Schwaig, August 26, 2019 – Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH is pleased to announce that Mr. Siegfried Köhler is joining the company as Group Chief Sales Officer.

Effective 1 October 2019, Mr. Siegfried Köhler joins the management team, taking on the responsibility of further strengthening Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s focus of aligning international sales with automation and business development. Given his expertise in both injection moulding and peripheral manufacturing equipment, engaging the expertise of Mr. Köhler is regarded by the company as a real customer advantage given its rapidly expanding presence in all key international injection moulding markets.

With many years experience in sales management, Mr. Köhler has made a lasting contribution to both the Italian and Austrian companies where he previously worked, successfully consolidating their strategic position.

Taking Sumitomo (SHI) Demag into its next phase of growth, Mr. Köhler will work hand-in-hand with CEO Gerd Liebig. With his new responsibilities, Mr. Köhler will focus on further strengthening the company’s respected global sales network.

Welcoming Mr. Köhler to the management team, Gerd Liebig reflects on how far and fast the company has grown: “Group sales have increased by 50% in recent years, which is testament to our strong global consulting teams. Having already initiated programmes to optimise production efficiency in our facilities in Schwaig, Wiehe and Ningbo, we are now looking outwards at our customers and how we can best support their global expansion plans by drawing upon our international presence.”

“Accelerating cooperation and international alignment will be integral to our customers’ future success. Mr. Köhler’s experience and successful track record, combined with his passion, will help to deliver complete supply chain integration to maximise manufacturing efficiency,” adds Mr Liebig.

Looking forward to the challenge, Siegfried Köhler comments: “Customer requirements for overall solution concepts are rising steadily. Smart machine technologies, combined with various application technologies, intuitive controls and harmonised work cells are critical to growth and success now and in the future.”

Noting that Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s IntElect machines have already set a high global benchmark, he adds: “Cooperation with innovative partner companies will be necessary to strengthen our competitiveness. We will purposefully focus on implementing projects that play to these strengths and build upon our automation and technical expertise to meet the expectations of our customers in all markets.”

Mr. Köhler will be based at the Schwaig office. He will attend K-2019, where Sumitomo (SHI) Demag will showcase a number of new exciting partnerships in materials, sustainability, automation, IMD and traceability.

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has shaped the development of the plastics industry from its very beginning. As a specialist for injection moulding machines for plastics processing, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and its Japanese parent company are leading the industry.

The global development and production network of Sumitomo Heavy Industries and Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is comprised of four facilities in Japan, Germany and China with more than 3,000 employees. The product portfolio includes all-electric, hydraulic and hybrid injection moulding machines with clamping forces of between 180 and 15.000 kN. With more than 125,000 installed machines, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is present in important global markets and ranks among the largest manufacturers of injection moulding machines in the world.

At Sumitomo’s headquarters in Chiba, Japan, the company manufactures machines with clamping forces in the small to medium range. Nearly 95 % of all delivered machines are equipped with an all-electric drive concept. Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s German facilities in Schwaig and Wiehe produce the Systec Servo range with hybrid drive as well as the El-Exis SP and Systec SP range of high-speed, high-performance machines. The all-electric IntElect range for international customers is also being produced in Germany.

As early as 1998, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag set up its first production site in Ningbo/China. In 2015, the Chinese subsidiary Demag Plastics Machinery (Ningbo) Co., Ltd. installed a new facility with a 13,000 m² floor space. It is earmarked for the production of the Systec C range with clamping forces of between 500 and 10,000 kN for the Asian market.

In addition to injection moulding machines, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag offers customised and standardised systems for the part handling automation, technical and process solutions for special applications, tailored services and service concepts as well as a range of financial options to support investment in injection moulding machines.

With its comprehensive sales and service network of subsidiaries and agencies, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is present in all major markets.

Press release issued for Sumitomo (SHI) Demag  Plastics Machinery GmbH by:Lucy Benbow, Sarah Willington