Woods Named Baker President

James D. Woods was elected president and chief operating officer Wednesday of Baker International, succeeding E. H. Clark Jr., who remains chairman and chief executive of the Orange-based oil-services company.

Clark said he relinquished the presidency to Woods in order to devote more time to long-range strategic planning.

Woods, formerly a corporate vice president and president of Baker’s two units that manufacture equipment for oil-field operations, was promoted in recognition of the role that he has played in helping the company through the toughest years in its history, spokesman James G. Turner said.

Like other oil-service firms, Baker has reeled under sharp declines in domestic oil prices that since 1982 have resulted in a 58% reduction in demand for oil-extraction equipment, Turner said. In fiscal 1983, Baker lost $63.5 million, then turned around and posted net income of $70.6 million in its latest fiscal year. This year the company is projecting a 25% increase in net income.

Turner said Woods played a key role in the company’s financial rebound by implementing plans that slashed the company’s work force from 33,000 to 20,000 and closed many factories and field-service locations.