Gerber Scientific today announced the appointment of Marc T. Giles to the position of president, Gerber Technology, the company's apparel and flexible materials business, effective November 29, 2000. Fredric K. Rosen, who led Gerber Technology for the past 12 years, becomes chairman of the subsidiary and will help Giles during a transitional period. Both Mr Rosen and Mr Giles will report directly to Gerber Scientific chairman and chief executive officer, Michael J. Cheshire.Giles comes to Gerber from FMC Corp, a $4bn per year producer of machinery and chemicals for industry and agriculture. During his 12-year tenure with FMC, he held a number of senior positions in sales and marketing management, strategy development, and mergers and acquisitions. Most recently he was division manager, food systems and handling. In this capacity, he integrated four separate businesses, built a new management team, and restructured the division, forming strategic alliances with international and domestic firms to foster growth, increase sales, and improve profitability. "Marc Giles is a performance-driven executive with strong leadership and strategic skills," stated Cheshire. "His proven ability to launch and build new ventures based on creative, yet solid, business strategies makes him a terrific addition to Gerber's senior management team. We're delighted to have him on board.""Fred Rosen made many important contributions, including a number of acquisitions that positioned Gerber Technology as the world leader in the design and production of apparel and flexible materials. Fred's continued involvement will ensure a smooth management transition," Cheshire said.