Evans & Sutherland CEO resigns

Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp. is losing its top executive after nearly a dozen years with the company.

Salt Lake-based E&S said Thursday that James R. Oyler had resigned, effective immediately, as president, chief executive officer and a member of the company's board, and that the board had accepted the resignation.

Oyler's leadership at the company began in December 1994, when he replaced Rodney W. Rougelot as president and CEO.

In making the announcement Thursday, E&S described Oyler as "instrumental in completing the disposition of E&S's simulation business to Rockwell Collins and in developing the company's state-of-the-art laser projector products."

"I am proud of the accomplishments and work that have been done during my time at Evans & Sutherland," Oyler said in a prepared statement. "With the completion of the Rockwell Collins transaction, the company's strategic focus has significantly changed. I leave behind an excellent team. I will miss them and the time spent at Evans & Sutherland, but look forward to new opportunities in the future."

The board of directors has started a national search for Oyler's successor. David H. Bateman will serve in the interim. He had been serving as vice president of business operations.

"We wish him well in his future endeavors," board chairman David Coghlan said of Oyler. "Going forward, our plan remains to build the value of the company by capitalizing on the potential of our important laser projector technology in a number of existing and new applications, and by further developing the company's market leadership position in digital theaters and planetariums, which will be significant users of these laser projectors. With the talented team of employees at E&S, this is an exciting prospect."

In late May, Rockwell Collins completed its $71.5 million cash deal to acquire most of the E&S simulation assets. The deal involved Rockwell Collins absorbing an estimated 200 E&S employees and simulation facilities in Salt Lake; Orlando, Fla.; and the United Kingdom.

Rockwell Collins is a producer of cockpit avionics, sophisticated surveillance and navigation systems and in-flight entertainment products. The company's customer base includes everything from commercial passenger and shipping airline companies to domestic and foreign militaries. The addition of E&S brought in a broader portfolio of simulation and training opportunities for military and commercial applications, including the hardware and software to design highly realistic visual images for flight simulation, training and engineering, officials said.

E&S also granted Rockwell Collins exclusive rights to its newly developed laser projector for simulation markets.

In April, E&S completed the acquisition of Spitz Inc., adding to its digital theater capabilities. E&S employs approximately 125 people worldwide. During the late 1990s, it had more than 1,000.

Before joining E&S, Oyler worked as a consultant with Booz, Allen & Hamilton and served at Harris Corp. from 1976 to 1990, including time as executive vice president of Harris' Information Systems Sector.

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Contributing: Associated Press

E-mail: bwallace@desnews.com