OYSTAR Implements Global Growth Plan

OYSTAR Group’s (Davenport, IA) newly completed realignment emphasizes customer service and continued global growth. The plan is aimed at strengthening its customer focus and increasing its global presence without affecting the existing strategies and focuses of the Group’s American businesses, which include OYSTAR Packaging Technologies, OYSTAR Jones, and OYSTAR USA.

In a bid to combine and streamline its competencies and expertise, OYSTAR’s 17 individual companies have been consolidated into four business units — Food, Dairy, Consumer, and Pharmaceutical. The new structure encapsulates the synergies among the businesses and allows for faster response times and quicker decision-making.

“We are becoming more aggressive from a global standpoint and this reorganization allows us to broaden our horizons,” says Gordon Bonfield, president and CEO, OYSTAR Jones. “And, with significant U.S. representation at the executive level, we have strengthened our commitment to our U.S. customers.”

The leadership team marks OYSTAR’s commitment to have a senior leadership that fully represents its global markets. Tom Graf, CEO of OYSTAR, and Markus Ehl, chief operating officer, lead the executive team with Bonfield heading the consumer division. Barry Shoulders, president and CEO of OYSTAR Packaging Technologies, is leading the food division. Christian Korte, head of the dairy division, and Jens Torkel, head of the pharmaceutical division, round out the executive board.

“We looked at how we could better organize our businesses to be more efficient and better serve our customers,” Shoulders says. “By aligning ourselves based on our four core markets, each business unit operating within these particular markets will have a clearer focus and provide customers with broadened knowledge and service competency.”

In the United States, Canada, and Mexico OYSTAR USA will continue to serve as the sales arm of the company’s global businesses that include IWK, Hassia, Manesty, A&F, Fabrima, Gasti, Huttlin, and Tecmar. In March, OYSTAR USA will combine its two sales and services offices and move into a new facility in New Jersey’s Raritan Center, one of the largest business parks in the Northeast.

“Our centralization of services will increase our expert local capacities to be certain we continue to provide our customers with the responsiveness and support they have come to expect from OYSTAR USA,” says Charles Ravalli, president and CEO, OYSTAR USA.

In addition, this summer OYSTAR USA will continue to expand its services and capabilities by unveiling a lab facility that will accommodate demonstrations of processing equipment from manufacturers like Manesty and Huttlin. Maintaining its strong global focus, OYSTAR has also opened sales offices in Brazil, China, and Russia, which will be fully operational this year. In these markets, customers will now have a direct line to expert OYSTAR representatives, who will be able to provide clear, accurate information and fast response times. As the company continues to grow, it will continue to look at strategic markets with long-term business potential.