News From Curtis

Dr. Ruslan Papazyan Appointed as General Manager, European Operations

Mt. Kisco, NY / March 2025 – Curtis is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Ruslan Papazyan as General Manager, European Operations. In this new role, Dr. Papazyan will lead and integrate key operational functions across Europe, with oversight of Manufacturing in Bulgaria, Inventory & Operations Planning in the UK, Warehousing and Logistics in Germany, and Quality in the UK. His appointment signals Curtis’ continued commitment to driving operational excellence and sustainable growth across the European market.

As General Manager, Dr. Papazyan will focus on maximizing operational effectiveness, delivering high-quality customer service, and ensuring seamless integration of the company’s diverse operational functions throughout Europe. His leadership will play a critical role in Curtis’ mission to enhance efficiency, improve production quality, and support the company’s broader goals for growth and innovation.

Dr. Papazyan brings more than 23 years of professional experience in progressively responsible positions in manufacturing. Dr. Papazyan started his career in year 2000 with ABB, where he worked for 13 years, starting as Project Leader Research & Development and advancing to Plant General Manager. In 2013, Dr. Papazyan joined the Swedish conglomerate Trelleborg in the role of General Manager with focus on sales and production. The position was responsible for establishment, development, and management of the company’s Shared Service Center for 63 countries. In 2019, Dr. Papazyan took on the role of Executive Director of the international Bulgarian company Telelink Infra Services (IT & Telecom sector).

At Curtis, Dr. Papazyan will continue to emphasize the development of advanced manufacturing methodologies, plant operations, and lean manufacturing practices, while prioritizing production quality, operational efficiency, and employee motivation.

European Operations Expansion

Ruslan Papazyan has been appointed as General Manager, European Operations and will be responsible for all Manufacturing and Distribution related activities in Europe. He will retain his current title of Managing Director Curtis Balkan.

Clare Allsopp is the European Supply Chain & Systems Manager, with the added responsibility for SIOP in Europe, and reports directly to Ruslan Papazyan.

David Gottwald is the European Logistics Manager, and reports directly to Ruslan Papazyan.

Rob Francis is the Director of Quality Assurance & Operations, Europe and has the additional responsibility for operational compliance worldwide. Rob will also report
directly to Ruslan Papazyan.

Curtis Instruments Announces the Retirement of President Stuart Marwell, Transitioning to Senior Advisor & President Emeritus

Mount Kisco, NY – [Jan. 2025] – Curtis Instruments announces the retirement of longtime President Stuart Marwell, who will transition to the role of Senior Advisor and President Emeritus after 41 years of dedicated leadership. Under Stuart’s guidance, Curtis has evolved from its roots in Mount Kisco, NY in to a global leader in off-highway electric vehicle technology.

Throughout his career, Stuart has led by example, demonstrating a tireless work ethic, a collaborative mindset, and a meticulous attention to detail. His unwavering commitment to customer success has been balanced with a deep passion for Curtis’ core values—including the belief that “People are our most important resource.”

Beyond his contributions to Curtis, Stuart has been a dedicated advocate for both industry and community. He was honored as “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester in 2014 and by Neighbors Link in 2016. In 2010, he was invited to a private roundtable discussion with President Obama in Mumbai, India, where he and other business leaders explored U.S.–India technology collaborations.

Nicholas Marwell has been promoted to the role of President representing the third-generation of family leadership at the company. While stepping back from day-to-day operations, Stuart remains a valued resource, offering guidance and strategic insight in his new advisory role.

Curtis Instruments extends its deepest gratitude to Stuart for his vision and leadership and looks forward to his continued contributions in this next chapter.

Kohler Energy Rebrands as Rehlko

— Ushering in New Era of Sustainable Energy Innovation —
— Rehlko builds on a 100-plus-year legacy of powering an energy resilient world for a better future —
KOHLER, Wis. – September 17th, 2024 – Kohler Energy today officially rebranded under its new corporate name Rehlko (pronounced REL-co), marking a major milestone in the company’s 100 -plus-year history delivering innovative, resilient energy solutions that provide independence, agility, and security to mission-critical infrastructure, facilities and residences.

