Xerium adds Steve Johnston as VP (Specialty Products)

Mr. Johnston will be responsible for all of Xerium’s global business in Specialty Products and Services. He will be responsible for leading the newly created business team, setting and achieving objectives, optimizing products and services for the segment, and putting the correct organization into place.

Responsibilities will also include analyzing customer requirements, developing competitive positioning and achieving the forecasted sales, profits and cashflow objectives. Mr. Johnston will lead Xerium’s global business in the following areas:

-Machine Clothing products and services for all non-paper applications including fiber cement, non-woven production and oil/gas drilling

- Roll services for all non-paper applications

- Pulp machine products and services

- Mechanical services for all applications globally – including paper

In this newly created role, Mr. Johnston will be on the Xerium leadership team and report to Harold Bevis to achieve Xerium’s objectives in these important business areas.

Harold Bevis said, “Our sales and EBITDA are growing strongly in these areas and should further benefit from focused leadership. We intend to accelerate our growth in these non-paper machine markets –services, building products, pulp, non-woven production, and film making and flexible packaging.

"Today, we serve the building products industry with process belts for making siding, the non-woven fabric market with process belts for making disposable medical garment materials, and the flexible packaging industry with rolls for making food and medical packaging.”

“These markets are growing strongly for Xerium. For instance, the global housing recovery appears to be in line with global GDP recovery. Those buildups are underway and our products are in high demand. With Steve’s arrival and the formation of this business segment, we will continue to expand and accelerate our presence in each of these end markets.”

“Steve is a key new leader and will work in partnership with our existing business and commercial leaders to help us achieve short and long term growth in value for Xerium’s stakeholders.”

Steve Johnston said, “I am excited to join Xerium at this time and look forward to creating value for our company, customers and investors. Xerium is well positioned to achieve its short and long term objectives due to our people, products and services. By bringing all of these components together, we can create exceptional levels of customer value, service and loyalty.”

Xerium