Industry Watch: People

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

BERRY METAL COMPANY (HARMONY, PA) . . .
added John J. Mroz as the vice president of sales and marketing, responsible for providing customers with technical support and service in the use of injection lances for steelmaking – the company’s core business – and be involved in the development of other prospective products and services that are underway globally for Berry Metal.

“John brings with him world-class experience in the business,” said George Koenig, the president of Berry Metal. “By properly interpreting the needs of our customers, John will be in the ideal position to lead our team in the execution of required solutions. His in-depth technical knowledge will be a critical asset in understanding the needs of our customers. Our goal is to be closer to our customers more than ever before . . . in my mind that’s critical in today’s industry. We’ve always taken pride in our ability to anticipate our customers’ needs and to be proactive with solutions and recommendations. Bringing John on board is just one more example of our commitment to stay ahead of the curve and offer superior customer service.”

Mroz will report directly to Koenig. Prior to joining Berry Metal, Mroz was employed by Heraeus Electro-Nite Company (Langhorn, PA) as a sales manager of steel products and by LTV Steel Corporation as part of their steel producing operations management team. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Cleveland State University and an MBA from Purdue University – Calumet and is an active member of the AIST Oxygen Steel Making Committee.

“Berry Metal is totally committed to providing the best service in the business, bar none,” added Mroz. “I look forward to working with our team and be a part of that process as well as bringing our new innovative technologies to other aspects of the molten metal industry that extend beyond our core business.” Berry Metal Company is recognized as a leading technology-based designer and manufacturer of injection lances for the steelmaking industry. Over its 60 years in business, the company has earned a reputation not only for quality products but also for its technical services and repair capability. www.berrymetal.com

BARTON INTERNATIONAL (GLENS FALLS, NY) . . .
appointed Ray Lindberg as the regional sales manager for the Western Great Lakes region. This sales territory includes Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee and Wisconsin. In his new role, Lindberg’s goals are to educate the waterjet and blast media markets in the value of Barton garnet abrasives and to maximize customer satisfaction. Lindberg has more than 20 years of technical sales experience in the abrasive, tooling, machining and machine tool equipment industries. A family owned business for five generations, Barton International was founded in 1878. Barton is the world’s largest producer and distributor of industrial garnet grains and powders. www.barton.com

ADAMS MAGNETIC PRODUCTS COMPANY, INC.
(ELMHURST, IL) . . .
hired John Cosmas as the chief operating officer for this newly-created position, where he will oversee business practices and policies, including involvement with international supply chain management and financial direction.

Cosmas will work directly with company president Scott Lewis to guide the general managers leading an extended family of businesses that include Adams Magnetic Products Company, Inc., providing magnetic products and assemblies; Magnetic Attractions, offering magnetic promotions, direct marketing services and digitally-printed labels for packaged goods; and Dowling Magnets, offering retail magnetic products for the education, toy and hardware markets.

“Adams and its companies already are very successful,” says Cosmas. “They have a strong culture, great core values and a customer-centric focus. The tremendous upside is further enhancing these qualities and providing their customers with expanded product breadth, on-time shipments and greater value which leads to even more opportunities for growth.” Investing in continued success, he will strive to improve upon the company enterprise resource planning system, financial reporting methodology, and other business processes and metrics. He will work closely with the company leaders in Illinois, New York, Kentucky, North Carolina and California.

Prior to joining Adams, Cosmas served as the PCTEL, Inc. (Bloomingdale, IL) Antenna Products Group vice president of operations and global supply chain management, responsible for the largest business unit with facilities in the U.S., Europe and China, and for major contract manufacturing partners throughout Asia. During his years there, Cosmas led lean manufacturing and Kanban project initiatives that yielded significant results for enhanced efficiency, reduced waste, improved production and increased profitability.

Previously, Cosmas worked as vice president of operations and chief financial officer for MAXRAD, Inc., which was acquired by PCTEL. MAXRAD was a designer and manufacturer of broad-based antenna solutions for wireless communication, and relied on Adams Magnetic Products as a supplier. Before entering the magnet and antenna manufacturing industries, Cosmas enjoyed a successful career as a certified public accountant working with both publicly- and privately-held organizations. A member of both the American Institute of CPAs and the Illinois CPA Society, he also is a certified financial planner. He earned his bachelor’s degree from DePaul University in Chicago, and a Master of Business Administration from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL.

