ITA Announces Brossoit, Zanin, and an All Star Speaker Panel for TITANIUM 2012

DENVER, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Eric Zanin, the senior vice president and head of materials and detail parts procurement for European aerospace giant Airbus, and Benoit Brossoit, United Technologies Corp. (UTC) Vice President of Operations, Hartford, CT, will serve as distinguished speakers at TITANIUM 2012, the 28th annual conference and exhibition, hosted and organized by the International Titanium Association (ITA).

TITANIUM 2012, which will be held Oct. 7-10 at the Hilton Atlanta, 255 Courtland Street NE, is designed to suit the needs of titanium industry professionals, suppliers, customers and stakeholders. The gathering offers a broad spectrum of information on the latest business, technology and market trends in the global titanium industry. The event is a forum for panel discussions, workshops, presentations by industry and financial experts, as well as a venue for international networking opportunities.

Sponsored by RTI International Metals, Inc., Pittsburgh, Zanin will provide an overview of the global aviation market and Airbus' recent development and near-term growth plans. He also will discuss how Airbus' procurement strategy is designed to maximize business opportunities.

The titanium industry is anxiously awaiting the commercial launch of the Airbus A350 and A380 jetliners, which are slated to be introduced in the 2013-14 timeframe. According to estimates made last year at TITANIUM 2011, the titanium content per airframe for the Airbus A350 and A380 will be 70 and 80 metric tons, respectively. As a result, Airbus' titanium demand is expected to reach 20,000 metric tons by 2015, up from 11,000 metric tons in 2011 and an estimated 13,000 metric tons this year.

Zanin started his career over 30 years ago at Aerospatiale's Airbus Division as a structural engineer.  From 2004 to February 2007, Zanin managed Airbus' International Procurement Department and International Cooperation operations.  In January 2009 he was tapped as head of business development and international cooperation within Airbus' Strategy and Future Programs organization.

The EADS group, composed of the Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter business units, generates estimated annual revenues of euro 46 billion ($60 billion) and has a workforce in excess of 120,000.

Dallas-based Titanium Metals Corp. (TIMET) will sponsor Brossoit's presentation. Earlier this year Brossoit was named UTC vice president of operations. He transitioned from his position as senior vice president, global operations, at Pratt & Whitney Canada. Brossoit began his career at Pratt & Whitney Canada in 1995 as manager of materials procurement, and has held positions of increasing responsibility in various cross-functional roles within the company's manufacturing divisions.

Pratt & Whitney, a manufacturer of commercial and military jet engines, is a major consumer of titanium. A news item posted on the company's Web site (www.pw.utc.com) reported Pratt & Whitney's PW4062 engine, which has a 94-inch fan blade diameter, was selected to power Boeing Co.'s KC-46, the new U.S. Air Force airlift tanker. Each KC-46 tanker will utilize two PW4062 engines. The deal, announced in late March, calls for as many as 368 PW4062 engines to be delivered to Boeing between 2013 and 2027.

In addition to the presentations by Zanin and Brossoit, the ITA has assembled a cast of leading international titanium executives to share their insights on the World Industry Demand Trends panel—a highlight presentation at the annual titanium conference.

Members of the all-star speaker panel, offering projections on global titanium business trends, include Dawne S. Hickton, vice chairman, chief executive officer, and president of RTI International Metals, Inc., addressing the topic of titanium demand for commercial aerospace airframes; Richard J. Harshman, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Allegheny Technologies Incorporated, (military airframe and land-based applications); James M. Buch, TIMET, Titanium Metals Corporation, executive vice president, commercial (jet engines); Michael G. Metz, president,  VSMPO Tirus US,  (overview of the Russian market for titanium mill products); Wuzhuang Zou, president, Baoji Titanium Industry Co. Ltd. (outlook for the titanium industry in China); Shozo Nishizawa, president, OSAKA Titanium technologies Co. Ltd. (outlook for Japan's titanium industry); Gilles Dussart, chief operating officer, VALTIMET, Boulogne, France (global industrial markets); and Frank L. Perryman, president and chief executive officer, Perryman Co.,  (world industry demand overview).

TITANIUM 2012 represents an efficient way for delegates to gain timely market intelligence and meet potential partners, customers and vendors. The annual gathering attracts titanium producers, distributors, designers and fabricators from throughout the world. Attendees typically hold executive positions in areas such as management, sales and marketing, product development, production, engineering, purchasing and quality control. Last year TITANIUM 2011, held in San Diego, drew a record attendance of 1,168 guests from 28 countries.

To learn more about TITANIUM 2012, call the ITA at (303) 404-2221 or visit the association's Web site at www.titanium.org.  

Contact: Jennifer Simpson, Executive Director
Denver, Colorado USA
1-303-404-2221 Telephone
1-303-404-9111 Facsimile
[email protected] Email

SOURCE International Titanium Association