SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn., Oct. 23, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oxford Performance Materials Inc. (OPM), a leading advanced materials and additive manufacturing (3D printing) company, today announced the appointments of Larry Varholak as Vice President of Programs, OPM Aerospace & Industrial, and Sal Bordonaro as Vice President of Operations, OPM Aerospace & Industrial.
OPM utilizes advanced materials science, process technology and application-appropriate additive manufacturing and other solutions to manufacture disruptive end-use products, leveraging the company's proprietary formulation of poly-ether-ketone-ketone (PEKK), an unparalleled high performance polymer for industrial and biomedical applications. OPM Aerospace & Industrial utilizes the company's proprietary OXFAB® technology platform to deliver lightweight, high performance, cost-competitive, 3D printed thermoplastic parts for commercial and military aircraft, spacecraft and other industrial solutions. OPM's additive manufacturing technology produces parts that equal the performance of a range of traditionally manufactured aluminum and composite components at lighter weight without increase in cost.
"I am very pleased to welcome Larry and Sal to OPM, both of whom bring significant and relevant experience that will further strengthen OPM Aerospace & Industrial and drive our growth in key markets," said Paul Martin, President of OPM Aerospace & Industrial. "OPM's PEKK-based products are ideal for end market industrial applications where functional complexity and weight reduction can have a substantial impact on overall performance, while also yielding cost and energy savings."
Martin added, "Larry has successfully engineered and managed development and production of a wide range of military and commercial aircraft and parts. Larry brings to OPM a unique understanding of the fundamental challenges in the industry today. Sal was the ideal candidate to manage our overall operations; his industry experience is extensive and speaks for itself. Together they will play critical roles in bringing our innovations to market, which we believe will fundamentally improve the way the world's aircraft are manufactured."
Larry Varholak brings over 30 years of engineering experience to Oxford Performance Materials. Prior to joining OPM, Larry was Chief Engineer of the S-92 at Sikorsky and also served in the capacity of Director of Fleet Analytics. He began his career as a Structural Analyst with Sikorsky in 1980 and held this role for eight years. In 1989, Larry took a position with Dow–United Technologies Composite Products as their COO and VP of New Business Development. At Dow UT, Larry developed industry leading patented technology that enabled the company's growth to a leader in graphite thermoplastic and thermoset aerospace parts. In addition, Larry developed Dow UT programs for Boeing, Lockheed Martin, DARPA and many other key aerospace customers. In 2000, Larry moved on to KLM Industries, where he served as the company's COO and managed a $500M enterprise. Larry holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bridgeport and is a Licensed Structural Engineer. He has authored two publications and holds four U.S. patents and two foreign patents.
Sal Bordonaro has over 30 years of experience in the aerospace and defense industries. Prior to joining OPM, he held various positions at Kaman Corporation, starting in the finance organization, and transitioning to program management and operations before he was named President of the Kaman Helicopters Division in 2004. Sal is experienced in developing high performance teams, strategy deployment, organizational restructuring, lean transformation, and project, supply chain and financial management. He also helped transform the Kaman Helicopters Division into a rapid response aerospace component provider for major aerospace manufacturers, including Bell, Sikorsky, and Northrop Grumman. Sal has negotiated a range of key strategic partnerships resulting in commercial and military orders ranging from $10M to $500M. These include the first ever unmanned cargo resupply helicopter to be deployed in Afghanistan by the U.S. Marines and the first major Bell Helicopter contract award for the Kaman Aerospace Group totaling approximately $100M. A native of Connecticut, Sal received his Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from Central Connecticut State University and his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Hartford.
About Oxford Performance Materials, Inc.
Oxford Performance Materials (OPM) is a recognized leader in 3D printing and high performance additive manufacturing (HPAM™). OPM has developed a range of advanced materials science, process technology and application engineering focused on the high performance polymer poly-ether-ketone-ketone (PEKK), and delivers enterprise level, functional end-use products to the biomedical, aerospace and industrial markets as the first company to successfully apply additive manufacturing solutions to PEKK by utilizing the company's proprietary OXPEKK® formulation. A pioneer in personalized medicine, OPM became the only company to receive FDA clearance to manufacture 3D printed patient‐specific polymeric implants for its cranial prostheses line in February 2013, and its Biomedical division received a second 510(k) for its patient-specific facial implants in July 2014. OPM's Aerospace & Industrial division has been fulfilling critical development contracts for parts in a range of aircraft applications in commercial, defense, and space with its proprietary HPAM® materials technology. For more information, please visit: http://www.oxfordpm.com/.