Machinery maker Siapi opens US unit

Italian stretch blow molding machinery maker Siapi srl has opened a U.S. subsidiary in Norcross, Ga., named Siapi America Inc.

The 7,700-square-foot facility, which covers the U.S. and Canada, offers technical support, spare parts and service, demonstration machines in a showroom, customer training and customized container design and development.

Siapi America has a network of sales representatives and service engineers.

Siapi America is led by Marco Manzini, president and CEO, and Mike Charlton, vice president of customer service, who is in charge of all after-sales activities.

Siapi, based in San Vendemiano, Italy, also has released its 2009 production numbers. Officials report the company enjoyed a 17 percent growth in sales volume for its PET blow molding machines — in a year of economic recession.

More than half of the installations were for large-format blow molding machines. The company has developed an EAWM-brand  range of linear blow-molding machines with one, two, three or four cavities, for making wide-mouth, larger containers. Another innovation: the HandleMatic system, which automatically inserts a handle directly into the mold, then blow molds a 5-gallon container.

The goal of executives this year is to make Siapi a leader in the large-container market for beverages and wide-mouth containers for the food sector.

Tel. 770-778-7890, e-mail [email protected].