Appointment brings strengths in technology strategy and agile development.

RALEIGH, NC, October 22, 2013 - Elster Solutions, the North American business unit of Elster Electricity, announced that Jeffery Tolnar has joined Elster as its new Vice President of Systems and Products. Tolnar comes to Elster with more than 25 years of experience in engineering, operations and product development of advanced technologies in the smart grid and communications industries.

Tolnar's focus will be to execute upon Elster's strategic plans, assure high quality, and accelerate all aspects of product development, using rapid development principles in an agile environment.

"We are reaffirming Elster's commitment to high quality from concept to production, across organizations and for all products," said Tolnar. "Our focus is to accelerate product development by implementing best practice processes, leveraging the strengths of other Elster regions, by outsourcing to complement our strengths, and by deeper integration with complementary partners. The marketplace can expect to see exciting and innovative solutions from Elster more quickly and competitively than ever before."

"Jeff's skills and experience are a great fit for Elster. With his experience in process transformation, he brings a fresh approach that will benefit Elster and our customers," said Mark Fronmuller, President Elster Solutions. "We are very excited to have him join our team."

Tolnar has held various roles of increasing responsibility, most recently at BPL Global as their Chief Information and Technical Officer since 2005. While there, Tolnar led all technical aspects of the company, driving global technology strategy and product development. He directly oversaw the company's three technology Centers of Excellence and guided the technical operation as it implemented agile methodologies. Prior to his tenure at BPL, Tolnar was a founding member of Amperion and led sales, marketing and business development. Tolnar also served in executive roles at American Electric Power and Sprint.

Jeff Tolnar holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology from Youngstown State University and an MBA from Baker University.

About Elster
Elster delivers complete Smart Grid and Energy Management Solutions that drive energy efficiency, operational improvements and cost savings for utilities, commercial and industrial customers and consumers. Elster uses its speed and agility to drive interoperability and open standards and strategically collaborates with customers and partners.

Its end-to-end electricity, water and gas offerings include advanced meters/sensors, secure communications, and data collection, management and analytics. Elster is dedicated to customer success in more than 130 countries through Elster's professional integration services, technical support and training.

Media Contacts:
Elster Solutions
Barbara Lehenbauer
919-212-5088
barbara.lehenbauer@elster.com

Juhl Communications
Ginger Juhl
720 200 4082
ginger.juhl@elster.com

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