Personnel notes

Women’s Executive Network honors Emterra Group founder and CEO

Throughout the past 40 years, Emmie Leung, founder and CEO of Burlington, Ontario-based Emterra Group, has led her company from a one-woman startup to a leader in waste, recycling and resource management. During the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) Awards in Toronto, Leung was named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Winners in the entrepreneurs category.

In the Women’s Executive Network’s (WXN’s) announcement, Sherri Stevens, president and CEO of PhaseNyne, parent company of WXN, says, “The Top 100 Awards showcases the leaders that are helping to drive positive change and progress and to remind us of the importance of empowering women in our workforce.”

“This award program recognizes women who have pushed the boundaries and are in a constant pursuit of leadership excellence,” Leung says. “It is a complete honor to be included with this group of exemplary people and to be recognized as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women.”

Judges commended Leung for growing and adapting her business to changing commodity markets and customer needs, building her team to support her vision and demonstrating her commitment to the community.

Widely recognized as a pioneer in the recycling industry in Canada since 1976, Leung is credited with introducing reusable blue bags to collect old newspapers and other recyclables door to door in British Columbia, establishing that province’s first successful municipal curbside recycling program.

Today, Emterra Group is a multimillion-dollar family of companies with more than 1,100 employees working across 31 locations in Canada and in the state of Michigan.

Joining Leung in the day-to-day operation of the business are her daughters, Paulina, who is vice president of corporate strategy and business development, and Vivian, who is manager of materials, next life.

“At Emterra, we look at things differently,” Leung says. “Our business is 100 percent the result of diverting waste and transforming it into valuable commodities and green energy.”

Bunting names new general manager for its Kansas facility

Newton, Kansas-based Bunting Magnetics Co., which specializes in magnet and magnetic equipment design, manufacturing and distribution, has announced the appointment of Kevin Miller as general manager of its primary manufacturing facility in Newton.

Miller will oversee the Newton operations, including production, inside sales, engineering and purchasing.

The company’s other operations are in suburban Chicago; DuBois, Pennsylvania; and in the United Kingdom.

“Kevin has already demonstrated significant operational leadership and is a true motivator for his team,” says Jana Davis, Bunting chief operating officer.

Davis continues, “We are fortunate to have him lead our operations team and believe his skills will be a significant asset in the development of enhanced processes and procedures moving forward.

“His extensive industrial experience with team management, quality assurance programs and lean principles such as 5S (a Japanese lean manufacturing system) and KanBan (a Toyota scheduling system) will result in improved sales, operations and customer satisfaction for years to come,” she adds.

Miller has nearly three decades of experience in manufacturing operations. Most recently, he was the director of operations at Ametek Advanced Industries, a Wichita, Kansas-based supplier of components and systems for the aerospace and defense industries. His manufacturing industry experience also includes working in operations and assembly positions at Boeing Co. and at Spirit Aerosystems.

“My vision is to follow proven principles in lean manufacturing and quality assurance to make Bunting Magnetics Co. a world-class operation, meeting our customers’ delivery dates and exceeding their expectations while delivering the highest level of quality,” Miller says.

Galfab appoints new chief financial officer

Winamac, Indiana-based Galfab, a manufacturing firm that also has operations in Phoenix, has announced the appointment of Ian Nilson as its chief financial officer (CFO).

“It is my pleasure to welcome Ian as Galfab’s CFO,” says CEO Jerry Samson. “Ian brings over 20 years of professional financial experience. He has been involved in manufacturing his entire career and understands our environment.”

Samson adds, “The recent move to an employee-owned company and the addition of Ian as CFO strengthens our leadership and helps position Galfab’s future growth and success.”

Nilson most recently served as vice president and CFO for Destaco, a global work-holding equipment and automated tooling company in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Previously, he spent more than 10 years with Tyco Flow Control of Houston in a variety of leadership positions.

“I am looking forward to joining Galfab’s executive team,” Nilson says. “I feel my solid combination of skills and experience will complement and support the legacy of a true industry innovator.”

Galfab makes cable roll-off hoists, single-axle hook hoists, open-top roll-off containers, packer receiver containers, front- and rear-load containers, self-contained compactors, self-dumping hoppers and various other transportation products.

MH Equipment adds regional sales manager

MH Equipment, Chillicothe, Illinois, says Isaac Yates has joined the company as a regional sales manager in the St. Louis and Scott City, Missouri, areas.

Yates joins the MH team after most recently working for Fairchild Equipment, Ham Lake, Minnesota, where he served as president of the West Division. Fairchild Equipment sells materials handling and warehouse equipment, forklift parts, certified training and other products.

Yates has more than 40 years of experience in various sales leadership roles, including executive positions at several companies such as Iveco Trucks of North America, Yale Materials Handling, Nordictrack, Jostens, New Standard Corp. and Rihm Kenworth.

MH Equipment President Jim Brake says, “MH Equipment in St. Louis is excited to welcome Isaac as our new regional sales manager. He brings great energy and many years of material handling experience to our sales team. It is clear that Isaac exemplifies the core values of our company and the future that we are building for our customers and employees.”

Started in Peoria, Illinois, in 1952 as a Hyster forklift dealership, MH Equipment has grown to become one of the largest material handling services providers in the U.S. with five locations serving the Erie, Pennsylvania; Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio; and St. Louis and Scott City, Missouri, areas.

J&J Truck Equipment’s sales manager retires

Somerset, Pennsylvania-based J&J Truck Equipment, a division of Somerset Welding & Steel, has announced that Jim Weir retired Feb. 2, 2018. Weir joined the company 34 years ago and held a variety of positions prior to serving as sales manager.

“I have enjoyed the work, the people and the challenges during my tenure at J&J, but I am excited about beginning the next chapter in my life,” Weir says.

Since announcing his retirement, Weir has guided the sales team to ensure a smooth transition upon his departure, J&J says.

J&J supplies field-service crane bodies, lubrication service units, hydraulic systems, mechanic bodies, flatbeds and snow removal equipment.