June 2011 Industry Watch: People

People making recent headlines in the business of fabricating and metalworking.

STOLLE MACHINERY COMPANY, LLC (CENTENNIAL, CO) . . .
named John Kassel to the new position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) with responsibility and authority over all engineering activities, including new product development, continuation engineering, services engineering, design for manufacturability, design for sustainability, engineering change management and engineering technical transfers.

“We are thrilled to have someone of John’s caliber bring his unique skills and tremendous experience in engineering and management to help us further exceed our customers’ expectations in delivering technological advancements.” said Stolle CEO Robert Isaman. Kassel brings over 30 years of expertise in engineering, large program management and general management. Prior to joining Stolle, he held progressively senior roles in the aerospace industry at Hamilton Sundstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation,, inclusive of engineering manager, business manager, program manager, general manager, and product center manager, cumulating in his latest role as Chief Engineer, Electrical Power Generation and Start Systems (EPGSS) for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner Project.

The 787 project is the first “real-time” platform design program in the aerospace industry. High-speed data links between Boeing and their global partners allowed the test and verification of systems in a real-time, collaborative environment, significantly reducing design lead-times and increasing engineering productivity. “The aerospace and metal container machinery industries both focus on highly engineered products and ultra-precision manufacturing, “says Gus Reall, the president of Stolle Machinery, “John’s experience in coordinating global engineering activities with both customers and suppliers will be invaluable as we continue to build our global presence with regional manufacturing, sourcing, and service centers around the world.” Kassel holds a BS in Manufacturing Engineering from Bradley University and an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University. www.stollemachinery.com

UNITED GRINDING TECHNOLOGIES (MIAMISBURG, OH) . . .
promoted Larry Marchand to Vice President, with overall executive management responsibility for the Profile Grinding Products Technology Division. He has 11 years of service with the company: two years as a project manager, eight years as a UGT aerospace account manager and most recently one year as the general manager of the Profile Technology Division. Prior to joining UGT, Marchand spent four years as a manufacturing engineer at Honeywell Aviation and 13 years as a manufacturing engineer at GE Energy & Aviation. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering. “This promotion recognizes the numerous contributions, dedicated efforts, and tireless commitment he has made to United Grinding during his long employment with the company,” says Rodger Pinney, the UGT president and CEO.

The company also promoted Markus Stolmar to Vice President with overall executive management responsibility for the Tool Grinding Products Technology Division (Fredericksburg, VA). He held several managerial positions within the UGT Tool Division over the Walter and EWAG brands, including product manager, engineering manager, operations manager, inside sales manager, national sales manager and general manager. Stolmar has demonstrated great strengths in production management, as well as both sales and engineering for tool grinding, measurement and erosion.

“Markus’ promotion  recognizes the excellent results our Tool Grinding Products Technology Division has achieved under his leadership,” noted Pinney. “His positive energy, strong decision making capabilities, and new management approach undoubtedly contributed to achieving these results.” Prior to joining UGT, Stolmar held positions with Karl Schnell GmbH &Co.KG, Fahrrad Kaiser GmbH, Zoller GmbH & Co.KG and Cannondale Europe B.V. His education includes High School at Realschule Multlangen (Multlangen, Germany), Technical College at Berufskolleg (Schwaebisch Gmuend, Germany) and Technical University at Fachhochschule (Sweinfurt, Germany), where he received his Technical Engineering degree. www.grinding.com

PANGBORN GROUP (FAIRBURN, GA) . . .
hired Dale Kroskey as the Director of Equipment Sales for the Pangborn brand, responsible for managing and developing the brand’s outside sales team and distributors on equipment sales opportunities. He joins company following a distinguished career in the capital goods industry where was most recently the vice president of roll forming technology and business development at Metalforming Inc. Before that he held progressively higher sales and product management positions during his 15-yr tenure with Yoder Manufacturing, a division of Formtek. Kroskey holds a BS in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from Kent State University. www.pangborngroup.com

THERMADYNE^® (ST. LOUIS, MO) . . .
added Paul Eckhoff as a Senior Product Line Manager for manual plasma cutting products, responsible for planning and implementing strategies to help aggressively compete globally and achieve profitable growth for products marketed primarily under the Thermal Dynamics^® brand. Beginning as a mechanical engineer, then broadening his skills and capabilities in the areas of marketing and product management, Eckhoff has more than 25 years of experience in the competitive power tool industry, having served in senior-level positions with Stout Tool, Perceptron, Black & Decker, and Emerson Electric Tool Company. He also has expertise in positioning commercial products in multi-national markets, with past experience serving as a director of Asia marketing and new product development at Black & Decker, where he directed a global team of marketers and engineers and lived in Taiwan and China, a region of increasing importance to the manufacturing industry.

