Changing of the guard at Mack Molding: 40-year plastics veteran Ray Burns retires

After four decades in the plastics industry, Ray Burns, President, Mack Molding, Southern Div., is calling it a day. Mack announced that he will be retiring effective September 1, 2014. Bryan Campbell, who has been managing the plant at the company's headquarters in Arlington, VT, will fill his position. The company made the announcement at the Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) East conference and exhibition in New York City.

As president of the company's Southern Div. for more than 17 years, Burns oversees two injection molding facilities in Inman, SC, and Statesville, NC. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Mack Molding Co. and Mack Group. He joined the company in 1981 as an account manager after leaving Nypro.

Campbell, his successor, joined Mack in 2008 as Program Manager, where he gained frontline experience with medical manufacturing OEMs. One year later, he was appointed manager of the headquarters plant, where he supervised molding, sheet metal, machining, and contract manufacturing operations. Before joining Mack, Campbell managed a Tier 1 automotive supplier.

At MD&M East, the company also announced the promotion of Rich Hornby to Plant Manager of Mack Molding's plant at its headquarters in Arlington, VT. Hornby was program manager of Millstone Medical Outsourcing (Fall River, MA) prior to joining Mack, and served in the U.S. Air Force for 12 years.

"We are especially proud of the fact that we are promoting people from within the company," Jeff Somple, President, Mack Molding, Northern Div., told PlasticsToday from the show floor. Like many of his peers, Somple struggles with a shortage of skilled labor. The company has established an ambitious internship program to attract young people to manufacturing and offers extensive training to young recruits. It also rewards hard work and talent, as attested by these two promotions.