Dr Steve Chicken, managing director of Jacobsen International, the holding company for Textron’s turf equipment manufacturing facilities across Europe, has been appointed managing director of the Textron Global Technology Centre in Bangalore, India with immediate effect.
The Global Technology Centre provides engineering services to all of the Textron divisions and employs over 100 engineers. Rapid expansion at the Bangalore facility is planned over the next 12 months.
Following a successful career in the RAF, Dr Chicken joined Ransomes Jacobsen as director of engineering in 1997 and was appointed managing director of both Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd and Jacobsen International in 2002. In September 2004 he relinquished the Ransomes Jacobsen position to concentrate on the strategic development of the Jacobsen international businesses, which range from Iceland to India.
Commenting after the announcement of his new position, Dr Chicken said, “I have particularly valued and thoroughly enjoyed my time here at Ipswich. I am intensely proud of the advances that we have made, which is down to a young and vibrant management team supported by loyal people dedicated to providing exceptional customer service to turf professionals across Europe. I leave with a heavy heart, but am looking forward immensely to the challenges that await in India.”
David Withers, managing director of Ransomes Jacobsen, assumes responsibility for the Jacobsen international operation and reports directly to Jacobsen’s newly appointed President, Dan Wilkinson, who is located at the organisations head office in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) is a $10 billion multi-industry company with more than 43,000 employees in 40 countries. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, Kautex, Lycoming, Jacobsen, Ransomes, E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others.
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