Guardian names new group VP for North American flat glass

Guardian Industries,Auburn Hills, Mich.,named Scott Thomsen group vice president for North American flat glass operations, a new position at the company. He will oversee all aspects of flat glass including facilities, fabrication, marketing, sales, financial, business development and services, according to a Feb. 19 release. Additionally, he will continue to oversee Guardian’s Science & Technology Center in Carleton, Mich.

“Scott has been instrumental in making Guardian a world leader in glass coating technology, and increasingly has been involved in our global coating business,” said Russell J. Ebeid, Glass Group president and chairman of the board, in the release. “We look forward to Scott demonstrating these same leadership qualities in our overall North American flat glass business.”

Thomsen has demonstrated both technological leadership and marketing savvy while introducing new and unique glass solutions in recent years, according to the release. These include Guardian’s SunGuard for commercial applications, ClimaGuard for the residential trade, EcoGuard for the solar energy industry, as well as DiamondGuard and ShowerGuard for interior use. All are comprehensive, high-performance product brands launched under his leadership.

Thomsen's first initiative was to establish his North American Flat Glass leadership team. This includes:

Martin Powell, vice president, sales and marketing. He has 27 years of experience at Guardian, most recently at Guardian Building Products where he created world-class sales, marketing and distribution programs.

Jim West, senior director, channel and business development. He developed Guardian’s solar product segment from inception. In this new role, he will be responsible for market research and business analysis to help the company define its business model for the mature North American market.

Jim Pettis, senior director, North American fabrication facilities. He has a long tenure with Guardian domestically and overseas. He will oversee Guardian’s fabrication plants and create a commercial paradigm for their success.

Joe Bruce, vice president, flat glass services, which includes purchasing, logistics, regulatory, environmental and related activities. He has held numerous roles in his 25 years at Guardian, and also will retain his responsibilities as vice president of global purchasing.

Before joining Guardian, Thomsen held senior R&D, operations and management positions at Optical Imaging Systems, Honeywell and Hughes Electronics.