LS Mtron forms Mexico business unit

Fulvio Menconi (left) and Kevin Kim. Photo Credit: LS IMM Mexico

LS Mtron Injection Molding Machine has opened a new business unit in Mexico.

Called LS IMM Mexico, the unit is based in Monterrey and is led by plastics industry veterans Kevin Kim – who will serve as CEO – and Fulvio Menconi.

Kim has worked for hot runner system and auxiliary equipment supplier Yudo-Abiman for 12 years, most recently as CEO and general manager in Mexico. Menconi, who will serve as president-sales for LS IMM Mexico, has worked for several injection molding machine suppliers in Mexico including Husky, Engel, and Krauss-Maffei, in business and sales management roles.

The new business unit’s headquarters has a tech centre with four LS Mtron IMM’s ranging from 170 to 450 tons. Customer training and trials will be held in Monterey, spare parts will also be stocked in the facility, and service assistance will be available in Spanish. A sales and service office will also be opened soon in Queretaro to service customers in that part of the country, company officials said.

LS Mtron’s USA business unit will work closely with LS IMM Mexico, said Peter Gardner, president of LS IMM USA. “Our company’s blueprint for growth and success has worked extremely well in the U.S., and we will help our partners in Mexico so they can achieve the same success,” he said. LS IMM USA and Mexico will have the same service and support contact information and will share service technicians as necessary, Gardner added.

According to Kim, LS IMM Mexico chose Monterrey as its headquarters in for two main reasons: the large number of plastics processors in the region, and the presence of several LS molding facilities there, including LS Automotive. “There are over 1,000 LS injection molding machines currently running in Mexico,” he said.  “Many of them are in state-of-the-art LS factories. It’s a big advantage for us to show prospective customers these facilities, so they can see our machines in operation.”

LS IMM Mexico already has direct service technicians in Mexico, Kim added, and will be hiring additional technicians for service and sales roles. “We have aggressive plans to grow our market share in Mexico,” he said.