By Calvin Biesecker
ATK [ATK] yesterday announced a realignment of its business groups, including the addition of a new one that will serve the law enforcement and sporting markets, naming new leaders for each one month after Mark DeYoung took the helm at the aerospace and defense firm.
The new operating groups effective April 1 are Aerospace Systems, Armament Systems, Missile Products, and Security and Sporting.
“The realignment will extend our competitive reach, enhance our market agility to deliver on customer expectations of affordable, innovative solutions, and drive growth and shareholder value,” DeYoung said in a statement. DeYoung was named ATK’s president and CEO last month, several months after Dan Murphy stepped down as the company’s chief (Defense Daily, Feb. 5).
The changes include the departure of Jack Cronin, the president of the current Mission Systems group who is leaving to pursue other opportunities. DeYoung praised Cronin’s contributions to ATK.
The new Aerospace Systems group will be led by Blake Larson, who currently is in charge of the Space Systems group. Aerospace Systems will consist of Space Systems and the Aerospace Structures of the former Mission Systems group. Business lines within Aerospace Systems will include solid rocket propulsion, advanced materials, launch structures, aircraft structures, satellite structures and small satellite systems.
Armament Systems, which retains its name, will be led by Karen Davies, who currently runs the group’s Small Caliber Systems business. Armament Systems will be shedding the law enforcement and sporting ammunition, and tactical accessories products, but it will gain the precision munitions efforts that are now resident within Mission Systems.
This new structure will better align the group with its customers in the Defense Department, particularly as the precision weapons programs transition from development to production.
The new Missile Products group will be headed on an interim basis by Bart Olson, who led Mission System’s Tactical Propulsion and Controls division. Missile Products includes the company’s missile design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, which include tactical rocket and missile components, missile warning systems and special mission aircraft.
The Security and Sporting group includes ammunition, accessories and individual equipment for sporting, military, personal security and law enforcement applications. The group will be led by Ron Johnson, who ran the commercial products business of Armament Systems.
ATK said creating the Security and Sporting group will allow it to build out its tactical accessories portfolio and realize synergies in purchasing, manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution channels to accelerate its growth in multiple markets.