Cook’s passion for family and sports is truly inspiring. When he’s not working, Cook can be found cheering on his favorite sports teams or enjoying a round of golf. We are excited to welcome Cook to our team and look forward to his contributions in driving our sales growth in the South.

Dr. Daniel Schmitt, CEO of the HOMAG Group, writes, “I am very excited to welcome Barry Kellar as the next president of Stiles Machinery. Barry brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in manufacturing to the position, which I am sure will complement an already exceptional team at Stiles. Through Barry’s leadership and dedication to customer centricity, I am convinced that Stiles will continue to thrive as a market leader in our industry.”

After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY USA, with a degree in mechanical engineering, Kellar began his career in 1986 with the US Army. He joined GE Plastics in 1996 after working at Hercules Aerospace and Lincoln Composites, where he held various management positions. In 2005, Kellar took on the role of Vice President and General Manager of the Filtration Division at Freudenberg Nonwovens. In 2009, Mr. Kellar moved to Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, as President and CEO for North America. He then took on further responsibility as Global Vice President of Automotive Filtration for seven years. His last role was integrating two acquisitions and forming a new division as Global Vice President of Residential Filters.

“I am very excited to join Stiles Machinery and support their continued growth through providing our customers with best-in-class sales and service,” says Kellar. “The foundation of parent HOMAG as a world-renowned manufacturer of solutions for the woodworking industry, coupled with our customer-centric approach to the market, confirms to me we have the right capabilities to deliver the value our customers expect.

“I’m excited to join a growing company like Rowmark,” said Krachinsky. “The company just added a new extrusion line, and being able to talk to customers about growing their business with the expanded products Rowmark can now offer is a great opportunity for everyone.”

“We’re thrilled to add talented people like Ryan to our team,” said Rowmark Business Development Manager Chris Holland. “Ryan has a tremendous amount of experience working directly with customers, and I know he’s excited to help our customers grow their businesses.”

Ryan received his Bachelor of Science in Business from Daytona State College in Daytona Beach, FL USA. He lives in the Dallas, TX USA area and will be working with customers primarily in the Southwest and Midwest.

ROWMARK, LLC, a manufacturer and marketer of engravable plastic sheet materials, and FinishTEK, an industry leader in hydrographic decorating for OEM leading manufacturers, jointly announce that Rowmark has purchased FinishTEK, effective January 31, 2024.

Based in Dalton, GA USA, FinishTEK has served Tier 1 suppliers in various industries, including powersports, heavy-truck, appliance, automotive, turf, construction and agriculture for over 30 years.

“This is an exciting time for Rowmark and our Rowmark Custom Laminations division. Our partnership with FinishTEK provides exciting new products and possibilities to our customers,” said Eric Hausserman, Rowmark President. “We also remain committed to providing FinishTEK customers with innovative products and the best service available to the industry.”

“This is great news for FinishTEK, our employees and our customers,” said Phil Raisin, FinishTEK General Manager. “We’re thrilled to be part of Rowmark and add our innovative product offerings to their portfolio.”

Ensinger staff with customers.

Ensinger strongly believes that climate change and ecosystem deterioration, brought about by human activities impacting the environment and pollution, must be addressed promptly. In September 2021, the company added “Climate Protection and Strategy” and “Circular Economy” to its materiality items. In addition, in February 2022, it formulated and announced a target of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire supply chain (Scope 1, 2, and 3) by 2046 in order to contribute broadly to the realization of a decarbonized society. Now, Ensinger’s near-term target and net-zero target have acquired validation from SBTi as goals consistent with the target 1.5 degrees Celsius increase limit outlined by the Paris Agreement.

Overall net-zero target
Ensinger commits to reach net-zero GHG emissions across the value chain by fiscal year 2046.

Near-term targets
Ensinger commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 45% by fiscal year 2031 from a fiscal year 2022 base year. Ensinger also commits to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, fuel and energy related activities, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, business travel, and employee commuting 45% within the same time frame.

Long-term targets
Ensinger commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 90% by fiscal year 2041 from a fiscal year 2022 base year. Ensinger also commits to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, fuel and energy related activities, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, business travel, and employee commuting 90% by fiscal year 2046 from a fiscal year 2022 base year.

