Industry News

Peter S. Jung, who has specialized in creating and managing marketing and sales tools using emerging technologies, is the new marketing manager for Methods Machine Tools Inc. Jung will be responsible for branding and content creation for the company's digital, print and website media. In addition, Jung will oversee the company's sales collateral, trade shows and open houses.

The Gleason Corp. announced a new name and operating structure for Distech Systems effective Jan. 1, 2016. Acquired in May 2014, Distech will now do business as Gleason Automation Systems, and will operate as a division of The Gleason Works.

OMAX® Corp., a global leader in advanced abrasive waterjet technology, has increased the capacity of its state-of-the-art training center in Kent, Wash., to provide OMAX and MAXIEM® JetMachining® Center owners with enhanced resources for improved productivity and profitability. As a key element of the company’s headquarters and manufacturing campus, the training center features a new technology classroom that supplements an existing equipment lab.

Haas Automation Inc. will host its semi-annual 4-day HaasTec open house at its Oxnard, Calif., headquarters March 17-20. The event will include machine demos, factory tours and a catered lunch, according to the company. The previous HaasTec in 2013 drew nearly 3,000 attendees from 44 countries, and the company expects this year's event to be even bigger. 

Körber Schleifring, the Hamburg, Germany provider of grinding machine technology and its North American arm, Miamisburg, Ohio-based United Grinding Technologies, have merged under the new brand name United Grinding  Group — Körber Solutions, a move that expands the company's global market position in relation to technology, service and volume.

The opening of the new facility included a traditional Japanese Kagami-Biraki ceremony, where a barrel of sake is broken open with wooden mallets. Several customers, dealership representatives, city officials, Shigiya employees and other invited guests were present for the event. 

Osborn, a leading supplier of industrial brushes, polishing compounds and buffs, recently announced that Kevin Pearson has been named territory sales manager for Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. Pearson, who will oversee technical sales within his respective territory, has more than 20 years of sales experience in the southeast region of the United States, and has sold a variety of products for the extrusion, injection molding, stamping and casting industries on the distributor, aftermarket and OEM levels.

Seco Tools LLC, the North American subsidiary of Sweden’s Seco Tools AB, in October announced organizational changes and employee promotions within its Canadian sales organization. With 24 years of experience in the industry, including 10 years at Seco, Branko Hohnec brings a wealth of expertise to the role of general manager for Seco in Canada. Hohnec worked as a production manager as well as in distribution before joining Seco in 2005. For the past decade, he has been the managing director for Seco in Slovenia.

GF Machining Solutions has appointed a new director of sales and a new director of applications to its leadership team. Don McMillan and Tony Salvado now fill these critical roles to enhance the sales, service and support for the company’s milling, EDM and laser texturing solutions.

In response to increased demand across the country for its advanced abrasive waterjet systems, the OMAX® Corp. has expanded its sales force. The Kent, Wash.-based company added Brad Tumbleson as regional sales manager to serve customers throughout Southern California.

While the October 2015 Manufacturing ISM Report on Business showed continued growth, the report's overall PMI registered 50.1 percent, a slowdown from September's reading of 50.2 percent, reported the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).

Hexagon Metrology announced last November that the company was changing its name to Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence and rebranding to reflect increasing capabilities in data-driven industrial manufacturing solutions. The change aligns the business more closely with Hexagon’s overall strategy to offer software-centric information technology solutions that improve quality and productivity across entire industry workflows, according to a Nov. 12, 2015, company news release.

In October 2015, TRUMPF purchased approximately five acres of land adjacent to Interstate Highway 90 in Hoffman Estates, Ill., a northwestern suburb of Chicago. Located within one of the core zones of the sheet metal business in North America, this site will serve as the future home of the TRUMPF Technology Center and the center of excellence for Industry 4.0, according to the company.

Jergens Inc. announced Nov. 4 that Steve Schmidtke is Group Manager for the Cleveland, Ohio-based company's Workholding Solutions Group. “In his new role, Steve will be responsible for all of the Workholding Group’s activities including Application Engineering, Product Management, New Product and New Market development as well as sales and support of our workholding products through our network of partner distributors,” said Jergens General Manager Robert Rubenstahl.

Doosan Infracore America Machine Tools, Pine Brook, N.J., in October announced the appointment of Y.K. Choi to the position of CEO. During his more than 30 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, Choi has served in several positions, including vice president of strategy, sales and marketing for the Doosan Industrial Vehicles business.

AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology has a new chief financial officer, Rebecca Stahl, overseeing accounting and human resources. Prior to joining AMT, Stahl served as the chief financial officer at Lightbridge Communications Corp., a multinational wireless engineering company with a presence in more than 80 countries. Stahl recently earned the Private Company Chief Financial Officer of the Year award from the Northern Virginia Technology Council in 2015 for her work at Lightbridge.

The OMAX® Corp., Kent, Wash., recently welcomed Stephen Bruner to its senior management team as vice president of marketing. Bruner will oversee the company’s marketing, technical training and inside sales teams and work closely with staff on program planning, brand development and lead generation and nurturing.

Direct manufacturer Stratasys Direct Manufacturing published the results of a trend forecast on 3D printing's place in the manufacturing world. "To get a more complete sense of 3D printing's imminent impact on manufacturing we needed to look beyond our factory walls," explained Stratasys CEO Joe Allison in the study's forward. "So we sponsored an independent survey of serious, professional users of 3D printing, many of them working for companies with over $50 million in revenue."

Cline Tool, one of the largest Sandvik distributors and custom tool manufacturers, has announced the expansion into a third new market since the end of last year, and has hired industry veteran Tony Cornelius as regional sales manager for its Illinois territory.

Midwest Industrial Tool Grinding Inc., Hutchinson, Minn., recently received the Image Award in the Minnesota Business Magazine2015 Manufacturing Awards.  A two-time recipient, MITGI was recognized for work done to enhance the industry’s image and the appeal of careers in manufacturing, according to a company news release.