EuroWire January 2017

News Corporate

All aboard for 25 th anniversary celebration

GERMAN Machine Tools of America (GMTA) celebrated the company’s 25 th anniversary during the IMTS (International Manufacturing & Technology Show) in Chicago, USA. The celebration took place aboard the Anita Dee II , a private yacht charter, on Wednesday evening after the show concluded for the day. A crowd of over 150 customers and business associates boarded the yacht on the east end of McCormick Place for an evening of wining and dining while cruising the waters of Lake Michigan. The evening was hosted by Walter Friedrich, president of GMTA, Scott Knoy, vice-president of sales, and Claudia Hambleton, CFO. Mr Friedrich welcomed the crowd with a short speech thanking them for their support over the last 25 years. He gave a bit of company history and mentioned the recent opening of the newest office in Queretaro, Mexico. Guests enjoyed a lavish dinner buffet, open bar and the music of a live band playing tropical party music. The ship cruised along the illuminated Chicago skyline, past Buckingham Fountain and along Navy Pier for several hours before returning guests to Navy Pier. GMTA, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is the USA subsidiary of Profilator GmbH. It represent various lines of German machine tools and metal fabricating

▲ ▲ The Chicago skyline from the Anita Dee II

GMTA markets to automotive OEMs and various Tier suppliers, plus off-highway equipment, bearing and other power transmission builders. German Machine Tools of America (GMTA) – USA Website : www.gmtamerica.com

equipment, including gear cutting and honing machines including the patented Hard Scudding® process for gear-making, parts washing systems, special machine tools, tooling, laser welding machines, surface grinding and deburring machines, multi-spindle lathes, multi-station vertical turning machinery and more.

Experience and more management power for a stronger future

Koch is putting itself on track for the future with a bigger executive board. Managing partner Jochen Koch is getting a double helping of expert assistance in the form of Thomas Voss as sales director and Harald Udelhoven as technical director. With these three leaders at its helm, the company aims to build up its innovation leadership in the global market. Experienced sales expert Thomas Voss returned to Koch on 1 st September 2016, after four years away. Based on his years of experience in the wire machine industry – 34 of them at Koch – he will be aiming to strengthen the company’s sales activities as sales director. Harald Udelhoven will complete the team as the new technical director. The 55-year-old has worked for many years in leading electrical engineering businesses. He studied mechanical engineering specialising in construction technology, as well as business management. Most recently he worked as head of global quality management and head of high-vacuum systems product lines. “Harald Udelhoven has a massive amount of knowledge in different disciplines that will provide our company with some important momentum,” added Mr Koch.

to Jochen Koch is the “best mix” by which the company will be able to tackle the challenges of an increasingly complex global market. Ernst Koch GmbH & Co KG – Germany Website : www.koch-ihmet.de ▲ ▲ The newly formed management, from left, Thomas Voss, Jochen Koch and Harald Udelhoven

Experience, innovative strength and a broader outlook: this

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January 2017