Kai von BergKai von Berg
EP Equipment Europe - Germany
EP Equipment Europe has named lithium-ion product specialist Kai von Berg as its new VP sales.
Bennit Schmieder, president of EP Equipment Europe says with well over a decade’s experience working in the materials handling sector, including roles with Jungheinrich, Still and Triathlon Group, von Berg is a great addition to the team.
“His product driven approach and passion for changing the industry is what brought us together,” Schmieder continues.
“During his time at Still, Kai took a leading role in the development of products for our co-operation and gained valuable experience with the EP factory visiting Anji and working together with our team.
“I am very excited to welcome Kai to the team. Together with our whole EP family we look forward to creating an even stronger organisation for the future.”
Robert Gustine
Columbia Machine - United States
Robert Gustine
Washington-headquartered Columbia Machine has appointed Robert Gustine to the role of group president - Vancouver operations, where he will be responsible for, among other divisions, the pallet business.
Gustine has spent the last 15 years with power generation specialists OECO where he has held progressive leadership roles.
In his new position, Gustine will be responsible for strengthening operational and financial accountability, advancing market and industry leadership, and reinforcing Columbia’s customer-centric culture.
Columbia Machine says he will focus on operational excellence and manufacturing performance, including cost control, quality, efficiency, utilisation, lean practices, and inventory management, while accelerating innovation and deepening collaboration across business units, affiliates, and international subsidiaries.
Chairman and CEO, Rick Goode, says of Gustine’s appointment to Columbia: “Rob brings a proven, metrics-driven approach to leading complex, high-reliability manufacturing”.
“His track record aligning teams around strategy, elevating quality, and moving faster from concept to customer value makes him an excellent fit to guide our Vancouver Operations and support our global growth ambitions.”