Apogee Promotes Michael B. Clauer

Minneapolis-based Apogee Enterprises Inc. has announced that Michael B. Clauer has been promoted to executive vice president responsible for three architectural segment business units and the large-scale optical segment. Since joining Apogee in November 2000, Clauer, 46, has been executive vice president and chief financial officer. He has also served as president of the company's Tru Vue business since December 2001.

"With the recent sale of Harmon AutoGlass, we are redirecting Mike and have promoted him to execute key elements of our strategic plan," said Russell Huffer, chairman, president and chief executive officer. "He will be responsible for our curtainwall and window, and glass installation businesses, along with our large-scale optical segment. We are in the process of conducting a search for the chief financial officer position.

"As we've stated, our strategic plan focuses on growing our architectural glass, architectural products and services, and picture framing glass product lines, which offer significant opportunities for growth," said Huffer. "The strategies that we are developing and implementing are designed to help grow our core products and services, obtain new revenues from extensions of these businesses, and achieve higher profitability on our revenues.

Clauer was executive vice president and chief financial officer at Budget Group, Inc., a car and truck rental company, from November 1997 to February 2000, where he was responsible for the traditional financial functions, as well as information technology, purchasing and shared administrative services. Prior to joining Budget, Clauer spent 10 years with PepsiCo. Inc. in various financial management positions in the domestic and international beverage and restaurant businesses. Clauer started his career with Arthur Andersen & Co. in audit, and was chief financial officer at Open Port Technology, a venture capital-backed software company in Chicago, prior to joining Apogee.

Clauer holds a bachelor's degree from California State Polytechnical University-Pomona and a CPA in California.