Clearfield Names Bob Poorman VP of Sales

Poorman brings 30 years of technological sales leadership to the FTTH firm

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Clearfield, Inc. (Nasdaq:CLFD) announced that Bob Poorman has joined the company as vice president of sales. Poorman, a recognized sales leader in the technology field, has more than 30 years experience in marketing products on an international scale. According to company officials, Poorman's ample expertise will be used to introduce Clearfield's unique Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) products to new markets.

CEO Cheri Beranek Podzimek said, "We consider ourselves very fortunate to have someone with Bob's sterling credentials and successful track record on board at Clearfield. I know what he's capable of, and I'm confident that he's the perfect candidate to lead our sales team in marketing Clearfield's unique portfolio of FTTH products both domestically and internationally."

Poorman, who will oversee Clearfield's sales team, said, "Clearfield has created a very successful niche in serving the FTTH needs of the rural telecommunications market. The company has established itself through reliable service and unrivaled FTTH technology." He noted that the company will expand Clearfield's market share through research and development of new products, and by strategically identifying new domestic and global markets. "I love this kind of challenge, and know that my team is already well-positioned for success," Poorman said.

Previously, as vice president of worldwide sales at the networking security firm RapidStream, Poorman led the turn-around of the California-based company's sales organization, which ultimately resulted in an acquisition. He was responsible for the company's expansion into the Asian and Latin American markets, as well as creating a European sales operation.

From 1991-2000, he held a series of sales positions for Minnesota-based Digi International, culminating with vice president of international sales and operations. There, he is credited with achieving an average annual revenue growth rate of 35 percent.

Poorman also managed sales operations at Safe Lites, in Minnesota, along with Fine Line International, Kimitron, Inc., and Prima Internacional, all of California. Over the course of his career, he is credited with building single product revenues exceeding $40 million, brokering distribution partnerships in more than 60 countries and establishing U.S.-headquartered subsidiaries in 15 regions around the world.

About Clearfield, Inc.

Clearfield, Inc., designs and manufactures the FieldSmart fiber management platform, which includes its latest generation Fiber Distribution System (FDS) and Fiber Scalability Center (FSC). The FDS and FSC product lines support a wide range of panel configurations, densities, connectors and adapter options, and are offered alongside an assortment of passive optical components. Clearfield provides a complete line of fiber and copper assemblies for indoor plant and outside plant environments. Clearfield is a public company, traded on Nasdaq:CLFD.

More information about Clearfield, Inc., its products and its people can be found at www.ClearfieldConnection.com.

    Source: Clearfield, Inc.

Released November 19, 2008