Engel North America names Jeff Hershey to new medical marketing position

Engel North America announced earlier this week the addition of industry specialists for the medical and packaging sectors to its marketing team. Jeff Hershey was named to the new position of Marketing Manager, North America Business Unit Medical. Anthony Thompson takes on a similar role on the packaging side. PlasticsToday spoke with Hershey, a 20-year Engel veteran who has moved through the ranks starting as sales coordinator, about his new responsibility.

The medical sector has been good to Engel. In the most recent reporting period, medical registered the largest growth in marketshare percentage of the five market segments that the company serves in Europe—automotive, medical, packaging, technical, and teletronics. Engel, which is headquartered in Schwertberg, Austria, is eyeing similar results in North America. Hershey is the point guard tasked with making that happen.

"Engel foresees significant market growth in the medical business," confirms Hershey. "There has been steady growth in existing and new business, and we anticipate double-digit increases over the next few years," he says.

One of the first orders of business for Hershey is to clear up what he calls a "common misconception" about Engel. "Too many people think we only offer complete high-end packages and turnkey cells. Not true," he stresses. He cites the recently introduced all-electric e-mac molder as an example of the breadth of equipment that is available.

The e-mac had its North American debut at the MD&M medical manufacturing trade show in Minneapolis in October 2013 and was recently showcased at an open house in December 2013 at the Corona facility. Compact and energy efficient, the e-mac comes standard with the proven CC 200 control unit, "an upgrade without a cost upgrade," says Hershey.

The medical device industry is not virgin territory for Hershey, who spent a fair amount of time getting to know medtech movers and shakers while working out of the Corona office for two years as Regional Sales Manager for the western states. (California is number one in medical manufacturing—see our infographic on the top 10 medtech states.) "Now, I'm back at corporate [in York, PA], but I already have a four-week trip of visits lined up down there," he laughs.

You know, that reminds me of a song about California. Something about checking out any time you like, but never being able to leave . . . .

— Norbert Sparrow