March Industry Watch: People

WELD TOOLING CORPORATION (CANONSBURG, PA) . . .
named Dave Bloom North American Sales Manager, promoted Mark Binder to Director of Sales and promoted Mark Kisasonak to Head of Engineering. Bloom has more than 25 years of experience in the steel fabrication industry and is already familiar with Bug-O products and applications. Bug-O Systems is a division of Weld Tooling Corporation.

Binder has been involved with international and domestic sales for some time and brings many years of experience with the company to the job. Kisasonak has been part of the Weld Tooling engineering staff for more than 15 years. He and his team are working hard to support current products and to bring new products to the market. www.bugo.com

BUNTING® MAGNETICS (NEWTON, KS) . . .
added Marvin Angleton as manager, Technical Services and Quality, and Tom Andrews as metal detection service technician.

“Marvin brings a diverse background that combines the practical knowledge of managing the daily flow of a shop floor with the strategic ability to anticipate how we can grow and improve our operational capabilities,” stated Barry Voorhees, general manager for Bunting’s main production facility. “Also, he has worked for us in the past and is familiar with the mindset in which we manufacture our products. Quality is the first concern and continuing that tradition will be his primary focus.”

Angleton has more than 27 years of manufacturing experience in the aerospace and magnetic material industries. His range of skills spans from working as a machinist to being the engineering manager for a large aerospace firm. His training includes Six-Sigma Green Belt certification in quality initiatives, policy development for OHSA regulations and various process improvements involving information technology systems. Angleton holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Marketing from Wichita State University and a Masters of Business Administration from Friends University in Wichita. In his role, he will direct the Technical Services Department, which includes the Design Engineering, Inside Sales, Estimating and Research & Development teams within the company.

As a metal detection service technician, Andrews will help manage all new unit startup and commissioning for the metal detection product line. This will include troubleshooting and repair in all field service situations including customer audits. Tom will assist in implementing new service contracts as required and provide professional field service and phone support for customers. A native of Wichita, KS, he has more than 25 years of field service experience in the aerospace and printing products industries. A veteran of the United States Navy, Andrews has extensive training in basic electronics and digital electronics and has served as an instructor at the Wichita Technical Institute in the past. www.buntingmagnetics.com

CENTERLINE (WINDSOR) LIMITED (WINDSOR, CANADA) . . .
appointed Greg Crain to Corporate Account Manager, responsible for Chrysler Group LLC. He has more than 25 years of automotive industry experience. Among his career highlights, Crain has worked for General Motors and Ford as a mechanical designer and as a program manager within the machine tool industry managing multimillion-dollar programs for OEM and tier one clients. For the past four years, he has been with the special machinery division, with responsibility for key account estimating and process development proposals.

In his new capacity, Crain will manage sales and service commitments to Chrysler group operations throughout North America.  His extensive product knowledge, practical technical experience and dedication to customer satisfaction will enable the company to provide Chrysler with the highest possible level of support. www.cntrline.com

CHEVALIER MACHINERY (SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA) . . .
hired Marc Gallin as Director of Marketing and Herbert Hou as National Sales Manager for its Milling & Turning Division.

“My previous experience in the Medical Equipment industry and my skill set as an innovative business leader with a proven reputation to excel in advertising, public relations and strategic marketing will help Chevalier move forward in the future. I hold a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a Master of International Business Management degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, AZ,” noted Gallin.

Gallin’s goals while working at Chevalier are to create organization within the marketing department; to establish new advertising ideas and campaigns; to take over responsibility for the company’s public relations efforts; and the planning and execution of the company’s trade expos.

“I am very excited to be a part of the Chevalier team, and I am confident that my work here will add to the overall success of the company.  I’m excited to work with the great team we have in place, and we’re working well together and starting to gain momentum for 2011,” he added.

Hou brings 15 years of industry experience operating multiple channels of distribution that enhance performance, drive profits and stimulate company growth.

“My previous experience in the machine tool industry and my skill set include years of increased responsibilities in sales, sales management, as well as supporting the entire sales department,” he said.

“My experience includes direct sales efforts and managing value added resellers and I’m skilled in strategic planning, economic forecasting, and channel conflict resolution. I also have CNC mill and lathe programming experience, and am trained in Fanuc and Mitsubishi control operation and parameters adjustment. I hold a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tri-State University in Indiana,” added Hou.

His goals while working at Chevalier are as follows: to create organization within the milling & turning division and throughout their U.S. dealer network and to provide superior account management and customer service.

“I am very excited to be a part of the Chevalier team, and am confident that my efforts will add to the overall success of the company.  It’s exciting to work with the great team they already have in place, and we’re already gaining momentum for 2011,” said Hou. www.chevalierusa.com

ICO SURFACE COATINGS (BRUNSWICK, OH) . . .
appointed Al Brooker as sales manager. He has sold PVD coatings for more than 25 years in all major markets including cutting tools, automotive tier one and two suppliers, aerospace, plastics and die and mold industries.

Brooker has an extensive background with TiN, AlTin, TiCN, DLC, SiN and diamond coatings and has engineered solutions to save manufacturing costs and premature wear on customers’ tooling. For gear manufacturers, he developed special fixturing that eliminates the need to strip carbide from the tools before recoating. He also has set up recoating programs for large international customers.

