Smith Electric Vehicles Announces New Vice President of Operations and Chief Marketing Officer

Fran Striker and Angela Strand bring vision, expertise to electric vehicle manufacturer

KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Smith Electric Vehicles US Corp., a leader in zero-emission all-electric commercial vehicles, announced today the appointment of two new executives, Vice President of Operations Fran Striker and Chief Marketing Officer Angela Strand. Mr. Striker will lead the company's global supply chain management and vehicle manufacturing operations. Ms. Strand will lead the company's global strategy, marketing, and business development functions.

"We are delighted to welcome Fran Striker and Angela Strand to the Smith executive team," said Bryan Hansel, president and CEO of Smith Electric. "Fran and Angela each bring strong leadership credentials and proven operational experience at an important point in the company's evolution. We are confident that they will help Smith advance its goal of global leadership in electrification and the electric commercial vehicles market."

Mr. Striker brings 16 years of international operations experience to Smith, most recently serving as the vice president of Americas operations for Cargotec Corporation, a $3.6-billion (by revenue) company providing cargo handling solutions to the global transportation and distribution markets. A former U.S. Navy nuclear engineering officer, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor and a Master of Business Administration in corporate finance with high honors from the University of Kansas.

Ms. Strand brings 20 years of diverse commercial experience spanning technology, software, biotech/medical device and transportation & logistics industries, most recently serving as vice president of market development for Proteus Biomedical Inc., a development-stage company and pioneer in the field of intelligent pharmaceuticals using MEMS-based ingestible and wearable sensors. She holds a Bachelor of Science with high honors in Communications and a Master of Business Administration with distinction from the University of Tennessee.

About Smith Electric Vehicles:

Smith Electric manufactures and markets zero-emission commercial electric vehicles that are designed to be a superior-performing alternative to traditional diesel trucks due to higher efficiency and lower total cost of ownership. Its vehicle designs leverage more than 80 years of experience in selling and servicing electric vehicles in the United Kingdom. Smith produces the Newton™, the only all-electric medium/heavy-truck offering on the GSA schedule. The Newton delivers a market-leading range and a payload of more than 16,000 pounds with an average annual operating cost that is one-third to one-half that of conventional diesel trucks.  The company operates manufacturing facilities in Kansas City, Mo., and outside of Newcastle, U.K.

SOURCE Smith Electric Vehicles US Corp.