Print12/15/2010
SWANSON, RUNYAN JOIN ACCUMOLD CORPORATE TEAM
ANKENY, Iowa – Accumold, an international leader in high-tech plastic parts production, has expanded its corporate management team with the addition of manufacturing-sector veterans in marketing and quality improvement.
President and Chief Executive Officer Roger Hargens said today that Paul Runyan, whose experience includes marketing leadership responsibilities at several globally recognized firms, joins Accumold as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Grace Swanson, who has more than 30 years of LEAN manufacturing and quality improvement experience, was named Vice President of Production.
Hargens tied the addition of Runyan and Swanson to the corporate structure to Accumold’s ongoing expansion, which will add 43 employees and 40,000 square feet later this year.
“Continuous quality improvement has been our top priority every day since our first day in business. We’re already recognized for the exceptional quality of our products and processes but Grace Swanson’s extensive background in LEAN manufacturing and quality improvement, along with her applied behavioral science education, makes her the perfect leader to guide Accumold’s production team through the doubling of the manufacturing footprint and the planned growth in sales,” Hargens said.
He continued, “Paul Runyan understands sales and marketing in the manufacturing sector like few others. He knows how to communicate effectively with prospective customers and how to stay connected with current customers by exceeding their expectations. He brings a crucial level of expertise as Accumold enters an exciting new chapter in its history.”
In less than a month, Swanson has begun gathering teams to implement customer-focused improvements in Accumold’s processes.
“All continuous process improvement begins with respect for people, asking what is going right, what are our strengths and then building on those to create a standard of new performance,” said Swanson, who has been featured in books and news articles for her knowledge about world-class manufacturing.
Swanson most recently served as quality management specialist at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny where she coached clients on LEAN productivity, change management, employee recognition and other workplace organization and quality management techniques. Her previous experience includes safety, quality and productivity roles at Pella Windows & Doors and key management responsibilities at TELLABS in Naperville, Ill., over more than two decades.
Prior to joining Accumold, Runyan was vice president of sales and marketing for Innovative Lighting, Inc., a Roland, Iowa-based firm that is a global leader in LED lighting technology and product development. During his extensive sales and marketing career that began at Amana Refrigeration, Runyan was New England region manager for Copeland Compressors, director of international sales for Dacor Appliances. As general manager and later vice president of sales at Beam Industries, Runyan guided the internationally known vacuum maker to a doubling in sales revenues in just eight years.
Runyan is a native of Grinnell, Iowa. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Iowa State University and also holds a bachelor’s degree in political theory from Kansas State University.
Since its inception in 1985, Accumold’s mission has been the production of super-micro, ultra-precision, plastic injection-molded parts. Parts manufactured by the firm are critical components of the medical, automotive, military, aerospace and telecommunications industries. They can be found in micro-electronics, cell phones, telecommunications, surgical tools, hearing aids, medical devices, antennas, connectors and more. To produce those parts, Accumold builds specialized molding machines engineered to handle volumes from prototypes to millions per year while maintaining consistent, precise tolerances that are unique in the industry.
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