Sullivan to head Ruger Newport operations

Thomas P. Sullivan has been named vice president of Sturm, Ruger & Company’s Newport operations, overseeing the firm’s firearms manufacturing and Pine Tree Castings facilities in New Hampshire.

He most recently was vice president of lean enterprise at IMI Norgren Ltd.

Sturm, Ruger President Stephen L. Sanetti said the Southport, Conn.-based company is “going lean” and is working “to reduce or eliminate waste, scrap, rework or unneeded inventories.” he said Sullivan’s experience “is in direct concert with the top-to-bottom overhaul of all processes that is currently taking place in our Newport, New Hampshire facility. While many changes have already occurred at the facility, Tom’s knowledge and familiarity with the ‘lean concept’ will spawn additional necessary changes at an accelerated pace, with the goal of rapidly improving the efficiency of all Newport operations. We welcome him aboard and are excited at the prospect of an accelerated pace of change.”

Sturm Ruger’s two Newport facilities employ some 950 people. – JEFF FEINGOLD