- Joins Mitch Huitema and Andrew Rutter to lead direction of 3D Printer Company
August 28th, 2017― Type A Machines®, the market leader in manufacturing-ready Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printers, today announced the appointment of Kenneth “Hap” Klopp, founder The North Face, to Type A Machines board of directors. Mr. Klopp joins Andrew Rutter, the company’s founder, and Mitch Huitema, previously of Apple and Handspring.
Klopp acquired The North Face in 1968 serving as Chief Executive Officer for 25 years until its acquisition. A highly regarded business leader, Mr. Klopp has served on the boards and advisory boards of numerous entrepreneurial endeavors and is a frequent lecturer at major graduate business schools worldwide. Mr. Klopp led The North Face to become the largest and most technically-advanced company in its industry and one of the largest privately-held companies in the San Francisco East Bay.
“Hap is a business pioneer with extensive experience building great brands, we’re excited to have him on the team,” said Andrew Rutter, Type A Machines Chairman and CEO. “We believe his experience, and passion for entrepreneurship will be extremely valuable as we grow and mature our business.”
“3D printing is the foundation of a new, emerging economy destined to change how brands design, produce, and deliver their wares to customers,” said Mr. Klopp. “I’m excited to work alongside the talented team at Type A Machines to spread their enabling technology and solutions throughout the market.”
Klopp joins Andrew Rutter and Mitch Huitema, acting CFO, on Type A Machines’ board of directors. Ms. Huitema, a successful financial advisor and entrepreneur, is a veteran of Apple, Handspring, and Palm.
“I’m excited to be working with someone with the business experience and wisdom that Hap brings,” said Ms. Huitema. “Our vision for Type A Machines is ambitious and it’s great to have someone with his experience helping to guide us.”
About Type A Machines
Type A Machines designs the Series 1, an industrial-grade desktop FFF/FDM 3D printer featuring a massive cubic foot build volume and the ability to print in a more diverse range of materials than any other 3D printer. With the introduction of the Print Pod, Type A Machines is defining the future of manufacturing with the first centrally-managed, parallel production solution for manufacturing, makerspaces, and labs. The company’s solutions are used extensively by customers in the aerospace, automotive, consumer goods and education markets.
Type A Machines, the Type A Machines logo, Series 1, Series 1 Pro, and Print Pod are trademarks of Type A Machines. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Source: Type A Machines
