MTD announces key executive appointments

MTD Products Inc., a Valley City, Ohio-based global manufacturer of outdoor power equipment and appliance components, announced a series of executive appointments Jan. 30, with the planned retirement of Curtis E. Moll, chairman and CEO.

Theodore S. Moll will serve as chairman, Robert T. Moll as CEO, Jean H. Hlay as president and chief operating officer, Hartmut Kaesgen as vice chairman, Roy G. Pullum as executive vice president of operations and global sourcing, and Rory B. Bringhurst as executive vice president of product development.

Following is background information for each of the executives:

Theodore S. Moll, chairman: Theodore Moll joined MTD in 1958, and he most recently served as senior executive vice president for global operations and vice chairman. After graduating from Wittenberg University, he completed his tooling apprenticeship at the MTD plant. He managed the Indianola plant in Mississippi and was promoted to president of Aircap Industries and group vice president for the Indianola, Tupelo and Manning, S.C. facilities, before taking over operations of the company in 1996.
Robert T. Moll, chief executive officer: Robert Moll joined MTD in 1990, most recently serving as senior executive vice president with responsibility for international operations and corporate development. Previously, he was president of the hand-held division at MTD Southwest. He has held leadership positions in sales and marketing and served as a member of the board since 2003. He earned his undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Jean H. Hlay, president and chief operating officer: Hlay joined MTD in 1994 and was previously the senior executive vice president of sales, marketing and service. In her 14 years with MTD, Hlay has also served as vice president of corporate development and finance, as well as controller. Before joining MTD, Hlay was vice president and CFO for Crossville Rubber Products, Inc., and spent 10 years with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, where she was the senior audit manager. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, and is a certified public accountant.
Hartmut Kaesgen, vice chairman: Kaesgen joined MTD in 1962 as a tool and die apprentice and has served in several positions, most recently as senior executive vice president of product development. Kaesgen’s passion has been in the area of product development, where he has played an integral role in numerous technical innovations and MTD’s early adoption of computer modeling.
Roy G. Pullum, executive vice president of operations and global sourcing: Pullum joined MTD in 1978 as a machinist tool and die apprentice and most recently served as senior vice president of product and manufacturing engineering. He has been instrumental in the growth of automation in the stamping and assembly processes, as well as a major proponent of lean manufacturing principles.
Rory B. Bringhurst, executive vice president of product development: Bringhurst joined MTD in 2000, previously serving as vice president of engineering and concepts for MTD Southwest in Tempe, Ariz. He began his career as a technician for Ryobi Outdoor Products in 1988. He held several positions at Ryobi, including director of quality, plant manager and vice president of engineering and concepts.

MTD Products Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of outdoor power equipment headquartered near Cleveland, Ohio. Additional MTD brands include Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, Yard-Man, White Outdoor, Yard Machines and Bolens. Products can be found at home improvement stores, mass retailers, hardware stores, independent dealers and farm supply stores. For more information, visit www.mtdproducts.com.