New Alliant CEO is company vet: Mark DeYoung headed the Armament Systems group and replaces Dan Murphy, who retired.

Alliant Techsystems on Thursday named Mark DeYoung chief executive officer. He replaces former chairman and CEO Dan Murphy, who retired in November.

DeYoung is a 25-year veteran of Alliant and its predecessor companies. He previously was president of Alliant's Armament Systems group. During his tenure, revenue for the group rose from $600 million in 2003 to a projected $2.1 billion for fiscal 2010, making the group Alliant's largest business division.

DeYoung, 51, began his career with Hercules Aerospace Co., which Alliant acquired in 1995.

Board Chairman Ron Fogleman said DeYoung was selected from a strong batch of internal and external candidates for his experience across Alliant's core businesses and his strategic vision.

DeYoung is a graduate of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, and received an MBA from Westminster College in Salt Lake City.

Profit shoots up 28 percent

The announcement about DeYoung coincided with Alliant's third-quarter earnings report in which sales rose 3 percent to $1.1 billion and net income jumped 28 percent to $78 million.

Based on those results, the Eden Prairie-based company increased its earnings-per-share guidance for the remainder of the fiscal year to $8.80 to $8.90, from $8.60 to $8.75.

Fogleman said the company faces "some challenges" but said expansion into new markets and in its existing international operations poses a bright future.

One of those challenges is the future of the space program. Alliant plays a key role in developing the Ares I rockets, a component of the next generation of space vehicles to return astronauts to the moon. President Obama, in his 2011 budget for the space agency NASA, has proposed elimination of the moon mission.

"We expect significant debate on this issue in the months to come," John Shroyer, chief financial officer, said in a conference call with Wall Street analysts.

Alliant's space systems division accounts for about one third of the company's estimated 2010 sales of $4.8 billion.

The company said sales in its commercial sales division, which include ammunition and airplane parts, remain strong but forecast overall flatness for 2011.

Alliant shares closed at $78.35 Thursday after declining $3.28.

David Phelps --612-673-7269

3rd quarter FY2010, 1/3

2010 2009 % chg. Revenue $1,141.5 $1,109.5 +2.9 Income 78.4 61.3 +27.8 Net/cm 78.4 61.4 +27.6 Earn/share 2.33 1.85 +25.9 9 months Revenue $3,558.6 $3,326.3 +7.0 Income 220.5 177.3 +24.4 Net/cm 220.3 177.3 +24.3 Earn/share 6.60 5.17 +27.7 Figures in millions except for earnings per share. Net/cm includes net income attributable to noncontrolling interest of $30,000 and $189,000 for the three months and nine months ended Jan. 3, 2010, and ($61,000) and $45,000 for the three-month and nine-month periods from a year ago.

To see more of the Star Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to

http://www.startribune.com/. Copyright (c) 2010, Star Tribune, Minneapolis

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email

tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax

to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave.,

Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

For full details on Alliant Techsystems Inc (ATK) ATK. Alliant Techsystems Inc (ATK) has Short Term PowerRatings at TradingMarkets. Details on Alliant Techsystems Inc (ATK) Short Term PowerRatings is available at This Link.