Richard Otter, VP Sales, ICO Coatings, said, “With Al on board, we can expand our customer services and offer high quality PVD coating solutions to a larger group of customers.”

ICO Surface Coatings offers PVD coating and re-coating services for all types new and used tools and wear parts. Equipped with state-of-the-art coating chambers and carrousels, ICO offers both standard and special surface treatments. Standard coatings are: CrN, TiN, TiCN, AlTiN-ML, AlTiN-XL, AlTiCrN and TiAlCN Phoenix.™ Special and tool-specific coatings can be individually tailored to specific customer requirements. Coating chambers can handle part sizes up to 1,000 mm OD x 700 mm. www.icosurfacecoatings.com

OKUMA AMERICA CORPORATION (CHARLOTTE, NC) . . .
made some personnel adjustments to put a heightened focus on advanced technology: Brian Sides moved into the role of Director of Technology; Jim Endsley was promoted to Supervisor of Product Specialists; Jeff Estes will identify technology development needs, establish strategic Technology Partnerships and further develop Partners in THINC and Technology Centers.

The newly created Technology Group will allow an increased emphasis on the THINC^®-OSP control, the formation of Technology Partnerships and the utilization of the Partners in THINC and Okuma Tech Center facilities to provide solutions to solve the real problems faced by manufacturers.

Sides will apply his comprehensive engineering background and experience as a leader of the THINC control development team to place a magnified focus on supporting THINC and Partners in THINC initiatives. Endsley will manage the existing staff of product specialists and increasing the focus on product-related education and technology information. Estes, Director of Partners in THINC, will apply his more-than-20 years of manufacturing experience to identify technology development needs, establish strategic Technology Partnerships and further develop Partners in THINC and Technology Centers in Houston, TX, and Chicago, IL.

“These moves ensure continued focus on, and development of, our one-of-a-kind CNC control.  Together, these gentlemen bring decades of manufacturing experience to Okuma and I am confident that our customers will reap the benefits of the new technology, partnerships and manufacturing solutions this team will develop,” stated Jim King, Senior Vice President of Sales. www.okuma.com

THERMADYNE (ST. LOUIS, MO) . . .
appointed Matthew Proffit as National Accounts Manager, responsible for the strategic management of existing customer relationships throughout North America and the leadership of new business development across a broad range of applications.

With more than 12 years of national and international experience in industrial manufacturing sales management and business development, Proffit previously worked for Ingersoll Rand Company, a $13 billion global industrial manufacturer diversified with multi-brand commercial products for the air conditioning, food transport, and security industries. He had served in several sales management roles with Ingersoll Rand, most recently having been National Sales Manager in the assembly division, in which he was responsible for the direction of sales, marketing and business development programs within the U.S.

“Matt is a welcome addition to our sales team. His solid background in sales management and extensive industry experience, coupled with a keen understanding of our company’s high standards for customer relationships, will be an integral part of Thermadyne’s initiatives to reach even higher levels of customer satisfaction,” said Tony Coco, Director of Channel Marketing and National Accounts.

Proffit received a Bachelor of Science degree in technical systems management from the University of Illinois and is a graduate of Indiana University with a Master of Business Administration degree. He currently lives in Saint Charles, MO, with his wife Ellen and daughter Ainsley. www.thermadyne.com

ASTM (W. CONSHOHOCKEN, PA) . . .
named Catherine (Kitty) H. Pilarz, senior director of Mattel/Fisher-Price product safety in East Aurora, NY, as its 2011 International Chairman of the Board. ASTM International is one of the world’s largest and most diverse standards developing organizations. Chairman of the board is the highest elected position in ASTM International.

Pilarz, who has served on the ASTM board of directors since 2006, is vice chairman of new projects for ASTM Committee F15 on Consumer Products, co-chairman of Subcommittee F15.18 on Cribs, Toddler Beds, Play Yards, Bassinets, Cradles and Changing Tables, and a participant in many other F15 subcommittees. She was honored with the 2006 ASTM Award of Merit and accompanying title of fellow for her contributions to F15, a committee of more than 900 manufacturers, end users, industry associations, regulatory authorities, health professionals and consumer advocacy groups who develop voluntary product standards to improve consumer safety.

In her professional position, Pilarz is responsible for the safety policy of the Mattel and Fisher-Price product lines. Mattel/Fisher-Price designs, manufactures and markets toys and family products sold in more than 150 nations around the world. In 1980, Pilarz graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a B.S. in mechanical engineering, and that same year she started working for Fisher-Price as an engineer-in-training.

While a project engineer in international operations and conducting analysis and planning for international production, she received her M.B.A. from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, in 1983. She additionally held positions as a manufacturing engineer and as a quality control engineer before becoming manager of product safety and reliability in 1987. She assumed her current role in 2001. Pilarz is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Society for Quality. Through ASQ, she has earned the designations of certified reliability engineer and certified quality engineer.

Pilarz has served as symposium chair for the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization, and as president and board member of that group, which works to promote product safety through education and communication. She received a 40 under 40 Award in 1998 from Business First magazine. www.astm.org