4M Carbon Fiber Corp has appointed Rob Klawonn as CEO.
The company plans to commercialize its carbon fiber production technology. Klawonn assumes the role of CEO, succeeding Josh Kimmel, who has held the position for a year. Kimmel will continue to serve as the company's president and will also be on the corporation's board of directors.
‘Rob's expertise, knowledge, and network in the carbon fiber industry is exactly what 4M needs at this stage to ensure the company maximizes the value of the technology,’ said Kimmel.
For the past 10 years, Klawonn was president of Teijin Carbon America (formerly Toho Tenax America) and since 2015, he has also been president of Diversified Structural Composites, a Teijin subsidiary producing various pultruded components for the wind energy and Industrial sectors. He served on the ACMA (American Composites Manufacturers Association) board of directors from 2015-2017.
‘The past 10 years have been extremely challenging for materials businesses, including carbon fiber,’ said Klawonn. ‘While glass fiber composites are relatively mature, carbon fiber is still an adolescent with a tremendous future. 4M's plasma oxidation technology will position it to survive and thrive in a competitive landscape of incumbent materials such as steel, aluminum, and glass fiber composites.’
‘Our goal is to stand up multiple carbon fiber production lines in the next five years,’ said Rodney Grubb, chairman and chief operating officer of 4M. ‘With his extensive background and industry experience, Rob will be instrumental in helping us to do that.’
This story uses material from4M, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
