German thermoforming machinery maker Kiefel has ‘reinforced’ its senior management structure with three executive hires.
Sven Engelmann, vice-president of technology, has been made responsible for the company’s Customer Innovation Centre Polymer, which is currently under construction at its Freilassing headquarters. It is due to be completed in the second quarter of 2025.
He is also heading up the overall technological development of Kiefel’s product portfolio.
Bengt Schmidt has been named vice-president of packaging. He is tasked with strategically developing the division while continuing to build up the global sales organisation in this area.
Meanwhile, Dr Bernd Stein, vice-president of engineering, has been made responsible for the implementation of efficient development processes and the continuous optimisation of machines and tools.
“With these reinforcements in our management team, we have gained very experienced players from the packaging and plastics industry with whom we can grow,” said Matt Sieverding, chief executive of Kiefel.
“The implemented investments and various strategic decisions made as part of our ‘ONE Kiefel’ future strategy are already showing success on the market, which is reflected by our order intake.”
In November, it emerged that the German thermoforming machinery manufacturer would be laying off an estimated 100 staff at Freilassing in the wake of challenging market conditions.
At the time, the company said about a quarter of the job losses would be the result of ‘natural fluctuations’, such as retirements or the expiration of fixed-term contracts.
