Hypertherm, the US based manufacturer of advanced metal cutting systems, has announced that Vice-President and General Manager Evan Smith will immediately assume the role of President from Hypertherm founder and CEO, Dick Couch. Mr Couch will remain as CEO of Hypertherm and will continue to chair Hypertherm's board of directors. In addition, Hypertherm CFO Carey Chen is expanding his duties and will now oversee Hypertherm's air plasma and related product lines as CFO and Vice-President, General Manager of Light Industrial Businesses.

Mr Smith was named Vice President and General Manager of Hypertherm in 2001, overseeing the company's strategic business units and global sales organization. During that time, and under Mr Smith's guidance, Hypertherm's business has grown substantially, with revenue more than tripling.

"Evan has done an excellent job in every role he has had at Hypertherm, and it is a pleasure to name him President," said Mr Couch. "My fellow board members and I have the utmost confidence in Evan and the entire management team, and look forward to many more years of growth for Hypertherm."

Chen assumed the role of CFO and Vice President, General Manger of Light Industrial Business.

Mr Chen has served as Hypertherm's Chief Financial Officer since 2006. In this capacity, he has also led the company's information services, legal, corporate development, advanced R&D, and various customer-related service functions.

Previously, Mr Chen was-Vice President, Finance at Wiremold/Legrand, a wire and cable management solutions company, and Vice President and CFO for Bayliner Marine Corporation. Mr. Chen also has extensive consulting experience with a focus on corporate strategy and development.

Hypertherm designs and manufactures advanced cutting systems for use in a variety of industries such as shipbuilding, manufacturing, and automotive repair. Its product line includes handheld and mechanized plasma and laser systems, consumables, as well as CNC motion and height controls and CAM cutting software. Hypertherm systems are trusted for performance and reliability that results in increased productivity and profitability for tens of thousands of businesses. The New Hampshire based company's reputation for metal cutting innovation dates back more than 40 years, to 1968, with Hypertherm's invention of water injection plasma cutting. The company, consistently named one of the best places to work in America, has more than 1,200 associates along with operations and partner representation worldwide.