Weekend wrap-up in manufacturing – promotions, new hires

Okuma Corp. announces strategic leadership appointments

Dr. Atsushi Ieki, president of Okuma Corp., a global leader and manufacturer of CNC machine tools and automation systems for the metalworking industry, along with distinguished members of the company’s board of directors, proudly announce personnel appointments for two of the company’s leadership members to further support the company’s global growth initiatives and evolving customer needs within the manufacturing industry.

© OKUMA | https://www.okuma.com/

Strategic personnel appointments
Takeshi (Tad) Yamamoto will now serve in the position of Chairman of Okuma America Corporation, effective immediately. Previously, Mr. Yamamoto served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Okuma America Corporation since July 1, 2009, after serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Okuma America Corporation. In addition to his Americas role, Yamamoto also serves as a member of the board of directors for Okuma Corporation (Japan), Senior Executive Officer in charge of Global Sales, and Chairman and CEO of Okuma Europe GmbH.

Yamamoto started his career at Okuma Corporation (Japan) as a manufacturing engineer in 1982 after graduating from Waseda University with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering. He worked with Okuma America Corporation in operations planning from February1994, to July 2002, and then returned to Okuma Corporation (Japan), serving in a variety of roles, including Plant Manager of the Kani manufacturing facility.

Jim King is promoted to the role of President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Okuma America Corporation and will also now serve as a Senior Officer of Okuma Corporation (Japan), effective immediately. King previously served as President & COO for Okuma America Corporation since 2011. King originally joined the Okuma organization in January 2010, as the Senior Vice President of Sales.

Prior to joining Okuma America Corporation, King previously served as Director of Channel Management for Siemens Industry, based in Alpharetta, GA, Vice President-Sales and Marketing for Nematron, based in Ann Arbor, MI, and Director-Business Development for Source Alliance.com in Raleigh, NC. He began his career in 1980 as a sales representative for Rockwell Automation where he held positions of increasing responsibility in sales, marketing, and product development. Mr. King earned an Applied Engineering Sciences degree from Michigan State University.

Terry Ritterbush appointed director of sales EAST at Mitsui Seiki USA

Terry Ritterbush has been appointed Director of Sales EAST at Mitsui Seiki USA. He has served in varying service support and sales capacities at the company for 20 years, all which bring a notable technical depth to his new role. Mitsui Seiki is a manufacturer of high precision CNC machine tools, well known for their ultra precise volumetric accuracy for producing critical components.

© MITSUI SEIKI
http://www.mitsuiseiki.com/

Ritterbush started at Mitsui Seiki USA in 2004 in the service department where he learned how the machines function and how to keep them running at their optimum performance. From there, he grew his customer applications knowledge and moved into a Regional Sales Manager position. Most recently he was Preventive Maintenance Manager.

“I look forward to my new role here at MSA. The last 20 years have been extremely enjoyable and I’m sure that the next 20 will be even more exciting,” said Ritterbush. “Because of my long-time history at the company, my understanding of the technical intricacies of all the Mitsui Seiki machines and processes, and thousands of hours of customer applications experience, I feel I bring a unique and helpful approach to our existing and prospective customers. Leading the sales team is enjoyable, too, as I like mentoring and supporting them in every possible way I can.” 

Joseph Farkas named director of sales WEST at Mitsui Seiki USA

Joseph Farkas was recently named Director of Sales WEST at Mitsui Seiki USA. He brings 30-plus years of sales and business management experience in the manufacturing sector to the Mitsui Seiki organization. Mitsui Seiki is a manufacturer of high precision CNC machine tools, well known for their ultra precise volumetric accuracy for producing critical components.

© MITSUI SEIKI
http://www.mitsuiseiki.com

“My goals are customer-driven,” said Farkas. “Mitsui Seiki has a long legacy of taking its already highly precise machine tool platforms and customizing each machine for the customer’s application. It’s both challenging and satisfying to determine and develop sophisticated and flexible manufacturing solutions that are tailor-made for the customer. The brilliance of this methodical approach is that the resulting equipment is designed to fit like a glove to the application, as well as to be the most economical and efficient solution over the life of the project’s program.”

In addition to focusing on expanding the customer base, Farkas will also bring his hands on leadership skills to the tasks of managing Mitsui Seiki’s North American sales team in the western region and developing strategic and data-based business plans and forecasting.

Farkas’s most recent position prior to joining Mitsui Seiki was National Sales Manager – Workholding Solutions Group at Jergens, Inc. Other notable positions include North American Distribution Development Manager (Groeneveld-Beka Division) and National Sales Manager - Americas at The Timken Company; Sales Manager – Erie Division at Fuchs Lubricants Company; and Senior Sales Representative at Kennametal.

His education credentials include a Master of Business Administration – Ashland University; Bachelor of Arts in Business Management – Malone University; and Associate of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering – Stark State College.

Farkas served part time in the National Guard for 10 years in Dover, Ohio. 

Flexxbotics appoints Alex Vogt to Commercial Leadership Team

Flexxbotics, delivering digital solutions for robot-driven manufacturing at scale, today announced the appointment of Alex Vogt to the commercial leadership team. Vogt joins from COGNEX Corporation (NASDAQ: CGNX) where he served in sales management and senior technical solutions roles for nearly a decade. He brings deep industry experience of customer requirements in automotive, industrial, medical, defense and aerospace for complex manufacturing automation solutions and vision systems.

© Flexxbotics | http://www.flexxbotics.com/

Vogt’s knowledge and expertise in advanced manufacturing and inspection technologies will further enhance the Flexxbotics commercial leadership team. Flexxbotics solution digitalizes robotic production with autonomous process control for next generation smart factory environments. The solution enables continuous operation of unattended robot+machine+inspection workcells with greater throughput, quality, and safety. Flexxbotics breakthrough, the unique FlexxCORE technology, seamlessly connects and coordinates robots with existing automation equipment, IT systems and people. More powerful, flexible and open, Flexxbotics revolutionizes the use of robotics in complex production.

“Robot-driven manufacturing is the future of smart factory production, and Flexxbotics ability to enable continuous operations through autonomous process control is a groundbreaking advancement,” said Alex Vogt, Director of Sales for Flexxbotics. “Running unattended robot-enabled production while reducing defects by 32% or more creates an entirely new value proposition for industrial robotic automation.”

“We believe Alex sees the same transformational impact that robotic digitalization can have on global production, and we’re excited to have him join the team as we continue to scale out operations,” said Tyler Bouchard, CEO & Co-founder of Flexxbotics. “To realize the promise of Industry 4.0 production robotic autonomy will be essential for improved capacity, yields, and EBITDA margins, that’s what we’re delivering at Flexxbotics today.”