Restructuring at US optoelectronics firm

Explosive growth in all three of its major optoelectronic market sectors has led CAO Group to re-structure its optoelectronics sales and marketing into three separate business units: components, solid state signage, and solid state lighting. According to Founder, President and CEO Dr. Densen Cao, all the company's opto products share an underlying technology, but they make their way to different customer types through different channels. The new vertical focus will build expertise and allow a more concentrated focus on the varying needs of different customer types, Dr. Cao explained, since each of the three segments is bigger today than their aggregate just a few years ago. In this new structure, Kennie Alton will be Director of the Components Business Unit; Dr. Gary Maag will be the Director of the Signage Business Unit; and Jim Malfitano has joined the company as Director of the Lighting Business Unit. Engineering and Operations remain horizontally structured, with Gordon Marble as Director of Operations and Leo Geng as Director of Engineering. Geng has also been named Vice-President of the company's Golden Valley (Beijing) facility. Mr. Alton previously worked at 3COM, U.S. Robotics and MSL in various job functions. As Director of the Components business unit, Mr. Alton will focus his activities on building the company's position in high flux LEDs, especially its Dynasty brand, and in expanding its PCBA business. Mr. Alton is a graduate of Weber State University in Ogden, UT. Dr. Gary Maag, now heading solid state signage, joined CAO Group earlier this year as inside sales manager for the company's signage products. He previously held management positions at Autometer, which manufactures gauges for race cars and other specialty vehicles. He has also taught electro-mechanical engineering at his alma mater, Utah Valley University. He earned his doctorate at Cambridge State University in Honolulu. New to the company is the Director of the Solid State Lighting business unit, Jim Malfitano, who brings the CAO Group twenty years of experience in the field, garnered at Osram Sylvania. He is a graduate of Northeastern University and earned his Masters at Bentley.