Matsuura Machinery USA Inc. appoints personnel

Matsuura Machinery USA Inc., St. Paul, Minn., which develops high-speed machining and manufactures automated, unmanned, high-accuracy CNC machine tools, has announced a number of personnel appointments.

Thomas Houle is Lumex director. He is responsible for the overall operation and performance of Matsuura's metal additive manufacturing solution, Lumex, providing leadership toward the achievement of its objectives and growth. He will manage the U.S. expansion, the development of strategic sales plans and the U.S. promotion of the Lumex product. Matsuura is building a Lumex showroom and demonstration facility at corporate headquarters, joining the three other Lumex Centers of Excellence locations in Japan, Germany and the U.K. Houle also will direct the recruiting and management of personnel to promote, sell and implement Lumex. In addition to his appointment, Matsuura will add Lumex technical operations and support staff, including applications engineers, service engineers, a sales coordinator and a sales assistant. Lumex is a powder bed metal additive manufacturing platform with subtractive capability and combines selective laser sintering and high-speed milling. Matsuura has manufactured Lumex for more than 10 years and plans to expand the sales and technical support available in the U.S.

"In his role as Lumex director, Tom will leverage his experience in operational excellence and business management to develop a cutting-edge, innovative U.S. presence for Matsuura's metal additive manufacturing solution," said Matsuura President Craig St. John. "He will inspire a culture of continuous improvement by defining goals, developing strategies, implementing systems and measuring performance results for the Lumex product."

Houle's experience encompasses more than 26 years in the manufacturing industry, specializing in high-end injection molding and design solutions. Prior to joining Matsuura, he was with Custom Mold & Design/Teamvantage, Forest Lake, Minn.

"Tom's experience in the mold industry, new product development, engineering solutions, along with his interpersonal skills, business acumen and a passion for manufacturing solutions will make him an excellent addition to the Matsuura USA team," St. John said.

David Hudson is vice president of sales and marketing. He had served as Western regional sales manager since 2013.

"With over 4 years of successfully representing Matsuura Machinery USA Inc., David brings a wide range of proven results to this important role," St. John said.

Hudson will provide leadership to the Matsuura sales and marketing teams, deepen distributor relationships, cultivate business opportunities and assist in providing customized manufacturing solutions for customers.

"After a comprehensive search for vice president of sales and marketing, we recognized the pre-eminent candidate was presently a part of our team," St. John said. "David has a clear understanding of the information and support Matsuura distributors and customers need from Matsuura to be successful."

Hudson served as senior sales consultant for Selway Machine Tool Co. Inc., Union City, Calif., and as president of Mil-O-Matic Inc., a Southern California aerospace machine shop his father, Milo Hudson, founded in 1972. He has in-depth knowledge of the Matsuura product line and over 24 years of experience working with major customers in the aerospace, defense, automotive, medical and commercial industries. Hudson also will be responsible for strategic development to meet objectives for sales, market share and profitability.

"David's extensive knowledge, experience and results in CNC machine tool sales make him supremely qualified to assume the role of vice president of sales and marketing," St. John said. "We look forward to the additional momentum this promotion will bring to our business and to our customers."

Stephan Haight is Western regional sales manager. He will be based out of Matsuura's Southern California facility.

"Stephan has a proven record of facilitating long-term business relationships with both customers and distributors," Hudson said. "This, combined with his strong sales management skills, will enhance Matsuura Machinery USA's ability to meet the needs of our customers as we continue to provide them with industry-leading manufacturing solutions."

In Haight's previous role, he was responsible for the development and performance of the milling machine tool sales activity in the Western region of the U.S. A graduate of Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, he has dedicated more than 15 years to developing higher-efficiency/lower-cost manufacturing solutions for customers.

"Stephan complements our team of three regional sales managers, and we are confident that his experience and knowledge will help cultivate our customer relationships and drive our company goals," Hudson said. "We are pleased to have him on board."

R.J. Reed is Midwest regional sales manager. He is in Grayslake, Ill., and will manage Matsuura's Chicago and Midwestern regions.

"Matsuura Machinery USA Inc. is steadily expanding as the demand for Matsuura high-speed and high-precision 5-axis CNC machine tools continues to grow," St. John said. "Reed is an experienced, competent and motivated individual with a strong technical background."

Reed has more than 10 years' experience in CNC machine tool sales, project management and sales management. He will connect with customers to ensure that their needs are met while also developing new regional partners.

"Reed is a persuasive and energetic team player who specializes in acquiring new business while maintaining relationships with a focus on problem-solving and partnership," St. John said.

Reed was most recently regional manager at ATS Systems Inc./CoolJet Systems Inc., Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., where he was responsible for managing sales generation in the territories of Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri. His prior role was as sales engineer at Morris Midwest LLC, Roselle, Ill.

Reed is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University where he earned a bachelor's degree. He holds many accreditations in professional sales and management, including certified machine tool sales engineer.

"Reed's technical background and success in improving sales rankings and increasing sales revenue in a short period of time make him a welcome addition to our team," St. John said. "We are confident that his experience and knowledge will help cultivate our customer relationships and drive our company goals."

Hannah James is sales assistant. She will provide general sales support to the Matsuura sales team. She also will manage the Salesforce customer relationship management system and coordinate and generate sales proposals. Reporting to the vice president of sales and marketing, James will be instrumental in providing sales proposals to distributors. She is a 2017 graduate of Ohio State University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors in Japanese and economics.

Kana Moore is service assistant. She will provide general service support to the Matsuura service team and will be responsible for the coordination of warranty claims, assisting with incoming service calls and supporting the planning and scheduling of service training events. Reporting to National Service Manager Shawn Buboltz, she also will be instrumental in the organization of materials for training, technical reporting, repair manuals, management summaries and other essential documentation. Moore served as corporate sales associate in Tokyo for Omron Corp., Kyoto, Japan. She managed sales accounts there for major corporations and collaborated to create products tailored to their specifications while developing sales strategies.

"Kana has a thorough understanding [of] technical and engineering terminology, an ability to read and speak Japanese fluently, experience in sales and customer service and a proficiency in Microsoft Office software," Buboltz said. "She is a great addition to the team."

Prior to her role at Omron, Moore served as an intern at SIIX Corp., Osaka, Japan. She is a 2014 graduate of Kwansei Gakuin University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics.

Larissa Stemberger is accounting clerk. She will conduct accounts payable/receivable tasks, greet visitors at the company's 40,000-sq.-ft. St. Paul facility and oversee additional office assignments.

"Larissa's proficiency in accounting, competency in Microsoft applications, organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to multitask make her a great addition to our team," said Matsuura Executive Assistant Kristine Albrecht.

Reporting to Brad Baker, vice president of finance and administration, Stemberger will be instrumental in providing accounting and administrative support at Matsuura headquarters. She is a 2011 graduate of University of Minnesota-Twin Cities where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology with a minor in social justice. Stemberger attends Rasmussen College for its accounting program. She joins Matsuura after 3 years as assistant community manager at Great Lakes Management Co. at University Village, Minneapolis.