Herma US hires CEO and sales and marketing director

Herma US has filled two key posts. Klaus Kraemer takes over as CEO of Herma US, succeeding Peter Goff who left the company for personal reasons. Gavin Purvis assumes the newly created post of sales and marketing director at Herma US.

In previous managerial posts for packaging industry companies, Kraemer achieved growth and development objectives, mostly focused on the US and other international markets.

For example, as president of North America for the German packaging machine specialist Rovema, within four years he tripled turnover in the US market by setting up a production facility, in addition to the existing service and spare parts business. Kraemer also has extensive experience in conducting negotiations with international corporations. Most recently, for the globally active consultancy and auditing firm CKH headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, he was responsible, while based in Barcelona, for transforming 23 European entities of a Fortune 500 company into a financial services company. Before this, the mechanical engineer — who was born in Heilbronn, Germany, and holds German and US citizenship — accelerated US market penetration of the Italian packaging machine company TSW Industries. As CEO of the PKG Packaging Group, which develops innovative packaging solutions for multinational companies in the food, chemical and industrial goods sectors, he also pushed forward further internationalization and led an ambitious M&A program. As a result, the group's turnover increased by 30 percent. Most recently, he established an American-Serbian final packaging company in 50 countries within just two years.

'Klaus Kraemer is an outstanding expert in the US packaging market,' said Martin Kühl, head of the labeling machines division at Herma. 'He has repeatedly demonstrated how market potential and customer needs can be translated into further concrete corporate growth. He also has a keen nose for operative process optimization and efficiency enhancement. He is therefore a huge asset for us.'

Purvis, the new sales and marketing director, has already spent more than five years advancing Herma US in North America. In 2017, he started a role as area sales manager, and he later became head of area sales and key accounts. In 2022, Purvis became director of business development at AST, a technology-leading US specialist for aseptic filling and sealing systems.

'There, Gavin focused on robotics-assisted solutions, which is now of great value to us. This is because automated product handling during labeling processes is also becoming increasingly important for Herma US. We are all the more delighted to have him back in the fold,' said Kühl.

Since 2016, Herma US, headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, has been developing and selling labeling and handling technology for the US, Canada and Mexico markets. Herma US has grown in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and tobacco products sectors.