Industry Watch: People

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

DE-STA-CO (AUBURN HILLS, MI) . . .
appointed John Podczerwinski as president. “John has a strong track record of success. Within his position at Vehicle Services Group (VSG), he was instrumental in delivering dramatic increases in market share. After thoughtful consideration, we are confident he is the best fit for this position and look forward to his leadership,” said Thomas Giacomini, the president and CEO of Dover Industrial Products (Downers Grove, IL), a segment within Dover Corporation.

For more than three years, Podczerwinski has led VSG, North and South Americas, a Dover Company, as vice president and general manager. In 2010, he helped the company attain record sales and earnings, despite the challenging economic state. He also served as project manager for the acquisition and integration of Hanmecson (now VSG Asia), Dover’s first acquisition of a Chinese company that positioned VSG for growth not only in Asia, but also worldwide.

Before joining VSG, he held positions as general manager, chief financial officer and vice president of human resources for furniture manufacturer Schnadig Corporation (Chicago, IL). The Certified Public Accountant holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Dayton and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago. www.destaco.com

MAKINO (MASON, OH) . . .
recently added Dr. Zhigang Wang to the Titanium Process Research and Development group in Mason. He brings a wealth of experience in the research of machining titanium and will serve to strengthen the company’s role as a leader in the titanium machining industry.

“Dr. Wang will be a valuable asset in our ongoing pursuit for more efficient titanium machining processes and technologies,” said Mark Larson, the Titanium R&D manager for Makino. “He will play an active role in researching new and existing processes, while providing detailed analytical reports that go far beyond simple data on speeds and feeds. With his experience and abilities, Dr. Wang will serve the company well in extending our knowledge and capabilities around the machining of titanium.”

Wang has extensive experience as a researcher and published author. His works have been published in the CIRP Annals, the International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture and the International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology and include “A hybrid cutting force model for machining of titanium alloys”, “High Speed Milling of Titanium Alloys Using Binderless CBN Tools”, and “Study on Orthogonal Turning of Titanium Alloys with Different Coolant Supply Strategies”.

Wang earned his PhD from the National University of Singapore, holds a Masters degree from the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in China, and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Nanjing Forestry University in Nanjing, China. www.makino.com

COMEQ, INC. (WHITE MARSH, MD) . . .
recently appointed Eric Lenhart as the North American product manager for the Parmigiani angle and plate bending rolls and the Americor 3-roll and 4-roll plate bending rolls. For the past 15 years, Lenhart had been the national sales and product manager for Euromac, LLC and was instrumental in making its line of punching machines into a major U.S. brand.

He brings a vast knowledge of the metalworking industry and more than 18 years of experience working with manufacturers and distributors throughout the U.S. and the world, and will be based in the White Marsh facility for travel throughout the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean to assist customers and distributors with their fabricating machinery needs. www.comeq.com

JET EDGE, INC. (ST. MICHAEL, MN) . . .
recently appointed Haihong (Samuel) Song to area manager for the waterjet manufacturer’s new sales office in Shanghai, China. Mr. Song is responsible for developing the company’s business presence in China’s rapidly growing manufacturing market by directly overseeing the Shanghai office, coordinating all sales activities, managing sales personnel and distributors, and developing a key customer base.

Customers will benefit from Mr. Song’s extensive engineering and waterjet industry background, as well as from his expertise in 3D waterjet application. He is a graduate of the Shanghai Institute of Electric Power, where he majored in electrical automation. He also speaks fluent English and German as second languages. www.jetedge.com

COE PRESS EQUIPMENT CORPORATION
(STERLING HEIGHTS, MI) . . .
recently appointed Allen Kibzey as its new regional sales manager serving the Michigan and Mexico markets. He is responsible for sales development and for supervising distributors in his territory, keeping them appraised of new equipment and service offerings, working with them on pricing, and visiting customer sites. “Al brings unprecedented experience to this position, with a strong knowledge base in every area of the business,” said Jim Ward, the general sales manager. “We are happy to have him join the sales team and believe he’ll be an excellent asset.”

Kibzey has been a COE employee for 23 years, serving in a variety of positions that included production engineering manager in charge of supervising the mechanical and controls engineering departments. Most recently he has served as the Parts and Service manager. He lives in Macomb Township with his wife and daughter. www.cpec.com

MAG IAS, LLC (Erlanger, KY) . . .
reported that chairman and CEO Dr. Eng. Mo I. Meidar recently received a Leader of Innovation Medal from Philadelphia University at the Spirit of Innovation Gala along with Jose Maria Alapont, the president and CEO of Federal-Mogul Corp., Dorothy Roberts, the chairman of The Echo Design Group; and Tomio Taki, a managing member of Takihyo LLC. Designer Tommy Hilfiger received the Spirit of Design Award.