modules for powertrain and chassis applications, including engine, transmission/transfer case, wheel-end and suspension, axle and driveline, and noise and vibration control products.
DeFauw's most recent position was as v.p. and general manager of Metaldyne's Vibration Control Products division. Previously, he was director of Metaldyne's Powertrain operations and plant manager of the Middleville, MI, plant.
Before joining Metaldyne, DeFauw held several managerial and supervisory positions at Eaton Corp., including product line manager for Eaton's heavy-duty engine valve plant; quality manager, manufacturing services, for Eaton's Engine Components and Air Controls division; and several engineering positions.
His replacement as v.p./g.m. of Vibration Control Products has not been named.
"Bob has shown great leadership and strong operations skills," stated Tom Chambers, Metaldyne president and COO. "He is committed to operational excellence and will be a strong force as we continue to work to provide the high-quality powertrain products our customers demand in a timely, efficient manner."