Sumitomo (SHI) Demag announces its exciting expansion in the Ireland polymer processing market with Kris Thacker appointed as the company’s dedicated technical sales manager in Ireland. As part of this local development phase, the company has also recruited a new service engineer, Cathal Deegan.
Offering on-the-ground, responsive support, Kris and Cathal are being supported by global medical specialist Andrew Sargisson, as well as UK and Ireland managing director Dave Raine. The entire team are on hand applying their deep technical knowledge to assist Ireland-based processors in their drive to boost productivity and secure new mass-manufacturing opportunities.
In addition to on-site visits, Kris and Cathal are welcoming processors weekly to the company’s state-of-the-art Limerick centre. Here, local and multinational moulders and medical manufacturers are benefiting from having access to state-of-the-art technologies to perform trials and validations. Processors can also access production optimisation training at all levels to help address industry skills gaps.
This latest expansion in 2025 marks the company’s rich history serving processors throughout Ireland. In 1974, Demag Hamilton managed more than 800 Ankerwerk and Stubbe machines, many of which were built in the company’s factory in Craigavon Northern Ireland. Kris, who has worked in the injection moulding industry for two decades, says that there are now strong signals that Ireland is once again outpacing most western economies with manufacturing growth.
Starting his career as an electrical maintenance apprentice, Kris has a deep understanding of the industry challenges. Including sustainability and how to minimise waste.
Joining Sumitomo (SHI) Demag in 2011, Kris describes himself as a Sumitomo specialist and will continue to draw upon this field support to assist customers with maintaining machine uptime and resolving production issues. “My familiarity of all of the machine ranges and control systems, from NC3 to NC5 and the latest digital tools, is expansive. Although our remote support can often resolve most processing challenges in minutes, there’s always a toolbox in my car to assist customers that require some instant support when I am making sales calls. Through our registered office we can also offer customers direct access to spares, as well as support with integration and retrofit requests.”
Productivity partners
A huge advocate for sustainability, Kris’s favourite saying is buy cheap buy twice. “I am a firm believer that we can all play a role in minimising waste and choosing more long-term sustainable options. That includes taking responsibility for products once they have served their purpose and ensuring value is always optimised. Together, we can ensure that our industry contributes positively to both business success and a more sustainable future.”
Service engineer Cathal agrees. Local to Limerick with a degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from the Limerick Institute of Technology, Cathal brings a new perspective focused on efficiency and problem solving. “Having worked in operator roles, I have a strong understanding about production. I am excited to continue supporting customers in improving their sustainability credentials,” comments Cathal.
The Central Statistics Office reports that pharmaceutical manufacturing output in Ireland increased by over 38% in 2023 and has now returned to similar levels documented in 2021. Additionally, manufacturing in Ireland grew 17.1% year-on-year between October 2023 and October 2024.
Sustaining this growth requires local capabilities and access to dedicated people, tool trial and training facilities, reaffirms managing director Dave Raine. The Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Limerick Centre of Excellence opened in 2023 and combined with the recent appointments, is now fully established and serving the company’s already sizeable customer base in Ireland.
“Supporting over 400 machines, our collaborative approach to local customisations and delivering OPC-UA factory tested automated production cells, builds on this growth synergy and investment in infrastructure. Indicative of the growth focus, our IOM3-accredited training, and a dedicated team of experienced technical, service support and processing professionals are on hand to support polymer processors of all sizes from all sectors to increase productivity and future proof their investments. This includes collaborating with an extensive network of domestic periphery and automation partners,” notes Dave Raine.
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