Matsuura Machinery USA Expands Personnel

Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. (St. Paul, MN) announces the following personnel appointments: Thomas Houle is their new LUMEX director, responsible for the overall operation and performance of LUMEX metal additive manufacturing systems and providing leadership toward the achievement of their objectives and growth. The LUMEX system is a powder-bed metal AM platform with subtractive capability that combines selective laser sintering (SLS) along with high speed milling (HSM). Houle will manage the U.S. expansion, development of strategic sales plans and the U.S. promotion of these systems. The company is currently building a LUMEX showroom and demonstration facility within their existing corporate headquarters in St. Paul, joining the three other LUMEX Centers of Excellence locations in Japan, Germany and the UK.

Houle will also direct the recruiting and management of personnel to promote, sell, and implement LUMEX. In addition to the appointment of Houle, the company will also add technical operations and support staff that includes applications engineers, service engineers, a sales coordinator and a sales assistant. The company has manufactured LUMEX systems for more than ten years with plans to expand the sales and technical support available in the U.S.

“In his new role, Tom will leverage his experience in operational excellence and business management to develop a cutting-edge, innovative U.S. presence for our metal additive manufacturing systems,” said Craig St. John, the president of Matsuura Machinery USA. “He will inspire a culture of continuous improvement by defining goals, developing strategies, implementing systems and measuring performance results for these products. Tom’s experience in the mold industry, new product development, engineering solutions, along with his interpersonal skills, business acumen and a passion for manufacturing solutions will make him an excellent addition to our team.”

Houle’s professional experience encompasses more than 26 years in the manufacturing industry, specializing in high end injection molding and design solutions. Prior to joining Matsuura Machinery USA, he was with Custom Mold and Design/Teamvantage in Forest Lake, MN.

David Hudson is their new vice president of sales and marketing. He has served as their Western regional sales manager since 2013. “With over four years of successfully representing us, David brings a wide range of proven results to this important role. After a comprehensive search, we recognized the preeminent candidate was presently a part of our team. David has a clear understanding of the information and support our distributors and customers need from us to be successful,” noted St. John. Hudson will provide leadership to the company sales and marketing teams, deepen distributor relationships, cultivate new business opportunities and assist in providing customized manufacturing solutions for customers.

Hudson previously served as a senior sales consultant for Selway Machine Tool, Inc. and as the president of Mil-O-Matic Inc., a Southern California aerospace machine shop that his father, Milo Hudson, founded in 1972. He has an in-depth knowledge of the Matsuura product line and over 24 years of experience working with major customers in the aerospace, defense, automotive, medical and commercial industries. He will also be responsible for strategic development to meet the sales, market share and profitability objectives. “David’s extensive knowledge, experience and results in CNC machine tool sales make him supremely qualified to assume this new role. We look forward to the additional momentum this promotion will bring to our business and to our customers,” added St. John.

Stephan Haight is their new Western regional sales manager and will be based out of their Southern, California facility. “Stephan has a proven record of facilitating long-term business relationships with both customers and distributors. This, combined with his strong sales management skills, will enhance our ability to meet the needs of our users as we continue to provide them with industry-leading manufacturing solutions,” said Hudson. “Stephan complements our team of three regional sales managers and we are confident that his experience and knowledge will help cultivate our customer relationships and drive our company goals. We are pleased to have him onboard.”

Haight was previously responsible for the development and performance of the milling machine tool sales activity in the Western region of the U.S. A graduate of Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, he has dedicated more than 15 years to developing higher-efficiency / lower-cost manufacturing systems for users.

R.J. Reed is their new Midwest regional sales manager. He is located in Grayslake, IL, and will manage their Chicago and Midwestern regions. “We are steadily expanding as the demand for our high speed and high precision 5-Axis CNC machine tools continues to grow. Reed is an experienced, competent and motivated individual with a strong technical background,” said St. John. “Reed is a persuasive and energetic team player who specializes in acquiring new business while maintaining relationships with a focus on problem solving and partnership. His technical background and success in improving sales rankings and increasing sales revenue in a short period of time make him a welcome addition to our team. We are confident that his experience and knowledge will help cultivate our customer relationships and drive our company goals.”

Reed has more than ten years experience in professional CNC machine tool sales, project management and sales management. He will be connecting with existing customers to ensure their needs are met, while also developing new partners within the regions. He was most recently with ATS Systems/CoolJet as a regional manager, where he was responsible for managing sales generation within the territories of Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri. His prior role was as a sales engineer for Morris Midwest. Reed is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree. He holds many accreditations in professional sales and management and he is CMTSE (Certified Machine Tool Sales Engineer) accredited.

Hannah James is a new sales assistant who will provide general sales support, manage the SalesForce CRM system, and coordinate and generate sales proposals for the company. Reporting to the vice president of sales and marketing, she will be instrumental in providing sales proposals to distributors. James is a 2017 graduate of Ohio State University (Columbus, OH), where she earned a Bachelor of the Arts with Honors in Japanese and Economics.

“As we maintain continuous growth, along with the rising demand for our high speed and high precision 5-axis CNC machine tools, we are constantly seeking qualified candidates to join our team. We are impressed with Hannah’s background in Japanese and her statistical analysis experience,” said a company spokesperson.

Kana Moore is a new service assistant who will provide general service support and be responsible for the coordination of warranty claims, assisting with incoming service calls, and supporting the planning and scheduling of service training events. Reporting to the national service manager, Shawn Buboltz, Moore will also be instrumental in the organization of materials for training, technical reporting, repair manuals, management summaries and other essential documentation. She previously served as a corporate sales associate for Omron Corporation (Tokyo, Japan), where she managed sales accounts for multiple major corporations and collaborated to create new products tailored to their specifications, while developing sales strategies.

“Kana has a thorough understanding technical and engineering terminology, an ability to read and speak Japanese fluently, experience in sales and customer service and a proficiency in Microsoft Office software. She is a great addition to our team,” said Buboltz. Prior to her role at Omron, Moore served as an intern at SIIX Corporation (Taipei, Taiwan). She is a 2014 graduate of Kwansei Gakuin University (Hyogo, Japan) where she earned a Bachelor of the Arts in Economics.

Larissa Stemberger is a new accounting clerk who will conduct accounts payable/receivable tasks, greet visitors at the company’s 40,000 sq ft St. Paul facility, and oversee additional office assignments. “Larissa’s proficiency in accounting, competency in Microsoft applications, organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to multi-task make her a great addition to our team,” said Kristine Albrecht, an executive assistant at Matsuura Machinery USA. Reporting to Brad Baker, the vice president of finance and administration, Stemberger will be instrumental in providing accounting and administrative support at the company headquarters.

Stemberger is a 2011 graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, earning a Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology and a Minor in Social Justice. She is currently attending Rasmussen College in the Accounting program. She joins the company after three years as the assistant community manager with Great Lakes Management Company at University Village (Minneapolis, MN).

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