CORONA, CALIF. (Dec. 17, 2:20 p.m. ET) — Takehiro Amaya, president of JSW Plastics Machinery Inc., died suddenly of a heart attack on Nov. 17. He was 47.

Amaya became president of JSW in Corona, the U.S. headquarters of the Tokyo-based Japan Steel Works Ltd., in 2010, succeeding long-time president Fumio Hirayama, who returned to Japan for another assignment.

JSW sent a letter to customers notifying them of Amaya’s passing, and saying that headquarters is deciding on the new president. The new president should be named in the next few months.

In the meantime, Hirayama has been authorized to act as president of the U.S. operation.

“We appreciate your special concern and patience regarding Mr. Amaya’s untimely passing,” the company said, in a letter from Hirayama and Keisuke Kono, secretary at California office.

Amaya leaves a wife and a daughter.