OFFICERS

Robert Bunting
PEMA President

Robert Bunting is the President & CEO of Bunting, overseeing the continued growth of the global Bunting group. Prior to assuming the President & CEO mantle, Robert was the General Manager for Bunting Elk Grove Village, IL. As the General Manager, he managed Operations, Sales, and Customer Service staff. Robert is the driver for sales growth via the e-commerce site, www.BuyMagnets.com,  through SEO development, PPC management and Google Shopping. He was influential in launching a new site built using WordPress and WooCommerce. At this same time, Robert has been one of the co-chairs driving the organizational-wide renewed strategic plan. Robert is a 3-time winner of Bunting’s prestigious Product Manager of the Year. Robert stays involved, active and volunteers his time on PMMI’s Business Intelligence Committee. He is a member of a local Vistage KEY Group.

Outside of work, Robert has completed 2 Ironman Triathlons, over 20 Half Ironman 70.3 Triathlons, dozens of half marathons, and countless bike races. He is an avid city gardener, loves travelling to National Parks with his wife Becky, and enjoys a good craft beer on his roof top with Ivy, his Labrador Retriever, at his side.

Chuck Mitchell
PEMA Vice President

Chuck Mitchell is the VP of Sales for Carrier Vibrating Equipment Group, Inc in Louisville, KY.  Established in 1950, Carrier is internationally known for outstanding innovation in the field of vibratory technology.  He is a graduate of University of Louisville, Speed Scientific School with a Master of Engineering (MEng), Mechanical Engineering.  Chuck joined Carrier in 1997 as a Project Engineer. In his current role he is responsible for the inside and outside sales force, contract negotiations, forecasting, new product development and is an integral part of the corporate development team.  In addition to PEMA, Chuck is also a member of the American Foundry Society (AFS) and hold two US Patents in the field of vibratory technology.  He and his wife Sandi live in Louisville, KY with their two teenage children.

Rich Gaffney
PEMA Treasurer

Rich Gaffney serves as the Vice President of Commercial Operations at Sentry Equipment, a Wisconsin-based company and a peerless global provider of sampling and process improvement technologies that protect people and the environment for a safer world. With over two decades of experience in sales leadership, Rich has been instrumental in aligning sales strategies with operational functions to drive both short-term achievements and long-term success. Under his leadership, Sentry Equipment has expanded its product offerings through strategic acquisitions and enhancements that have enabled improvement in customer service and introduced Sentry’s products to a new client base all over the world. Rich has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management, as well as an associate’s degree in mechanical engineering, from the University of Minnesota.

In addition to his role at Sentry Equipment, Rich is active in his community. Serving in various volunteer roles and board positions for many not-for-profit organizations, he is currently the President of the Board of Directors for the City of Oconomowoc (WI) Chamber of Commerce. He also lends his time as a speaker for various educational association events throughout Southeast Wisconsin. In his spare time, he can be found spending time with his wife, Jenny, and two adult children, playing golf, or being involved with his passion, boating.

PEMA IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Travis Young
Immediate Past PEMA President

Travis Young is CEO of Vortex Global in Salina, KS. Vortex is a global engineering and manufacturing company specializing in process gates, diverter valves, and dustless loading solutions for dry bulk solids. His career at Vortex began as Director of International Business, overseeing the company’s exports. He later established Vortex’s operations in Europe and Asia, serving for 10 years as Managing Director of Vortex Global Limited in the United Kingdom. In his current role, Travis is responsible for Vortex’s strategy and marketing direction. Travis holds a B.A. in Marketing and International Business from Kansas State University. In addition to PEMA, he serves on the Board of Directors of other non-profit and for-profit entities. Travis and his wife Melanie have two sons and reside in Salina, Kansas.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Brittany Dollimore
Vice President of Sales, ACS Valves

Brittany Dollimore brings more than 15 years of bulk processing industry experience to her role as Vice President of Sales at ACS Valves. With in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the job, from the sales office to the manufacturing warehouse, she’s a go-to resource for many rotary airlock customers. She also works closely with the gypsum mixer experts at ACS Valves’ sister company, ACS Mixers.

Brittany is always focused on how her team can work together to provide the best possible experience to their customers. She brings a collaborative mindset to her work, encouraging communication both inside and outside of the department. Her favorite part of the job is the people she gets to work with each day, colleagues and customers alike.

In her spare time, Brittany enjoys trying out new baking recipes and techniques, reading (she’s a proud book club member), and spending time with her husband Phil and daughter Madeleine.

Jim Egan
Chief Revenue Officer – General Kinematics

Jim Egan is the Chief Revenue Officer at General Kinematics, a premier supplier of vibratory technology, material conveyance equipment and turnkey systems. He has been with the company since 2015, leading a restructuring of the team’s go‐to‐market strategy. Jim has 30 years of experience in sales, operations, communications and marketing. His background is in both capital equipment and outsourced services, with an emphasis on manufacturing. Jim has always worked within the private sector, garnering a wide range of experiences leading acquisition and integration activities, CRM transformations, and strategic partnership initiatives.

Jim is an avid sports fan suffering through many challenging seasons from the Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs and Iowa Hawkeyes. He and his wife, Taylor, are raising two teenagers in Geneva, IL.

Andy Forrester
VP Sales & Marketing, Thayer Scale

Andy Forrester is the VP of Sales and Marketing at Thayer Scale. He manages the company’s continued expansion of Thayer Scale’s direct and indirect sales channels both in existing markets and in new markets and geographic regions. In addition, Forrester is focused on strengthening the company’s relationships with existing customers in the Food, Chemical and Energy markets by aligning the company’s equipment sales, aftermarket sales and service activities. His role is based out of the company’s headquarters facility in Pembroke, Mass.

