Experienced NAL Mexico Vice President transitions into presidential role.
Retiring NAL Mexico President, Steve Buchanan
(March 4, 2019) – After 30 years of dedication to North American Lighting, Inc. (NAL), Steve Buchanan, President of NAL Mexico, plans to retire.
Steve Buchanan began his NAL career as its Quality Control Manager in 1988. Before becoming President of NAL Mexico in 2014, Buchanan also served as the Vice President of Quality and Launch Engineering as well as Vice President of Technology.
“It is most gratifying to have been in some small way, part of the great success of North American Lighting,” said Buchanan. “When I started at NAL in 1988, we were a very small company with less than 200 employees and sales under 50 million. NAL’s growth has been nothing short of extraordinary and our company’s reputation in the market place is second to none.”
L to R: Marty Kobayashi and Steve Buchanan
As of April 1, 2019, Marty Kobayashi will be promoted to the position of NAL Mexico President. Kobayashi brings over 28 years of combined Koito and NAL manufacturing experience to the position. He has been serving as the Vice President of NAL Mexico since 2013.
“We are very confident in Marty’s leadership and abilities to continue the growth of the Mexican operations,” said NAL President and COO, Kirk Gadberry.
Additionally, Larry Saatkamp will be joining the NAL Mexico management team as the Director of Operations. He brings over 20 years of manufacturing experience and most recently served as the General Manager of NAL Alabama Operations. Saatkamp will begin his new duties effective April 1, 2019.
Mark Keech, Director of NAL Alabama Operations, will assume the General Manager responsibilities in addition to his current role.
According to NAL President and COO, Kirk Gadberry, Buchanan will stay through May 31 to insure a smooth transition for both Kobayashi and Saatkamp into their new roles.
About North American Lighting, Inc.
North American Lighting, Inc., member of the Koito Group of Companies, is the largest automotive lighting manufacturer in North America and has been manufacturing since 1983. NAL is a pioneer in vehicular lighting from LEDs to adaptive driving beams and is now pursuing the latest technology in autonomous driving. NAL’s nine facilities in North America combined with the global network of Koito Group Companies, uniquely positions the company to meet increasing global demands for safe, energy-efficient, eco-friendly, and intelligent automotive lighting systems. For more information, visit www.nal.com.
About NAL Mexico
North American Lighting (NAL) México member of the Koito Group of Companies, is a manufacturer of exterior automotive lighting systems of the highest quality. NAL Mexico began operations in 2014 in San Luis Potosí, a strategic location in the center of Mexico. NAL Mexico currently supplies front and rear exterior automotive lighting to Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Ford.
Contact: Kayla Lindsay, Corporate Human Resources: 217-465-6600 Ext. 7429.
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