SYDNEY, Australia (Dec. 8, 2008)—Lonnie Smith has been named general manager of Luxfer Gas Cylinders operations in Asia Pacific.

He has management responsibility for all operations throughout Asia Pacific, including the composite cylinder manufacturing plant in Shanghai, China; the Australian distribution centre in Sydney, Australia, where his office is located; and Luxfer’s interests in India.

He reports to John Rhodes, president of Luxfer Gas Cylinders.

Smith joined Luxfer in 1996 as engineering manager for the Composite Cylinder Division (CCD) in Riverside, California. During the subsequent 12 years, he served as CCD assistant general manager, general manager in charge of the start-up of the Shanghai composite cylinder plant and general manager of composite cylinder operations in Riverside.

Before joining Luxfer, he worked as engineering manager for Structural Composites Industries (SCI) and as an engineer for Northrup Corporation, Lockheed Corporation and Stone & Webster Engineering.

Smith holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and a master’s degree in management from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.