Michael N. Hammes, a former auto executive who heads Black & Decker Corp.'s power tools and home products group, was appointed to the newly created position of vice chairman of the Towson-based maker of power tools and appliances, the company said yesterday.
"It recognizes that Mike Hammes is the No. 2 guy at the company," Mr. Hammes, 50, said yesterday. "It's a nice way of recognizing my contribution."
Those contributions include overseeing the company's introduction in January of the company's DeWalt line of power tools, which are aimed at professional contractors who buy
Mr. Hammes (pronounced HAM-iss), who moved from Chrysler Corp. to Black & Decker in May 1990, was credited with bringing with him the "Acura concept," a method by which Honda was able to enter the automobile market for the affluent by adopting a new name. In the DeWalt case, the company revived the old name ofa company it had bought years ago.
The reaction to DeWalt has been better than expected, Mr. Hammes said. The line of power tools is challenging No. 1 Makita, a Japanese maker of power tools. "I've never seen anything like it," he said.
Mr. Hammes, 50, said the new position on the board doesn't change his responsibilities as executive vice president of the company and president of the power tools and home products group.