People in composites: August 2023

Cevotec announces new sales lead

Marcel Klautzsch, Cevotec sales lead.

Cevotech’s (Munich, Germany) team continues to grow as it welcomed its new sales lead Marcel Klautzsch in April 2023. In his position, he coordinates Cevotec’s global sales activities and is responsible for the acquisition of new customers, the support of existing business partners and the representation of Cevotec at trade shows and events.

Klautzsch comes with a large amount of experience in the composites industry. This is exemplified by his plastics engineering studies and his MBA, where he focused on carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP), especially in aerospace applications. For more than 15 years, and after a brief switch to Voith Composites GmbH & Co. KG, Klautzsch worked for Westcam Fertigungstechnik GmbH and, after its name change to Alpex Technologies GmbH, most recently as head of sales.

“Fiber patch placement is a highly innovative and exciting technology in composites automation for future lightweight applications,” Klautzsch says.

The company is excited to have him on board and are looking forward to setting new milestones in composites.

New business development manager joins Norplex-Micarta

Norplex (Postville, Iowa, U.S.) announces Mark Russell as its business development manager for Norplex brand Norplex-Micarta. Norplex’s commitment to supporting the growth and development of the composites industry is further strengthened with this appointment.

In this new role, Russell will bring his decades of industry experience to support Norplex’s mission of delivering industry-leading solutions. Primarily focused on new applications and materials, he will have the support of world-class facilities globally which are staffed with development engineers, test facilities and distinctive capabilities to produce high-performance composite materials at scale.

Mark Russell, Norplex-Micarta business development manager.

“Mark is an accomplished professional and a respected member of the composite industry,” Dustin Davis, director of sales and business development of Norplex-Micarta, says. “I am excited to have him on the team to bring to market many new materials and approaches that Norplex has been developing over the last few years. These are exciting times for the composites industry, and Mark will be a great resource for us and our customers.”

Russell has decades of sales and application development experience at OEMs such as Applied Materials and Parker Hannifin as well as material manufacturers such as Freudenberg and Mitsubishi. For the last twelve years, Mark has been at Atlas Fibre, most recently serving as its general manager.

“I have always enjoyed working with the Norplex team and their products,” Russell says. “Being back in the material development and manufacturing segment of the industry is exciting for me as we help customers unlock the potential of these materials in collaborative and creative ways.”

ABC Polymer Industries spearheads growth, innovation with new chief commerical officer

ABC Polymer Industries (Helena, Ala., U.S.), a producer of extruded polypropylene products, including synthetic microfibers and macrofibers, recently announced the appointment of Noah Nichols as the company’s new chief commercial officer (CCO). With a distinguished commercial and operational leadership background, Nichols brings a wealth of experience to his role, where he will spearhead all commercial-related activities for the FullForce and FlexSack business teams.

Noah Nichols, ABC Polymer Industries chief commercial officer.

Nichols joins ABC Polymer Industries with a track record in sales, marketing, product development, market expansion, strategic planning, customer service and supply chain management. His expertise in these areas was honed throughout his career, with significant contributions made during his tenure with companies such as Synthetic Industries, Propex Operating Co. and Solmax.

“We are delighted to welcome Noah as our new CCO,” Randy Reed, president and CEO of ABC Polymer Industries, says. “His extensive experience and achievements in the civil and environmental construction markets make him a valuable addition to our team. We believe his strategic vision, proven leadership and dedication to excellence will drive our FullForce and FlexSack business units to even greater heights.”

Nichols earned his Bachelor of Science in industrial and systems engineering with a certificate in industrial organizational psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

As the CCO, Nichols will drive growth and foster strategic partnerships to advance ABC Polymer Industries’ market presence. His commitment to delivering innovative solutions and optimal customer experiences aligns seamlessly with the company’s core values.

Gefran presents operations manager to North Andover facility

Jim Norton, Gefran operations manager.

Gefran Inc. (Andover, Mass., U.S.), which makes sensors and controls used by the composites industry, welcomes Jim Norton as the company’s new operations manager for Gefran’s North Andover, Mass., U.S. plant.

Norton brings more than two decades of experience in industrial manufacturing to the team, along with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Master of business administration and operations management from the University of Oregon. Since joining Gefran in April 2023, Norton has made significant contributions to Gefran’s operations with his approach to lean manufacturing and cycle time reduction.

The company is excited to see his leadership continue to drive its success in supporting the composites industry.

Belzona Polymerics appoints first female to board of directors

Designers and manufacturers of polymeric repair and protection systems, Belzona Polymerics Ltd. (Harrogate, U.K.), has announced the promotion of long-serving employee, Charli Walton (Ge Yu), to its board of directors.

Walton, who in August 2022 was appointed corporate development director (China) onto the board of Belzona Molecular Technology (Nanjing) Ltd., is the first female member of the board. She has been with Belzona for 12 years, originally joining the marketing team in 2011.

Charli Walton (Ge Yu), Belzona Polymerics board of director member.

Walton has acquired considerable experience in B2B marketing and will be responsible for creating and implementing marketing strategies to consolidate and accelerate Belzona’s growth plans in China. In addition, she will be providing the nexus between the Chinese company, Chinese distributors and Belzona’s various international headquarters.

“During Charli’s career with Belzona, she has developed an extensive knowledge which, teamed with her boundless enthusiasm, has seen her become an important member of the Belzona leadership team,” Barry Nisill, Belzona’s CEO. “On behalf of everyone at Belzona, I would like to congratulate Charli and wish her every success for the future!”

“It is a great honor to be appointed to the board of directors,” Walton says. “I would like to thank Belzona for giving me this opportunity, as well as for the extensive investment made into my training and development in preparation for my new role. This includes attendance at the Rising Women Leaders Program at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School.”

Tri-Mack Plastics welcomes new president

Tri-Mack (Bristol, R.I., U.S.) announces that Tom Kneath has taken over the company as president, effective as of June 1, 2023.

Kneath has been with Tri-Mack for 37 years, many of those as vice president of sales and marketing, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the position. According to William W. Kain, Tri-Mack CEO, Kneath’s customer-centric focus will be ideal for navigating the company through a period of unprecedented growth.

“I have had the privilege to serve as president for the last eight years and look forward to my new role as CEO,” Kain says. “My primary focus will be on strategic issues and new business development. I appreciate the trust shown in me by the Mack family and just as in the past, will always make myself available to assist our customers in any way I can.”