Industry supplier Bekaert Textiles Group has announced that effective Jan. 1, Paul De Meulemeester will retire as president and chief executive officer, a position he held for the past decade. His replacement is Dirk Vandeplancke, who currently serves as the Waregem, Belgium-based company’s managing director for the Americas.
De Meulemeester’s career at Bekaert spans 42 years. He began in the accounting department and rose through the ranks to his current post. He will continue with the company as a member of the Supervisory Board of the board of directors.
Vandeplancke, an engineer, has spent his career with Bekaert in a range of positions in Europe as well as the United States, where he oversaw the establishment of Bekaert Textiles U.S.A.
Commenting on his career with the ticking supplier, De Meulemeester said, “I look back at this period and on my work with great satisfaction, and I’m proud of what Bekaert Textiles has realized together with its customers.”
Bekaert has six business units with sales offices and manufacturing facilities in the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe.