2-3-98

Contacts:
Stan Johnson, Extension, (515) 294-6192
Tracy Griffin, News Service, (515) 294-4777

BAKKER NAMED DIRECTOR OF IOWA MTC

AMES, Iowa -- Willem Bakker, chairman of Manufacturing System Services, Inc. and director of ERS-Tech, Inc., Peoria, Ill., has been appointed director of the Iowa Manufacturing Technology Center, Ankeny. His appointment was effective Feb. 1.

"Willem Bakker brings an excellent background in manufacturing to the Iowa Manufacturing Technology Center. He has a strong record both in the human and technical issues that manufacturers deal with daily," said Stan Johnson, vice provost for extension. "His appointment should come as exciting news for all small and mid-sized manufacturers in the state."

Manufacturing System Services, Inc., a company Bakker founded in 1993, designs, repairs and services factory automation. ERS-Tech, Inc., which Bakker founded in 1989, develops and markets human- performance assessment systems and other medical devices. Bakker also served as vice president of Advanced Technology Services, Inc., from 1989 to 1993, and vice president of the TransTechnology Corp., from 1972 to 1988.

Bakker received a B.S. in electrical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, in 1969, and an M.B.A. in marketing from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., in 1972.

The Iowa Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC) provides technical and business assistance to small and mid-sized manufacturers in an effort to improve the competitiveness of Iowa

companies. Field agents throughout the state conduct assessments of companies to identify areas for improvement and then link clients to the resources needed to make those improvements. The Iowa MTC is an affiliate of the Manufacturing Extension Program of the National Institute of Standards & Technology. MTC is managed through Iowa State University Extension and partners with Des Moines Community College, all of Iowa's community colleges, Iowa Dept. of Economic Development, Iowa Association of Business & Industry, and numerous other organizations dedicated to strengthening the competitiveness of Iowa manufacturers.

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Revised 2/3/98