Jim Sharpe, Chairman
After purchasing the company in 1987, Jim re-focused the business from a commodity supplier of aluminum extrusions to supplying custom systems with significant value added content to the electronics market. Jim was successful in securing ISO certification in 1992, initiating manufacturing innovations, developing processes to support specific product niches, establishing strong vendor alliances and implementing strategies to significantly reduce lead times. Jim's efforts resulted in significant growth of the business as customers benefited from the quick turn and responsive services, previously not offered by traditional extruders. Jim has held President and GM positions in the Plastics Machinery and Processing businesses, and spent five years with GE after obtaining his MBA from Harvard.