People Progress… (May 04, 2007)

Dave Birkby has been elected to a two-year term as chairman of the board of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA). Birkby, president of Calgary, Alta.-based Westbridge PET Containers, replaces outgoing CPIA chairman Denis Cloutier.

Mauricio Fernandes has joined Arkema Canada as a technical sales specialist for Total Petrochemicals and Altuglas International. He will help to develop the Canadian market for Total Polypropylene, Polyethylene and Polystyrene, as well as Plexiglas and Solarkote Acrylic Resins and Capstocks. Fernandes had previously worked for Arkema Brazil for six years.

Madison Heights, Mich.-based mold technology supplier D-M-E Company has named Craig Messerknecht to the new position of VP of marketing and global product management. Messerknecht had previously run D-M-Es MRO business division.

Toronto-based Omron Canada Inc. has appointed Douglas Backman as senior manager, vertical markets; the company has also named Ron Roopchansingh as national sales manager, distribution.

Chris Lutz has been appointed vice president of sales with Auburn Hills, Mich.-based KMT Robotic Solutions.

A reorganization of sales responsibilities has taken place at Mississauga, Ont.-based Macro Engineering & Technology Inc. Harinder Tamber, technology manager/area sales manager, is now responsible for sales in Ontario and Western Canada. Felix Guberman, R&D manager/area sales manager, is now responsible for sales in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Macro Engineering designs and manufactures blown and cast film extrusion lines up to nine layers, extrusion coating/laminating lines, sheet lines and web handling equipment.

Blown film equipment manufacturer Future Design Inc., of Mississauga, Ont., has appointed Damian Kanev as a chemical engineer working on die design and chemical and feedscrew processess.

Amherst, N.Y.-based cavity pressure instrumentation supplier Kistler Instrument Corp. has named Bruce Lypps as its senior sales and applications specialist, manufacturing and plastics, for Canada. He is based out of Kistler’s new office in London, Ont.