Milacron (Cincinnati, OH) will remove a layer of management and shift towards localized oversight of its injection, extrusion, and blowmolding machinery units in North America and Europe, naming David Bertke and Guy Moilliet to lead North American and European machinery operations, respectively. Robert Simpson, who formerly oversaw those technologies in both regions, will leave the company to pursue other interests, according to a release. A company spokesman told MPW that the move was not dictated by Milacron’s new majority shareholder, Bayside Capital, saying that it serves as both a cost-cutting measure and one that will facilitate local management of the respective businesses. Bertke and Moilliet will simply add the new machinery businesses to their current responsibilities, with their former positions not backfilled.

In a Dec. 20 announcement, Milacron said that Bertke, who’s been with Milacron for 35 years, most recently acting as general manager of its global extrusion business, will now be vice president machinery technologies North America. Moilliet, who was most recently the managing director of Milacron’s Ferromatik European injection molding business, will now also be responsible for the company’s blowmolding machinery and extrusion operations in Europe.

Moilliet assumed the position of managing director of Ferromatik last January (see e-Weekly Jan. 8-12, 2006, for initial report), reporting to Karlheinz Bourdon. On Nov. 17, 2006, Milacron named Simpson as the company’s new president of global plastics machinery. The former president of Siegel Robert Automotive, Simpson brought extensive automotive experience to Milacron including a stint at Textron, where he was president of blowmolded automotive fuel systems processor Kautex Textron North America.—[email protected]