EHC Global leadership change leads news of other hirings.

EHC Global Founder Ron Ball Retiring

Ron Ball, founder, chairman and managing director of Eastern Region Operations, is retiring from EHC Global, established in Ajax, Canada, in 1977. Stating he plans to spend more time with family and friends, Ball will remain involved as a strategic advisor. Assuming Ball’s managing director role will be Ted Hornbein, EHC’s general manager, Asia Pacific (ELEVATOR WORLD, September 2015). Hornbein will report directly to Jeno Eppel, president and CEO.

Ball established EHC as a one-man operation. By the early 1980s, the company had expanded into the U.S. and established a foothold in several international markets. Soon after, Ball expanded into Europe by integrating EHC into the supply chains of larger firms, including OEMs, eventually establishing the company’s first overseas manufacturing facility in Germany in 1992. In the mid 1990s, anticipating China’s increasing importance in international business and rapidly expanding domestic market, Ball relocated to Shanghai to establish EHC China, now the company’s largest operation. Over the past decade, EHC has continued to grow its global footprint by opening sales and distribution centers in Brazil, Barbados, France, Spain and the U.K. Eppel opined:

“On behalf of the EHC family, I would like to thank Ball for his vision, leadership and the many contributions he has made to the company, the local communities we support and the global lift industry over the past 40 years. We remain committed to growth, innovation and continuing Ball’s legacy for decades to come.”

KONE Appoints Hara CFO

KONE has appointed Ilkka Hara chief financial officer (CFO) and member of the executive board, effective August 8. Based in Espoo, Finland, and reporting to CEO Henrik Ehrnrooth, Hara takes the position previously held by Eriikka Söderström, who left the company in July to pursue other interests. Hara joins KONE from Microsoft, where he served as general manager and CFO for the phones division since 2014, based in the U.S. Since 2004, he held various finance, and mergers and acquisitions leadership roles at Nokia. Prior to that, he gained experience in investment banking with a special focus on technology. He holds a Master’s of Science in Economics from the Helsinki School of Economics.

Magnetek Hires Asia-Pacific Manager

Drive designer and manufacturer Magnetek, Inc. has added Vincent Hoe as Business Development manager for its elevator drives business in the Asia-Pacific region. Hoe will manage Magnetek’s elevator drive sales and support operations for modernization and new-construction projects in the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Shanghai and Australia. He will be based out of the Singapore office of Magnetek’s parent company, Columbus McKinnon.

Hoe has held management, technical sales and support positions at Fujitec Singapore and its subsidiary FSP Pte Ltd., thyssenkrupp, and Otis. Ed Butte, director of Magnetek’s elevator drives business, added:

“[Hoe] brings over 20 years’ experience in the elevator industry. We are extremely pleased [he] has agreed to join our team and believe he will be instrumental in advancing the adoption of our. . . elevator drives in the Asia-Pacific region, and will provide customers with superb technical service and support. We will also be adding a technical resource, reporting to Hoe, to support current and new customers in this region.”

Hoe is a Singapore citizen and earned a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from the University of Strathclyde in the U.K. and an MBA from the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. He speaks Chinese and English fluently.