VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Nov. 14, 2013) - Finning International (TSX:FTT) announced today that it will realign certain executive responsibilities to put additional focus on strengthening customer relationships and meeting its operational excellence agenda in Canada. Effective immediately, Juan Carlos Villegas will assume the role of president of Finning Canada and will retain his position as chief operating officer of the company. Andy Fraser, currently president of Finning Canada, becomes executive vice president of customer and external relations for Finning International.
"This realignment of executive responsibilities capitalizes on these leaders' strengths and aligns our structure at the senior level to meet our key priorities," said Scott Thomson, president and CEO of Finning International. "Andy has done a tremendous job of successfully navigating our Canadian operations through some challenges and has laid a solid foundation for greater operational improvements. His ability to build solid business partnerships as well as his experience in diverse markets will be invaluable in his new position. Additionally, I am confident that Juan Carlos' experience and focus on execution will enable him to expand on the progress underway to further strengthen the Finning Canada business."
The newly created role of executive vice president of customer and external relations provides support in key areas that are critical to Finning's continued success. In this role, Mr. Fraser will focus on strengthening relationships with the company's largest customers and assume ownership for fostering community and government relations, as well as provide additional support for our dealer principals' ongoing collaboration with Caterpillar. Reflecting the fundamental importance of safety at Finning, this role will also provide strategic oversight and coordination across the operations to meet the commitment to continued safety excellence. In his career spanning over 30 years with Finning, Mr. Fraser has held a variety of senior roles across the company's operations and laid the groundwork for a renewed business strategy in the UK as managing director of Finning UK Group.
The appointment of Mr. Villegas to president of Finning Canada, based in Edmonton, streamlines decision-making and accountability as we work to accelerate progress towards achieving our operational excellence agenda in our Canadian operations. In his new role, Mr. Villegas will focus his time on overseeing all aspects of the Canadian operations with a mandate for delivering on our key priorities in supply chain, service excellence, asset utilization, market share growth and talent development. Mr. Villegas has over 30 years of industry experience in operational and leadership roles. Prior to being named chief operating officer in 2012, he was president of Finning South America where he led the successful growth of the business achieving record results.
Finning International Inc. (TSX:FTT) is the world's largest Caterpillar equipment dealer delivering unrivalled service to customers since 1933. Finning sells, rents and services equipment and engines to help customers maximize productivity. Headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., the Company operates in Western Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, as well as in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Forward-Looking Disclaimer
This report contains statements about the Company's business outlook, objectives, plans, strategic priorities and other statements that are not historical facts. A statement Finning makes is forward-looking when it uses what the Company knows and expects today to make a statement about the future. Forward-looking statements may include words such as aim, anticipate, assumption, believe, could, expect, goal, guidance, intend, may, objective, outlook, plan, project, seek, should, strategy, strive, target, and will. Forward-looking statements in this report include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: expectations with respect to the economy and associated impact on the Company's financial results; expected revenue and SG&A levels and EBIT margin growth; anticipated generation of free cash flow and its expected use; the impact of new and revised IFRS that have been issued but are not yet effective; and the expected target range of the Company's Debt Ratio. All such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the 'safe harbour' provisions of applicable Canadian securities laws.
Unless otherwise indicated by us, forward-looking statements in this report describe Finning's expectations at November 14, 2013. Except as may be required by Canadian securities laws, Finning does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Forward-looking statements, by their very nature, are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties and are based on several assumptions which give rise to the possibility that actual results could differ materially from the expectations expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements and that Finning's business outlook, objectives, plans, strategic priorities and other statements that are not historical facts may not be achieved. As a result, Finning cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will materialize. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements include: general economic and market conditions; risks associated with the conduct of business in foreign jurisdictions; foreign exchange rates; commodity prices; the level of customer confidence and spending, and the demand for, and prices of, Finning's products and services; Finning's dependence on the continued market acceptance of Caterpillar's products and Caterpillar's timely supply of parts and equipment; Finning's ability to continue to improve productivity and operational efficiencies while continuing to maintain customer service; Finning's ability to manage cost pressures as growth in revenues occur; Finning's ability to reduce costs in response to slowing activity levels; Finning's ability to attract sufficient skilled labour resources to meet growing product support demand; Finning's ability to negotiate and renew collective bargaining agreements with satisfactory terms for Finning's employees and the Company; the intensity of competitive activity; Finning's ability to realize expected benefits of acquisitions; Finning's ability to raise the capital needed to implement its business plan; regulatory initiatives or proceedings, litigation and changes in laws or regulations; stock market volatility; changes in political and economic environments for operations; the integrity, reliability, availability and benefits from information technology and the data processed by that technology. Forward-looking statements are provided in this report for the purpose of giving information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of Finning's operating environment. However, readers are cautioned that it may not be appropriate to use such forward-looking statements for any other purpose.
Forward-looking statements made in this report are based on a number of assumptions that Finning believed were reasonable on the day the Company made the forward-looking statements. Refer in particular to the Outlook section of the MD&A. Some of the assumptions, risks, and other factors which could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained in this report are discussed in the Company's current Annual Information Form (AIF) in Section 4.
Finning cautions readers that the risks described in the AIF are not the only ones that could impact the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to the Company or that are currently deemed to be immaterial may also have a material adverse effect on Finning's business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Except as otherwise indicated, forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other unusual items or of any dispositions, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or other transactions that may be announced or that may occur after the date hereof. The financial impact of these transactions and non-recurring and other unusual items can be complex and depends on the facts particular to each of them. Finning therefore cannot describe the expected impact in a meaningful way or in the same way Finning presents known risks affecting its business.
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