BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. – Handtmann Inc.’s continued growth in all territories has fueled plans for a new North American headquarters and technology center that will open in the Fall 2011, realigning all territories and expanding the field sales team with three new territory managers. These moves are designed to aggressively support closer collaboration with clients who are now operating in more complex buying processes and making decisions that are being driven by the need for faster speeds, greater automation and more integrated and complicated operational requirements, said Tom Kittle, president.

Beginning Aug. 8, Handtmann’s new office will be located at 28690 N. Ballard Drive, Lake Forest, Ill.


Handtmann’s recent innovations have spurred the company’s growth by delivering new levels of product control and resource utilization -- the very benefits many processors need to profitably grow their business in today’s competitive environment and sluggish economy.

“At Handtmann, we are committed to ‘ideas for the future,’” Kittle says. “Our success is fueled by traditional Handtmann standards of design, manufacturing and service excellence, and our team’s professional support of clients during their complicated capital equipment decision making processes.”

The realignment of territories with staff expansion is designed to reduce travel, allow long-time team members to spend more time with customers and support the quality of relationship that customers now need to make their most informed decisions.

Amy James, the new Handtmann Southwest territory manager, is an experienced food processing professional with 13 years of national packaging experience serving local, regional and Fortune 500 processors in that region. She possesses deep processing industry marketing knowledge and equipment sales experience. James also brings a practical operational background -- handling equipment installations, managing engineering meetings and maintaining ongoing collaborations with plant management and operational teams.

Mario Medina has 20 years of food processing and packaging experience in the US and Mexico to his role as Southeast territory manager. Fluent in English and Spanish, Mario’s strong mechanical background and engineering skills combine to let him work efficiently with local and regional processors as well as large multinational operational teams.

Roger Wakeman is the newest Handtmann territory manager who will cover a portion of the Midwest area. He has 13 years of experience in meat, processing, packaging and capital equipment sales in the stuffing industry. Wakeman’s knowledge and experience are already providing clients with technical and operational perspectives that have proven useful in complex decision-making processes for client teams seeking trouble-free, high-speed, automated processing lines, Kittle said.