Established in 1950, Adams Magnetic Products sets the standard for designing and manufacturing innovative magnetic products and assemblies. One of the oldest U.S. companies in the industry, its staff draws from a depth of engineering, fabricating, coating, testing, sourcing, handling, and distributing expertise managing inventory and delivery to coincide with customers’ production cycles and schedules. Adams stocks a large variety and quantity of the most popular magnetic products and has the capabilities to produce magnets of virtually any shape and size. www.adamsmagnetic.com

ALUMINUM ASSOCIATION (ARLINGTON, VA) . . .
named Heidi Biggs Brock as its new president, succeeding Steve Larkin, who served as the Association’s president since 1998 and earlier this year announced his plan to retire at the end of 2011. “Heidi will be a great asset to the Aluminum Association and a tremendous addition to our leadership team,” said Steve Demetriou, outgoing chairman of the Association and the chairman and CEO of Aleris International Inc. (Beechwood, OH). “The Aluminum Association and our staff have accomplished a great deal under Steve’s leadership during the past 13 years as he successfully led the Association through the most challenging time in the industry’s history. I am certain that Heidi’s skills, experience and drive will ensure continued success in the years to come as we take the industry’s sustainability message to the next level.”

Most recently Ms. Brock served as vice president of Federal and International Affairs for the Weyerhaeuser Company (Federal Way, WA). She currently serves as a member of the executive committee and board of both the National Institute of Building Sciences and the US-Japan Leadership Program. Previously she was Weyerhaeuser’s e-business vice president, where she served on the board of ForestExpress, the industry-backed electronic marketplace formed in 2000 by Weyerhaeuser, Georgia-Pacific and International Paper now known as Liaison Technologies.

She also held roles in the company’s government affairs group in Washington, D.C., working on public policy issues, and in Weyerhaeuser’s strategic planning organization. Prior to Weyerhaeuser, Ms. Brock served as a legislative assistant to former U.S. Senators Daniel J. Evans and Slade Gorton, responsible for natural resource issues. Ms. Brock has a B.A. from the University of Puget Sound and an M.B.A. from Georgetown University.

In related news, the Association changed board leadership and its board of directors. Thomas A. Brackmann, the president of Nichols Aluminum (Davenport IA), was elected to be the chairman of the board, replacing Demetriou. Larkin said, “We very excited to see the Aluminum Association continue its important advocacy role and sustainability leadership under Brackmann.”

Jean-Marc Germain, the senior vice-president and president of Novelis North America (Atlanta, GA), will fulfill the role of vice-chairman. Larkin noted that “The theme of this year’s Aluminum Week was ‘Celebrate Sustainability,’ Germain has shown a commitment to promoting aluminum as the most sustainable material option for automakers, packagers, product designers and architects; as vice-chairman, he will certainly continue this important work.”

William Aronson, the vice-chairman of Metal Exchange Corp. (St. Louis, MO,), Patrick Lawlor, the business area president of SAPA Profiles North America (Moon Township, PA,); Wesley Oberholzer, the executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Wise Metals Group (Linthicum Heights, MD,); Jerry Sweeney, the co-founder and president of Tennessee Aluminum Processors, Inc. (Columbia, TN); Patrick Franc, the president and CEO of Tri-Arrows Aluminum, Inc. (Louisville, KY); Dietrich M. Gross, the founder and chairman and CEO of Jupiter Aluminum (Hammond, IN,); Kurt F. Leopold, the CEO of Valimet Inc. (Stockton, CA,); Robert J. Longenecker, the retired CEO of KB Alloys (Reading, PA,); and Layle “Kip” Smith, the CEO and president of Noranda Aluminum, Inc. (Franklin, TN) were elected to the board of directors representing Producer Members.

Patrick Taylor, the president and CEO of Besttransport.com, Inc. (Worthington, OH), will fill a vacant seat due to a recent resignation. He will be joined by Michael O. Falk, the president and CEO of Falk PLI Engineering and Surveying (Portage, IN,) and Andrew R. Fellon, the president and CEO of Fellon-McCord and Associates, LLC (Louisville, KY) as new board of directors members representing Associate Members.

The Aluminum Association’s board of directors, assisted by the Chairman’s advisory council, is responsible for all policy decisions for the Association. The Board represents the total industry by engaging the interests of the product divisions and overseeing the management of core member services. The Aluminum Association works globally to aggressively promote aluminum as the most sustainable and recyclable automotive, packaging and construction material in today’s market. The Association represents U.S. and foreign-based primary producers of aluminum, aluminum recyclers and producers of fabricated products, as well as industry suppliers. Member companies operate more than 200 plants in the U.S., with many conducting business worldwide. www.aluminum.org

ERIEZ® MANUFACTURING COMPANY (ERIE, PA) . . .
promoted Dave Heubel to the newly-created position of director of North American sales right on the heels of announcing that the company is combining its U.S. and Canadian sales organizations into a consolidated North American sales team. Heubel most recently served as the national sales manager for the U.S. Light and Heavy Industry Markets.