“Right from the start of our work on a climate strategy, we focused on aligning our goals with the SBTi guidelines,” commented Klaus Ensinger, Ensinger Sustainability Manager, “It is essential that our efforts are scientifically validated and recognized by an international institution. With this in mind, it is now both an incentive and an obligation for us to have received approval from the SBTi, thus confirming that we are on the right track.”

“As a sustainably managed family business, Ensinger has always been committed to protecting the basis of life and the well-being of its stakeholders,” said Dr. Roland Reber, member of the Ensigner Group Executive Board. “Active climate protection is a central concern for the preservation of these foundations of life. The commitment to emission reduction goals that correspond to the Paris climate targets and their recognition by the SBTi represent an important milestone in the ecological transformation of the company.”

Auburn Plastics & Rubber, Inc. is excited to announce a significant milestone in its journey – the official change of its name to Auburn Plastics & Machining. This change better reflects the company’s evolving identity and commitment to better serving their customers as a full circle hub for precision plastic parts.

After thorough consideration, the company believes the new name better encapsulates the vision and direction they aim to pursue in the future. As Auburn Plastics & Machining continues to grow and expand their capabilities, this new name will resonate more deeply with their target audience and reflect the essence of who they are as a company.

Auburn Plastics & Machining is directly focused on becoming a premier provider for plastic solutions through innovation, integrity and excellence. They remain dedicated to providing the same exceptional products and services our customers have come to expect from us, and hope to deepen their reach with existing customers while attracting new with our upgraded capabilities.

Copoly polypropylene sheet donation provides prosthetic sockets for access-limited patients.

Curbell Plastics, Inc. donated polypropylene sheet materials to support Range of Motion Project (ROMP), enabling them to deliver definitive prosthetic sockets to access-limited individuals through their US Assistance Program (USAP) at a clinic held in San Antonio, TX USA.

Jeff Wilson, Senior Business Development Manager – O&P for Curbell Plastics, continued support of ROMP programs with this material donation. Jeff commented, “We were happy to supply the 14 sheets of ½ inch thick copoly polypropylene that were needed to help the patients participating in the San Antonio clinic. We fully support ROMP’s mission to ensure access to high-quality prosthetic care for underserved people, improving their mobility and independence.”

This clinical volunteer program in San Antonio providing prostheses to people with amputation, was supported by a number of organizations and businesses. The patients were identified by ROMP’s partners Connect+Ability and Center for Refugee Services. The clinic was then held in partnership with Bionic Prosthetics & Orthotics Group LLC., which provided the clinical facility and oversight, and Baylor College of Medicine Prosthetics and Orthotics Program, which provided volunteer prosthetics residents and professors.

The ongoing collaboration between Curbell Plastics and ROMP highlights the importance of these types of partnerships to improve accessibility for individuals in need of prosthetic devices.

The specialty plastics manufacturer GEHR Plastics, Inc. now operates Mannheim, Germany’s second-largest photovoltaic system. If you look at Gehr’s factory halls in Mannheim-Neckarau from above, you will see many solar panels on the roofs. The photovoltaic system cost around two million euros and covers an area of 10,000 square metres. Before the panels were installed, the roofs of the factory halls were renovated.

“The plant is a considerable investment in environmental protection,” says CEO Helmut Gehr.

Since 2016, Gehr has been covering its entire electricity needs with green electricity from renewable energy sources, and now the company is going one step further in its own generation. In continuous operation, the plant is expected to produce electricity with an annual mileage of 1.2 million kilowatt hours. According to the market master data register of the Federal Network Agency, this makes it the second largest photovoltaic system in Mannheim; the largest is owned by the agricultural machinery manufacturer John Deere.

Gehr emphasizes: The project is important for both the company and the city. The plant is listed as a contribution to making Mannheim a sustainable, climate-neutral and inclusive city by 2030 through the Local Green Deal. While Gehr wants to benefit from the fact that customers such as the writing instrument manufacturer Schwan-Stabilo or the cosmetics group L’Oréal like to work with sustainably-oriented suppliers.