News from the June 2024 issue

APPOINTMENTS, NEW HIRES

SMW Autoblok Group appointed Larry Robbins as president and CEO for its U.S. Corporation. Robbins started at the company in May 2007 and was promoted to Eastern regional sales manager less than a year later. As of 2019 Robbins has occupied the position of president of Autoblok’s commercial division, where he’s responsible for all strategic sales and marketing initiatives as well as overseeing the company’s North America sales team. He also oversees various projects internationally. Robbins has more than 35 years of experience in machine tool manufacturing. https://www.smwautoblok.com

GF Machining Solutions promotes two from within the company.

Onik Bhattacharyya has been named managing director and head of market region North and Central Americas. Bhattacharyya will play a key role in reinforcing the company’s industry leadership as a full manufacturing solutions provider. He’ll oversee the GF Machining Solutions product portfolio including milling, electrical discharge machine (EDM), laser texturing, automation, and tooling for the North American market region. Prior to this role, Bhattacharyya was one of the founders of Microlution Inc., a company acquired by GF Machining Solutions in 2016.

Nick Martin has been named North American business development manager. In this role Martin will ensure medical customers have access to the industry’s most advanced manufacturing technology from the company, from high-speed milling and electrical discharge machining (EDM) to laser texturing and automation as well as a range of products and service solutions that help manufacturers in the medical sector meet the industry’s challenging machining and regulatory demands while increasing productivity and profitability.

Prior to joining GF Machining Solutions, Martin was director of engineering for medical contract manufacturer ARCH Medical Solutions. https://www.gfms.com

Michigan awards Going PRO funds to Star Cutter

For the second year running, Star Cutter has received Going PRO Talent funds from the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity-Workforce Development (LEO-WD) through the Michigan Works! agency. Going PRO is a competitive funding source providing a solution to skill shortages throughout the state of Michigan. The program is designed to assist employers with training and development to retain current and newly hired employees.

For 2024, five Star Cutter locations are benefiting from this valuable award, which will be applied to a range of training curricula. The facilities include H.B. Carbide (Lewiston), Ossineke Industries (Ossineke), Tawas Tool Co. (Tawas City), Elk Rapids Engineering (Elk Rapids), and Northern Tool (Farmington Hills). These facilities will be offered instruction appropriate for shop floor and front office processes from safety to ISO training to Lean manufacturing, such as:

• Project management
• Supervisory skills
• GD&T fundamentals and comprehensive ISO-9001: Internal auditing
• 8D problem solving
• Intro to collaborative robots
• Safety training
• Blueprint reading
• Tool setup reduction
• Total production maintenance/ quick changeover 5S applications
• Mistake proofing
• Lean manufacturing

The curriculum is offered through the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center(MMTC), as well as nearby community colleges.

In addition to the training being provided through the Going PRO funding, Star Cutter runs apprentice programs and ongoing training for its employees. https://www.starcutter.com