LAVAL, QC - Claude Arsenault, the long-time head of Holz-Her Canada and past president of the Canadian Woodworking Machinery Distributors Association, is retiring effective July 1. 

Arsenault's successor as vice president sales of Holz-Her Canada is Jan Backes, a 37-year-old master carpenter, who has a degree in economics and has a long career as a Weinig sales representative. Backes' career with Weinig has included serving as sales manager of moulders for France, Africa and Canada.

As vice president sales of Holz-Her Canada Backes will be responsible for managing machine and system sales in the solid wood and panel processing business units for Weinig and Holz-Her. Holz-Her has been a member of the Weinig Group since 2010.