ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Automation equipment distributor Sepro America LLC has added sales, engineering and service talent in the U.S. and aims to top its undisclosed 2012 sales — its biggest North American year as a stand-alone wholly owned subsidiary of Sepro Robotique.
Pittsburgh-based Sepro America appointed North American sales managers — Paul Rudzinski in the West and Lorne Burke in the East — to support customers and deal with independent sales representatives.
"We doubled our sales of small robots from 2008-2012," Jim Healy, vice president of sales and marketing for Sepro America, said in an interview. "Our biggest robots doubled in 2012 versus 2011."
Healy said the Sepro organization can provide options for any potential customer regardless of application, location or operating parameters. He characterized the business's marketing message as offering customers "your free choice in robots" including numerous advanced models of servo-driven robots with multi-axis, multi-function capabilities.
"We can offer customers more choices through our investments in people and products," Healy said Feb. 12 at the Plastec West trade show in Anaheim.
Rudzinski oversees the Sepro activities of Turner Group Inc. of Seattle in nine U.S. states and two Canadian provinces; Pacific Plastic Systems Inc. of Mission Viejo, Calif., in parts of three states; and Industrial Machine Sales Inc. of Southlake, Texas, in five states. Rudzinski's industry experience includes lengthy tenure with Milacron Inc. and other service with MedPlast Inc. and Pro-Dex Inc.
Burke deals with Sepro territories that are handled by Keystone Plastics Inc. of South Plainfield, N.J., in all or parts of six states; Hamilton Plastics Equipment LLC of Bedford, N.H., in all or parts of seven states; and Shadow Automation Inc. in Uxbridge, Ontario. Burke has industry experience with Application Engineering Corp. and PressFlow Robot Automated Systems.
Sepro America has 27 employees.
In advancing a lengthy relationship, robot manufacturer Sepro Robotique of La Roche-sur-Yon, France, and auxiliary equipment maker Conair Group Inc. of Pittsburgh in August 2007 formed Sepro America as a joint venture. In October 2008, Conair exercised a right to sell its 50 percent equity interest in the JV to Sepro Robotique.
Sepro's plastics automation products deal with needs for storage material, drying, blending, granulation and heat transfer technologies. In broadening its offerings, Sepro Robotique has partnerships with the robotics division of Pfäffikon, Switzerland-based Stäubli International AG and in-mold label specialist Machines Pagès of Foncine-le-Haut, France. Sepro Robotique has had a presence in the North American market since 1989.