Avon Protection Systems Announces Appointment of John Kime to the Position of Chief Operating Officer


CADILLAC, MI--(Marketwire - November 15, 2010) - Avon Protection Systems, Inc. (LSE: AVON) a global company in the design, development and manufacture of respiratory protection products for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN), toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), and toxic industrial materials (TIMs) applications, announced today that John Kime has been appointed to the newly-created position of Chief Operating Officer.

John is responsible for the global operations of Avon Protection Systems.

John has managed the sales, marketing and operations of leading manufacturers in the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) marketplace for over 25 years. He has extensive knowledge and experience within the manufacturing sector providing leadership in the area of general management with a focus on growth, process improvement and company transformation. He has a wide range of experience in change management, process re-engineering and new business development. He is well versed in lean manufacturing processes as well as their application to non-manufacturing environments.

John joined Avon in July of 2009 as General Manager of ISI (International Safety Instruments, Inc), a division of Avon Protection Systems which manufactures respiratory protection and thermal imagers for first responders and industrial users. Prior to joining Avon, John was General Manager of North Safety Products USA, now a division of Honeywell Safety Products. Before his tenure at North Safety, John was General Manager of Arkon Safety Equipment USA, a division of Arkon Safety Equipment, the leading PPE manufacturer in Canada at the time. The companies that he has managed have all been able to achieve significant increases in sales and profitability, resulting in outstanding returns for shareholders. 

"John has exceptional leadership and organizational skills and I look forward to working closely with him as we take Avon Protection Systems to new heights," stated Peter Slabbert, Avon Rubber's CEO, parent company of Avon Protection Systems.

ABOUT AVON PROTECTION SYSTEMS
Avon Protection Systems, Inc., an Avon Rubber p.l.c. company, is an industry leader in the design, development and manufacture of respiratory protection products for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN), toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), and toxic industrial materials (TIMs) applications. ISI is part of Avon Protection Systems and together they are an industry leader in the design, development and manufacture of respiratory protection products and thermal imaging solutions. With new conflicts, threat scenarios and environments creating additional daily risks for individuals in the military, law enforcement, corrections, First-responder and Special Response industries, Avon Protection maintains a market-leading position by investing in continual research and design innovations to protect the elite end-user.

Contact Information:

Contact:
Anjan Shah
Avon Protection Systems, Inc.
(410) 273-1170
Anjan.shah@avon-protection.com

John Kime, Chief Operating Officer, Avon Protection Systems, Inc.