“In his new role, Dave will expand those same management responsibilities to include Eriez sales in Canada,” says Charlie Ingram, the vice president of sales and marketing. “Our decision to integrate our U.S. and Canadian sales organizations is a continuation of our strategy to focus our selling and marketing efforts by key industries and markets. Now, our sales and technical support of customers and sales representatives in Canada will function exactly as we have in the U.S. In his new role, Dave will lead the team and help ensure a smooth integration.”

Heubel joined Eriez in 1990 as a technical sales representative, progressing through several assignments, including being the product manager/separation and market manager for the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. A graduate of Pennsylvania State University, Heubel earned a bachelor’s degree in management, a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in business administration.

Eriez manufactures advanced technology for separation, vibratory and inspection applications in ten international facilities located on six continents. Their separation, metal detection, x-ray, materials feeding, screening, conveying and controlling equipment is used in the process, metalworking, packaging, recycling, mining, aggregate and textile industries. www.eriez.com

WISCONSIN MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP
(MADISON, WI) . . .
named Buckley Brinkman to serve as the organization’s executive director and chief executive officer. In this role, Brinkman will oversee the operations and management of WMEP, a nonprofit consulting organization that provides services to help Wisconsin’s small and midsize manufacturers grow and succeed. He will also lead WMEP’s advocacy efforts on behalf of state manufacturers, which include research studies, educational programs and initiatives to promote competitiveness, exports and sustainability.

“WMEP has a proven track record in providing services that deliver exceptional results to Wisconsin manufacturers,” Brinkman said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to build on the success of this terrific organization, and lead efforts to achieve our mission to make Wisconsin the best manufacturing economy in the world.” He brings more than 25 years of transformational manufacturing leadership to WMEP, with a breadth of experience in helping companies drive growth, world-class competitiveness and performance excellence. Experienced in lean, Six Sigma, supply chain management and turnaround planning, he has led efforts to save dozens of operations in the U.S. by finding new ways to compete.

Throughout his career, Brinkman has provided executive leadership to companies ranging from $5 million to more than $4 billion in sales. He is credited with reviving the North American operations of the world’s largest playing card company, leading the turnaround of a prominent trade bindery and catalyzing the profit turnaround of a recycled paperboard mill.

Brinkman has served as president and chief operating officer of U.S. Music Corp., an Illinois-based musical instrument manufacturer, and as chief operating officer of Minneapolis-based Manchester Companies, where he received the Turnaround of the Year award for his work with a medical device manufacturer. Most recently, he served as president of Vallon, LLC, a Minneapolis-based interim executive placement firm. Brinkman is an industry thought leader who has authored several white papers on innovation, corporate culture, business strategy and other topics.

“We’re very pleased to have Buckley Brinkman on board and wish him the best as he takes the helm of WMEP,” said Mike Erwin, chair of WMEP’s board of directors and president of Menomonee Falls-based Tailored Label Products, Inc. “He is an enthusiastic and energetic proponent of manufacturing who will be a tremendous asset to the organization.”

A Wisconsin native, Brinkman holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. He is the founder and moderator of the Forge Alliance, a networking and educational group for manufacturing executives. He also serves on the board of directors of Safe Passage for Children, a nonprofit corporation that trains volunteers and business leaders to be advocates for children in foster care, child protection and public adoption programs. Brinkman fills the position vacated by Mike Klonsinski, who left WMEP in January to become deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.

WMEP is a private, nonprofit organization committed to the growth and success of Wisconsin manufacturers. A leader in Next Generation Manufacturing, WMEP brings best practices to Wisconsin firms to help them achieve world-class performance through innovation and transformation. Since 1998, WMEP has helped to generate more than $1 billion in economic impact and create and save more than 13,000 state manufacturing jobs, according to results documented by customers. WMEP receives financial support from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership. WMEP also partners with many public and private organizations to serve Wisconsin manufacturers. www.wmep.org

OMAX® CORPORATION (KENT, WA) . . .
appointed Michael Ruppenthal to the position of vice president of North American sales. He brings with him over 15 years of sales and sales management, marketing and product development experience within the
abrasive waterjet industry. During much of his professional career, Ruppenthal specialized in developing, initiating and leading sales and marketing strategies in the manufacturing industry, as well as other industries. He has also served as a consultant within the machine tool industry for client companies involved in welding, fabricating and machining.