October 13, 2006
CONTACT:
Rich Santercola
Director of Marketing
Suzo-Happ Group
Phone: 847-593-6130
rich.santercola@happcontrols.com
Charles Turnbull Named CEO of the Suzo-Happ Group
ELK GROVE, IL (OCTOBER 13, 2006)…..Charles E. Turnbull has been named President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Suzo-Happ Group, a leading supplier to the Gaming, Amusement and
Industrial industries. Mr. Turnbull will be responsible for all the Suzo-Happ Group companies
including Happ, Suzo, Suzo UK, Suzo South America, Advanced Electronic Systems, Inc., ProSource
and Mazzco Billiards.
Mr. Turnbull has an extensive background leading both public and private businesses. Recently, he
served as President and CEO of Sagus International, Inc., a private equity owned manufacturer of
classroom furniture with five divisions, four locations and 1,000 employees. Prior to that, he served
for three years as President of Zebra Technologies, a publicly-traded manufacturer (NASDAQ: ZBRA)
of computer printers for bar-coding and supply chain applications with 2,000 employees in six U.S.
and European facilities. Mr. Turnbull also formed a new company, InTone Corporation, with private
equity backing to provide a global platform in the office imaging supplies market. Earlier in his
career, Mr. Turnbull spent 16 years with Avery Dennison (NYSE: AVY), a Fortune 500 company,
managing sales/marketing units, leading three divisions, and ultimately serving as a Corporate Officer
and Vice President/General Manager for the company. He holds an Industrial Engineering degree
from the University of Oklahoma and a Masters of Business Administration from the Harvard Business
School.
Chuck Turnbull said “I am excited to be part of the Suzo-Happ Group and look forward helping the
organization achieve its goal of becoming the leading supplier within its industries. ” “ As the
Suzo-Happ Group has evolved from a domestic to a global business with 16 locations throughout the
world, the organization needed a leader with multi-national experience ”, noted Jim Norton, Managing
Director of Pfingsten Partners. “Chuck brings engineering, international and business process
experience to a strong existing management team. Together they will be able to serve the company’s
market even more effectively and drive continued growth. ”
The Suzo-Happ Group was formed in 2004 with the merger of Suzo International and Happ Controls
and the additional merger of Advanced Electronic Systems, Inc. in 2005. The combination of these
three successful organizations holds a global leadership position in the gaming and amusement parts
and accessories market. The combined organization services customers in nearly 80 countries with
1
manufacturing, engineering, distribution and service capabilities on three continents. Over 400
dedicated employees, on 3 continents, are focused on exceeding customer expectations.
ABOUT HAPP:
Happ was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Elk Grove Village, Ill. The company has
additional distribution centers in Las Vegas, Nev., Greenville, S.C., Indianapolis, IN, Pittsburgh, PA,
Minneapolis, MN and Menomonie Falls, WI. The company specializes in the manufacturing and
distribution of amusement, gaming, vending and industrial parts and accessories. For more
information on Happ, visit: www.happcontrols.com
ABOUT SUZO:
Founded in Rotterdam in 1955, Suzo International supplies systems and components for the gaming,
casino, amusement, and vending industries. Suzo develops and manufactures branded components,
electronics, software and systems under the proprietary STC label. Headquartered in the Netherlands,
with additional operations in Spain, Belgium, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, Brazil and
Argentina, Suzo serves customers in over 80 different countries and has achieved a reputation for
providing exceptional customer service. For more information on Suzo International, visit:
www.suzo.com.
ABOUT ADVANCED ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INC:
Advanced Electronic Systems, Inc (AESI), founded in 1993, represents and supports leading brands
for the Gaming Industry such as FutureLogic printers, MEI bill validators, Kortek monitors and
Starpoint reel mechanisms and pushbuttons. The Las Vegas, NV and Egg Harbor Township, NJ
facilities offer spare parts, repair service and technical support. For more information, visit
www.gamingstuff.com.
ABOUT PFINGSTEN PARTNERS:
Deerfield, Ill.-based Pfingsten Partners is an operationally oriented private equity firm formed in 1989
to make equity investments in middle market manufacturing, distribution and specialty publishing
companies. Since completing its first investment in 1991, Pfingsten Partners has acquired 42
companies and built value by providing capital, corporate finance and operating resources necessary
to improve operations and achieve profitable business growth at its platform companies in partnership
with management. For more information on Pfingsten Partners, visit: www.pfingstenpartners.com.
###
2