Prior to serving in his role at Thayer Scale, he was the V.P. of Sales and Marketing at Spiroflow Systems, where he led the company’s process equipment sales team. He also served as the Director of Sales and Marketing at Kice Industries, an engineering company with a focus on dry bulk material handling and dust control solutions. Earlier in his career, Forrester assumed numerous marketing and sales positions at the Hilti Corporation with an emphasis on the Energy and Industry segments.

Forrester has a Bachelor of Science (Honors) degree in Information Technology from Shrivenham University, England. He received a diploma in Business Management from Westminster University, England, along with various other advanced training certifications. Andy also served as a Commissioned Officer in the Royal Air Force. During his free time, he enjoys time with his family, cycling, Moto-trials, golf, and travel.

Craig Macklin
President, The Cleveland Vibrator Company

Craig Macklin is the President & CEO of The Cleveland Vibrator and its two subsidiaries: HK Technologies and Fastfeed Corporation, which collectively provide a range of products for bulk material and parts flow and processing.  Craig joined the company in 2010, managing and improving the Marketing and Sales departments prior to becoming CEO in 2016.  A graduate of Duke University in ’00 with a B.S.E. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Craig now resides in Cleveland, OH with his wife Carla and their two daughters, all three of whom continually humble Craig with their greatness.  When not working, Craig pursues interests in cooking with woodfire, chasing his first hole in 1 on a par 3, and running short distances fairly slowly.

Kyle Rhodes
Executive Vice President, MPI (Magnetic Products, Inc.)

Kyle Rhodes is Executive Vice President at Magnetic Products, Inc. (MPI) in Highland, Michigan. Established in 1981, MPI helps industrial manufacturers control metal in their production process by manufacturing reliable industrial magnetic and metal control equipment that removes contaminants, separates, or conveys metal. Kyle joined MPI in 2009 and has held positions is manufacturing, purchasing, sales and marketing. He earned both his Bachelor of Arts and MBA from Michigan State University. Kyle and his wife, Jennifer, have one daughter and reside in Milford, MI.

Richard Weeks
Director Of Sales – The Dupps Company

Richard Weeks is Director of Sales at The Dupps Company in Germantown Ohio. Founded in 1935, The Dupps Company is still family owned and acknowledged as the industry leader in the manufacture and application of products and systems used in the protein recycling industry.

Richard is a graduate of Ryerson University Mechanical Engineering in Toronto Canada and prior to joining The Dupps Company in 2014, he was a founding member of three different industrial product start-up ventures. He has significant experience in a wide range of process control industries and has championed sales and marketing efforts on an international basis. Richard and his wife Mardi reside in Centerville Ohio and travel frequently to visit their three children and seven grandchildren.

John Winski
Director Of Sales – Coperion K-Tron

John Winski is the Director of Sales for Coperion K-Tron. Coperion K-Tron is a global engineering and manufacturing company offering state-of-the-art feeding, pneumatic conveying and complete material handling systems. John joined the company in 1987 and has held positions in field engineering, project engineering and various sales support and management positions. In his current role, he manages the sales network for North, South and Central America. John has an electronics engineering technology degree from Temple University. An avid musician, John spends his spare time playing saxophone with the Greater Kensington String Band where he parades annually every New Year’s day. John and his wife Christine reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and have two adult children.

Jeff Soldan

BIO COMING SOON

Chris Williams
Sales Manager, DMN Inc.

With 19 years of experience in the dry bulk handling industry, Chris Williams is a key leader in managing and expanding DMN Inc.’s nationwide sales representative network. As Manager Sales, he oversees relationships with independent sales reps while also handling larger system integrator house accounts. Additionally, Chris plays a vital role in leading DMN Inc.’s sales efforts across both North and South America, ensuring the company’s continued growth and strong market presence. 

His deep industry expertise, combined with his ability to build and maintain lasting partnerships, makes him a valuable asset to DMN Inc., the North American division of DMN-WESTINGHOUSE—the world’s largest manufacturer of rotary and diverter valves. 

Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time with his grandchildren and hitting the golf course whenever he gets the chance. His dedication to both his career and personal life highlights his commitment to excellence in everything he does.

STAFF

Elizabeth B. Armstrong, MAM, CAE, QAS
PEMA Executive Director & Secretary

Elizabeth Armstrong is Executive Director for the Process Equipment Manufacturers’ Association. Beth is the president of Association and Society Management International (ASMI) – PEMA’s management company – and chief staff executive for several of its clients, leading service teams and ensuring the annual work plans are executed successfully. She began her career as PEMA’s membership and statistics manager in the late 80s. Beth’s areas of expertise include service delivery approaches for non-profit organizations, board and committee management, non-profit account, marketing, and member services. She is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the AMC Institute. Beth holds a BBA in Marketing from the College of William and Mary and a Master of Association Management from The George Washington University. She is a Certified Association Executive (CAE credential earned through ASAE); and a Qualified Association Specialist (QAS credential earned through the Florida Society of Association Executives).

Harry (Buzz) W. Buzzerd, Jr., CAE
PEMA Management Counsel

Harry (Buzz) W. Buzzerd, Jr., CAE, has served as Management Counsel to the Process Equipment Manufacturers’ Association since 1983. He began his association management career in 1964 and holds a CAE (Certified Association Executive) designation. He earned a B.A. from Gettysburg College, along with extensive graduate and professional education. In addition to his work with PEMA, Buzz is Management Counsel to the Association of Vacuum Equipment Manufacturers and the American Textile Machinery Association. He is Chairman and owner of Association and Society Management International, Inc., which he founded in 1982.