“Paul holds the ‘Triple Crown’ related to our industry,” said Antonio Leon, the vice president of global cutting products at Thermadyne. “With vast experience in marketing, manufacturing and engineering, he has the knowledge and expertise to make our great brands even better.” A graduate of Truman State University (Kirksville, MO) with a BS in Industrial Technology and Design, Eckhoff also holds an MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. In his new position, Eckhoff will return to his hometown of St. Louis after having most recently spent several years in Detroit. Married with three children, he and his family will live in Fenton. www.thermadyne.com

MULTICAM INC. (DALLAS, TX) . . .
appointed Evelyn Welle to be the Marketing Communications Specialist responsible for marketing, website, editorial, advertising, public relations and social media. She brings over 30 years of experience as a corporate communications professional and publication editor. “We are integrating our marketing approach to combine print, electronic, interactive, digital and social media,” said John Harris, the director of sales and marketing. “We are fortunate that Evelyn has a strong history of creative and technical writing accomplishments in all of these areas.” She earned her degree in English and journalism at Texas Christian University. Her background includes 16 years as copywriter and editor at Specialized Products Company. Welle has been a newsletter, magazine and book editor. www.multicam.com

UNITED GRINDING TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (MIAMISBURG, OH) . . .
promoted Joseph Szenay to General Manager of the Customer Care Division, responsible for the Customer Care Division and Manufacturing Services Department. He has worked in the company for 17 years. A former customer, Szenay joined UGT as a field service technician, then was appointed to applications engineer, then product manager for the Mägerle product line, eventually moving back to service as the technology advisory group manager. This was followed by a promotion to customer service manager and then to manager of life cycle solutions. He holds an associate’s degree in machine technology. “Szenay’s in-depth knowledge of our business and technologies, proven teamwork-oriented management style, and leadership capabilities will ensure the Customer Care Division continues to achieve profitable market share growth and increased customer satisfaction,” says Rodger Pinney, the UGT president and CEO. www.grinding.com

WESTFIELD STEEL, INC. (WESTFIELD, IN) . . .
named Ralph Mills as the new Plant Manager to lead steel service center manufacturing operations in Westfield and Terre Haute. His appointment illustrates their commitment to further improving production capabilities and building on the company reputation for accurate, on-time delivery of its orders. “Ralph’s experience in manufacturing is very diverse. He brings with him a great deal of knowledge when it comes to establishing and meeting important benchmarks for achieving quality improvements,” said Fritz Prine, the chief financial officer.

Much of his experience comes from the automotive and paper and corrugated packaging industries in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Colorado. During that time, he used statistical process controls, along with an ability to serve as an effective troubleshooter, to uncover solutions that would play a key role in transforming a Colorado facility into one of the top manufacturing centers in the country. Most recently Mills worked at Henman Engineering and Machine (Muncie, IN). A native of Cincinnati, he is married to his wife, Brenda. www.westfieldsteel.com

RENISHAW INC. (HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL) . . .
reported that Sir David McMurtry, Chairman and Chief Executive of Renishaw plc, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, the UK national academy of science. The formal admission ceremony takes place in London on July 15. Sir David joins a Fellowship made up of the most eminent scientists, engineers and technologists from the UK and the Commonwealth, all of whom are elected for life after a rigorous peer review on the basis of excellence in science. Sir David is one of 44 new Fellows and eight new Foreign Members elected this year, including scientific experts working on drug-resistant malaria, non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of genetic disorders and human understanding of the solar system.

