Stephen Brown has been named as general manager at Cincinnati Machine UK and will be taking over from managing director John Bloxham who has announced his retirement with effect from the end of 2003.

Stephen Brown has been named as General Manager at Cincinnati Machine UK. Brown was previously Business Development Director for the Birmingham based manufacturer of vertical machining centres and CNC lathes. He will be taking over from Managing Director John Bloxham who has announced his retirement with effect from the end of 2003.

Brown joined Cincinnati in 1986 as Manufacturing Director and led the team that was responsible for the introduction of the company’s revolutionary Sabre range in 1989.

He has extensive senior management experience with both Cincinnati and other export manufacturing businesses together with significant international business and manufacturing expertise.

He will work alongside John Bloxham through the remainder of 2003 and take over full responsibility at year-end.

Commenting on his new role, Brown said: ‘Cincinnati Machine and the machine tool industry face unparalleled challenges in the months ahead.

I look forward to the challenge not only with relish, but with optimism.’ Brown is married with two daughters and has a degree in metallurgical engineering plus post- graduate management qualifications.

Brown succeeds John Bloxham, Cincinnati’s Managing Director who is retiring after 40 years of service with the company, 30 years of which have been in management positions.

John became Manufacturing Director at the Birmingham operation in 1983 and was appointed Managing Director in 1988.

Commenting on the change of leadership, David Nowicki, Unova’s Vice President of Manufacturing Operations said: ‘John is a significant figure in the UK machine tool industry and will be missed by colleagues and competitors alike.

He has made a major contribution to Cincinnati in his 40 years of service.

He has significantly influenced the strategic direction of the business and has guided the company through good times and bad.

We wish John and his wife a long and enjoyable retirement.’ Cincinnati Machine UK is a subsidiary of Unova industrial automation Systems (IAS), and combines the engineering, manufacturing and business systems infrastructure of two of the machine tool industry’s most respected manufacturers - Cincinnati Machine and Lamb Technicon.