Rehlko will continue operating as an independent enterprise. The company became a stand-alone entity in May 2024 when Platinum Equity completed a transaction with Kohler Company to establish then-Kohler Energy as a stand-alone business. Platinum Equity is the majority owner of Rehlko with Kohler Company remaining an investment partner. “We are embracing our future as an independent company with the new Rehlko brand and celebrating our legacy and our commitment for tackling the most complex energy challenges, and the values that guide everything we do and stand for,” said Brian Melka, Rehlko chief executive officer. “Our company’s new name is derived from the six letters of Kohler and reflects the reliability, resolve, reinvention, and resilience that have been – and will remain – the hallmarks of this organization in addressing the ever-evolving distributed energy needs of the marketplace.”

Rehlko will continue to provide control, resilience and innovation through a comprehensive range of energy solutions, including power generation, energy storage, and renewable energy technologies among others. Rehlko operates a broad portfolio of leading businesses including Power Systems, Engines, Uninterruptible Power, Home Energy, Clarke Energy, Curtis Instruments, and Heila Technologies. Kohler Power Systems and Kohler Engines will lead the enterprise portfolio brand transition by officially becoming Rehlko branded by the end of 2024.

“This rebranding is more than just a clever name change. The letters that comprise the name Rehlko reflect our 100-plus years of rich heritage under the Kohler brand and represent a bold step forward in our journey to continue building and powering a sustainable energy future,” said Francis Perrin, chief brand and sustainability officer at Rehlko. “Our new brand repositions our business at the forefront of innovation and energy resilience technology and showcases our proven ability to deliver to our customers with the energy reliability and control that they demand and require. The Rehlko brand is more focused and purpose-driven than ever before.”

Mr. Melka will officially unveil the new enterprise Rehlko brand at the Fast Company Innovation Festival on September 17th and will soon launch its new corporate website –Rehlko.com. Over the coming weeks and months, the company will support its new enterprise rebranding through a multi-faceted marketing effort including a targeted advertising campaign to introduce Rehlko across top-tier business and trade industry media publications, with the theme “Resilience is Reinvention”. The company is also thrilled to continue its partnership with two of the Interpublic Group’s ("IPG") global communications and branding agencies, The Weber Shandwick Collective and FutureBrand, who have been supporting brand launch and brand design efforts, respectively.

Headquartered in Wisconsin, Rehlko will maintain operations in more than 100 locations across the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

About Rehlko
A global leader in energy resilience, Rehlko delivers innovative energy solutions critical to sustain and improve life across home energy, industrial energy systems, and powertrain technologies, by delivering control, resilience and innovation. Leveraging the strength of its portfolio of businesses – Power Systems, Home Energy, Kohler Uninterruptible Power, Clarke Energy, Heila Technologies, Curtis Instruments, and Engines, and more than a century of industry leadership, Rehlko builds resilience where and when the grid cannot, and goes beyond functional, individual recovery to create better lives and communities, and a more durable and reliable energy future. For more details, learn more at Rehlko.com.

About Platinum Equity
Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with more than $48 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 50 operating companies that serve customers around the world. Platinum Equity specializes in mergers, acquisitions and operations – a trademarked strategy it calls M&A&O® – acquiring and operating companies in a broad range of business markets, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, equipment rental, metals services, media and entertainment, technology, telecommunications and other industries. Over the past 28 years Platinum Equity has completed more than 450 acquisitions.

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Media Contact:
Suzanne Cutway
Director, Corporate Communications
Rehlko
suzanne.cutway@kohler.com

Patrick Rose
Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Weber Shandwick
prose@webershandwick.com

Kohler Co. and Platinum Equity Close Transaction to Establish Kohler Energy as Independent Business

KOHLER, Wis. – May 6, 2024 – Kohler Co. and Platinum Equity announced today the companies have closed the transaction to establish Kohler Energy as a separate, independent business. Platinum Equity is now the majority owner of the Energy business and Kohler Co. remains an investment partner. Financial details are not being disclosed.

