Engel elevates Vanessa Malena to head the Americas
Schwertberg, Austria – With ENGEL’s new fiscal year starting April 2024, their sales structure and internal processes have been modified to align with customers’ needs. ENGEL has defined three major regions across the globe: the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Vanessa Malena will lead the Americas.
The new sales structure aims to provide enhanced support to representatives by enabling direct access to business development teams in their respective regions.
“I am thrilled to assume leadership of this newly consolidated region, which encompasses the entirety of the Americas, including the USA, Canada, Mexico, and South America,” states Vanessa Malena. “Serving as President of the Americas is both an honor and a responsibility that I embrace wholeheartedly. As a female leader in the traditionally male-dominated plastics industry, I am proud to represent and inspire others in breaking barriers and fostering diversity and inclusion.”
The plastics industry is facing a very challenging time with a shrinking market and a growing number of competitors. ENGEL is still gaining new customers while also retaining existing customers. ENGEL’s success is not only in injection molding machines and automation sales but also after-sales service, which has outperformed expected numbers. ENGEL’s improved standing is attributed to its international production platform, which has strengthened its position due to the significant diversification across various end markets.
With roots tracing back to its establishment in Schwertberg, Austria, in 1945, ENGEL remains a European family-owned company now in its fourth generation. The company’s internally funded future projects underscore its financial independence and commitment to sustainable growth. Anchored by a long-term strategic vision and dedicated market development initiatives, ENGEL cultivates enduring partnerships with its customers, prioritizing mutual success and longevity.
The company aims to establish optimal sales, logistics, and production structures for each of the three major regions: Europe, Asia, and America. “It’s ENGEL’s philosophy to have our production plants close to our customers,” says Stefan Engleder, CEO of the ENGEL Group. “This concept of decentralization has been a critical factor in our success as a global industry leader, and now it is more applicable than ever.”
ENGEL began machine production in the existing subsidiary in Querétaro, Mexico, in 2023. One of the machines from this production line, an all-electric e-mac, was already shown at the Plastimagen tradeshow in November of that year. Shipments of these machines have started to Mexican customers, demonstrating ENGEL’s commitment to meeting the market’s evolving needs.
“We are confident that customers in the North, Central, and South Americas will all benefit from the capacity and expertise delivered by this expansion,” states Vanessa Malena, President of ENGEL Americas. “It is designed to enhance an authentic collaboration with our clients and within the ENGEL team.” The added volume in Mexico also complements the market presence of the well-established North American subsidiary. In addition, ENGEL has recently increased its capacity in York, Pennsylvania, concentrating on its custom automation center and renovating its office and technology center in Corona, California.