Sir Paul Nurse, the president of the Royal Society, said, “It is a true pleasure to welcome this year’s new Fellows to the Royal Society. They join the ranks of the UK and Commonwealth’s leading scientists, counting themselves among early Fellows such as Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle and Charles Darwin. The Society aims to expand the frontiers of knowledge by championing the development and use of science, mathematics, engineering and medicine for the benefit of humanity and the good of the planet. It is the contribution of excellent individuals such as these which makes this possible.” The Fellowship citation recognizes that Sir David “is distinguished for his ability to think laterally and come up with innovative solutions to measurement problems, combined with business leadership.”

The citation notes that from the time of his invention of the touch trigger probe in the early 1970s, he has remained at the forefront of measurement technology, with his name on over 150 Renishaw patents. He has received significant global recognition for his career achievements, including honorary doctorates from leading UK universities, Fellowships from the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the U.S. Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). Last year he was awarded the prestigious General Pierre Nicolau Award by the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP). In 1989 he became a Royal Designer for Industry; in 1994 was made a CBE “for services to Science and Technology” and in 2001 he was appointed a Knight Bachelor “for services to Design and Innovation.” www.renishaw.com, http://royalsociety.org

HYTROL CONVEYOR CO., INC. (JONESBORO, AR) . . .
added George Reyher as the Director of International Development to direct international business efforts, including the development of a strategy for expanding into new international markets. He will be responsible for growing international business through increased involvement with existing international partners, as well as organizational improvements. Reyher brings 20 years of engineering and international sales experience in the packaging and material handling industries. www.hytrol.com

SECONN FABRICATION (WATERFORD, CT) . . .
hired Todd Gigliotti as Vice President of Sales and Skip Swift as Vice President of Business Development. Gigliotti brings 31 years in the welding and distribution business, with extensive sales leadership experience throughout the New England region. Swift has 35 years in the industry and is widely recognized as an innovative icon in automation and robotics. He is a process-driven leader and manufacturing pioneer who is eager to initiate and launch market-disrupting concepts that promise to dramatically increase the competitiveness of our clients.

“This just makes sense. Our rapid growth, ability to innovate and improvise, and our focus on anticipating the emerging needs in the marketplace – Todd and Skip gravitate to that aggressiveness and we welcome them to our team. It just seems natural,” said Rob Marelli, the owner of Seconn Fabrication. Part of this fabricator’s long-term strategy has been a solution-driven commitment to technology and automation. “Our continuous improvement efforts, as well as significant investments in these areas, have created a launching platform for an exciting future. Skip and Todd are part of our strategy to further build on and enhance our vision for technology and automation,” added Marelli. www.seconn.com

METAL POWDER INDUSTRIES FEDERATION (PRINCETON, NJ) . . .
awarded the Distinguished Service to Powder Metallurgy Award to the following professionals during the 2011 International Conference on Powder Metallurgy & Particulate Materials:  Animesh Bose, FAPMI, president, Materials Processing, Inc. (Haltom City, TX), David R. Connelly, chief executive officer, Precision Powdered Metal Parts, Inc. (Pomona, CA), John J. DiCicco, president, Major Powdered Metal Technologies, Inc. (Livonia, MI), Ian Donaldson, director, R&D N.A. & materials engineering, GKN Sinter Metals (Jefferson, MA), Chaman Lall, vice president, technology & applications development, Metal Powder Products Company (Westfield, IN).

Others include Louis W. Lherbier, director, technical market development, Carpenter Powder Products Inc. (Bridgeville, PA), Timothy J. McCabe, manager, technology development, Kinetics Climax, Inc. (Wilsonville, OR), Patrick J. McGeehan, vice president and general manager, Specialty Metal Products, Ametek, Inc. (Eighty Four, PA), Bernard North, vice president, product engineering, Kennametal Inc. (Latrobe, PA), Michael L. Rector, PMTII, vice president, Western Sintering Co., Inc. (Richland, WA), Candido Ruas, consumables marketing manager, Rio Tinto Metal Powders (QMP; Sorel, Quebec), and David L. Schaefer, senior vice president, global sales, Cloyes Gear & Products, Inc. (Rochester Hills, MI). http://www.mpif.org/