News - March 2025

Advancing workforce training

A collaborative partnership has been set up between HEIDENHAIN Corp. and the Machinists Institute, a non-profit training organization in association with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) trade union. The Machinists Institute, with facilities in Seattle, Spokane, and Vancouver Washington, as well as Oakland and Long Beach, California, provides apprenticeship and training in support of workforce development in the manufacturing, machining, and industrial sectors.

The Machinists Institute provides a standard training curriculum in manual and CNC machine operation and programming, robotics, additive manufacturing, and shop economics.

The HEIDENHAIN Connect Manufacturing Innovation Hub, launched in April 2024 in Fremont, California, will serve as a hands-on training facility enabling an extension of outreach to the Bay Area companies, universities, and trade schools. https://www.heidenhain.us/

Appointments, promotions, new hires

Greg Haley has been named president of the Americas Region operations at Fastems LLC. Bringing more than a decade of automation and long-term strategy experience to this role, Haley plans to focus on growing the sales and service teams throughout the United States to provide more localized support of Fastems partners and customers. This also includes increasing Fastems’ footprint and services in Canada and Mexico.

Haley holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida and has completed the postgrad program in artificial intelligence & machine learning with an emphasis on business applications from The University of Texas at Austin. https://www.fastems.com

INDEX has restructured its sales team along with a reorganization of territories. Bryan Young joined the company as national sales manager, while John Kemezis and Jason Shorette have joined as regional sales representatives.

Young was selected to lead the INDEX sales team for the United States and Canada. Through roles that have encompassed machine programming and operation, applications, service, and sales, he has a strong track record of applying a broad and deep understanding of complex manufacturing systems to develop profit-maximizing solutions tailored to customers’ specific needs.

In his new role, Kemezis will leverage his deep understanding of the market and customer needs to help companies optimize their manufacturing processes and attain greater efficiency.

Shorette’s practical knowledge of machine tools and customer focused mindset will enable him to provide insightful recommendations to overcome companies’ most challenging manufacturing issues. https://www.index-group.com/en_us/

Continuing in his role as general manager for Latin America, REGO-FIX USA General Manager William (Bill) Obras will spearhead strategic relationships as director of partnerships for the Center for Machining Excellence (CME), which he was a driving force in developing. Obras has been with the company for nearly 30 years.

Jeff Schemel is being promoted from North American sales manager to general manager USA. Schemel has more than two decades’ experience with REGO-FIX customers and will oversee all business activities in the U.S. and Canada. https://regousa.com

Star SU, the marketing, sales, and service affiliate of Star Cutter Co., has appointed Richard (Rick) Rickert as its round tool product manager. Rickert is responsible for identifying customer needs and market trends for product development, cultivating relationships with key accounts, and supporting regional sales distributors to achieve sales goals. Based in the Farmington Hills office, he will report to Andreas Blind, Star SU president. https://www.star-su.com