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Sabel was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hanger inAugust 1995. At the time, the Company had $52.5 million in net sales and 93locations. Today, Hanger generates in excess of $600 million in annual netsales and has a national presence with 629 locations in 45 states and theDistrict of Columbia. "Van has led Hanger through a period of dramatic changefor the industry and his leadership has enabled Hanger to grow and become theworld's premier provider of orthotic and prosthetic services," said Thomas P.Cooper, Lead Independent Director of the Board. "In addition, Van'sdedication and vision through the last 13 years has provided new and excitinggrowth opportunities for the future while reinforcing the quality of care forour patients and enhancing the relationships with our suppliers, networkpartners, referral sources and shareholders. We are also pleased that Van hasagreed to remain Chairman of the Board so he can continue to contribute to thegrowth strategy he was instrumental in developing."
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Sabel said, "Hanger Orthopedic Group is an organization that is focused onsustainable, long-term growth and diligent, detailed succession planning is acritical part of that growth plan. During the last seven years, Tom Kirk andI have worked closely together and this successful partnership provides mewith great confidence that Tom's leadership skills, strategic vision andcommitment to operational and clinical excellence makes him the right personto take our Company to the next level of performance."
Kirk joined Hanger in January 2002 as its President and Chief OperatingOfficer. As COO, Kirk has been responsible for a number of significanttechnological initiatives, including the development of WalkAide(R), anddelivering consistent operational performance that has enabled Hanger to meetor exceed First Call consensus estimates for the last seven consecutivequarters. Prior to joining Hanger, Kirk was a principal with AlixPartners,LLC, the management consulting company retained by Hanger to facilitate itsreengineering process during 2001. Kirk has also held several seniorexecutive positions with FPL Group, Quaker Chemical Corporation and Rhone-Poulenc, S.A.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to lead Hanger Orthopedic Group, andI am grateful to the Board and to Van for the confidence being placed in me,"said Kirk. "I look forward to building on our strong foundation to advanceHanger's growth opportunities and to continuing to emphasize our coreattributes of providing excellent clinical care to our patients, serving ourcustomers and harnessing the entrepreneurial spirit of our associates."
Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc., headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is theworld's premier provider of orthotic and prosthetic patient care services.Hanger is the market leader in the United States, owning and operating 629patient care centers in 45 states and the District of Columbia, with over3,500 employees including 1060 practitioners (as of 9/30/07). Hanger isorganized into four units. The two key operating units are patient care whichconsists of nationwide orthotic and prosthetic practice cen