Kohler Energy is strategically positioned to continue strong performance in the global energy resilience marketplace, now operating as a standalone company outside of Kohler Co. Brian Melka is CEO of the Energy business, elevating his leadership role after more than 10 years working at Kohler and driving the group’s growth and success. David Kohler serves on its Board of Directors.

“This strategic move allows Kohler to focus and invest in our global Kitchen & Bath, Wellness, and Hospitality businesses while also positioning the Energy business to reach its full potential under the ownership of Platinum Equity,” said David Kohler, Chair and CEO of Kohler Co. “I want to thank the entire Energy team; the performance of this business over the last three years has been remarkable. Exciting times are ahead, and Energy will forever have a special place in our company’s heritage.”

Brian Melka, CEO of Kohler Energy, added: “We are excited for this next phase of Kohler Energy with Platinum Equity as a partner. The demand for resilient energy is growing, and the world needs much more of what we do. Kohler has been an excellent steward of our business for more than 100 years, and this decision positions Kohler Energy to better deliver on that demand. Platinum Equity firmly supports our growth path ahead and can help further accelerate our progress in the global energy resilience industry.”

Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with more than $48 billion of assets under management and is an experienced partner in the industrial products sector.

“Platinum is committed to strengthening Kohler Energy’s position as an industry leader and investing in development of a new generation of innovative energy resilience solutions,” said Platinum Equity Co-President Jacob Kotzubei. “We are excited about the prospects for the business, which has been at the forefront of energy resilience for more than a century. We have tremendous respect for David Kohler and the Kohler leadership team, appreciate their confidence in us, and are grateful for their continued partnership.”

“The energy resilience business has an outstanding leadership team, dedicated employees and an opportunity to capitalize on the tailwinds driving demand for reliable power solutions for individuals, businesses, and communities around the world,” said Platinum Equity Managing Director Matthew Louie. “We are thrilled to work with Brian and the management team to continue investing in the company’s human capital, infrastructure, customer and vendor partnerships, and growth.”

New EU Application Group Director, Asen Stamenov

Curtis Instruments is proud to announce the promotion of Asen Stamenov to the position of EU Application Group Director, effective January 2024. In his new role, Asen will lead the European Application engineering team, overseeing daily customer support activities, providing guidance to customers, sales teams, and distributors, evaluating customer requirements, assisting in new project approvals, and mentoring application engineers as needed.

With 24 years of invaluable experience at Curtis Instruments, Asen brings a wealth of expertise and a proven track record of success to his new role. Previously serving as Director of Sales and Customer Support for Eastern Europe, Asen has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication throughout his tenure.

Asen began his journey at Curtis Instruments in production as a tester of PCB boards before transitioning to roles such as test engineer and manufacturing engineer. His passion for meeting people and serving customers led him to customer support engineering and eventually to the position of European Application Engineer for various projects. In 2013, Asen took on the role of Sales Manager for Eastern European countries, further showcasing his versatility and commitment to the company.

Throughout his career, Asen has achieved remarkable milestones, including working with key customers in Europe such as Combilift, Goupil, Charlatte, and JLG. He has successfully revived lost customers in the Bulgarian market and even contributed his expertise to projects like the Jungheinrich EKS project in the US.

Curtis Instruments Welcomes Jon Hourihan as New Sales Director for Curtis Instruments UK

London, UK - March, 2024 - Curtis Instruments, a global leader in instrumentation, controls, and integrated systems for a wide range of industries, proudly announces the appointment of Jon Hourihan as the Sales Director for the UK & Ireland market, effective January 8th, 2024.

With over 30 years of experience in supplying engineered products to various sectors, including Automotive OEMs, motorsport, military, and agriculture, Jon brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Curtis Instruments. Prior to joining Curtis, Jon held technical, commercial, quality, and production roles with renowned companies such as divisions of Klockner Werke group and TI in the UK. Additionally, Jon has significant commercial management experience with UK-based suppliers, as well as international exposure gained from living and working in the USA, Japan, and Europe.

Jon holds a Bachelor's degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering, a Post Grad diploma, and an MBA, reflecting his commitment to continuous learning and professional development. His notable achievements include successfully launching an Electric ATV to the market, which has given him a deep appreciation of Curtis products in application.