JR AUTOMATION ANNOUNCES CEO TRANSITION

JR Automation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), and its Board of Managers announced that Dave DeGraaf has been named Chief Executive Officer.  DeGraaf succeeds Craig Ulrich, who recently announced his retirement. 

DeGraaf comes to JR Automation with a long career in manufacturing, mobility and energy storage.  He has held key leadership positions at Johnson Controls, Faurecia and Gill Industries in addition to a distinguished career with the United States Air Force.  Most recently, he served as CEO of Volta Power Systems, a leading player in advanced lithium-ion power systems for RV, marine and work-truck OEMs. 

"We welcome Dave to both JR Automation and Hitachi, and are excited for his proven leadership experience and vision as we continue our mission to drive social innovation,” said Hiroga Kozai, Chairman of JR Automation and President of Hitachi Industrial Holdings Americas, Inc.  “We thank Craig for his dedication and leadership during his tenure at JR Automation.” 

DeGraaf joins JR Automation at an exciting moment in its history as the company continues its global growth with recent facility additions, enhanced service and capability offerings, and expanded turnkey solutions.  With over 2,000 employees and over 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing floor space across 21 global facilities, JR Automation is now one of the leading automation integrators in the world.  As a Hitachi Group Company, the organization has expanded deeper into digital transformation solutions to help its customers achieve their smart manufacturing objectives. 

“I am honored to join the dedicated and talented team of JR Automation,” said DeGraaf.  “It is inspiring to see all the truly innovative work being done within these facilities around the world, and I am excited to support our customers as they continue to grow their IT/OT infrastructure through the power of digital solutions and automation.”