Tom Graf and the supervisory board of OYSTAR GmbH, a world leader in packaging equipment technology, announced a restructuring that creates OYSTAR North America, a $250 million company with 650 employees.

The new North American company now combines OYSTAR USA, a Morganville, N.J.-based sales operation representing packaging machinery brands manufactured in Europe, as well as packaging equipment manufacturers OYSTAR Packaging Technologies, Davenport, Iowa; and OYSTAR Jones, Covington, Ky.

The U.S. merger is a further result of the successful restructuring of the OYSTAR Group. “We began restructuring one and a half years ago,” explains Graf, chief executive officer for OYSTAR. “From the onset, it was our goal to centrally manage individual product and customer groups and no longer through several subsidiaries. The past financial year clearly shows that this was the right path.” Compared with the year before, the OYSTAR Group was able to more than triple its operating results in 2010.

Barry Shoulders, president of OYSTAR Packaging Technologies, has been chosen to lead OYSTAR North America, which instantly becomes one of the largest suppliers of packaging machinery and services in the United States, Canada and Mexico. “All of us at OYSTAR North America are excited by this new customer-focused structure that will translate into more complete packaging solutions and stronger partnerships with both customers and vendors,” Shoulders says.

Others assigned to senior management roles within the new company structure include: Tom Riggins, sales; Jeff Wierenga, service; and Susan Awadalla, finance.

Shoulders also referenced the continued involvement of Charles Ravalli, current president of OYSTAR USA. “We are pleased to have Charles as a valued member of our team, who will spearhead our efforts to integrate OYSTAR’s internationally manufactured equipment into the packaging lines of our domestic customers.”

In addition, Gordon Bonfield, president of OYSTAR Jones, has been appointed transition officer to oversee the process of combining the three companies into one efficient North American operation. “Under this new structure, our combined strength will deliver to customers a more coordinated approach to packaging solutions, offering the complete range of globally manufactured OYSTAR machinery brands to our North American customers through three centrally managed North American locations,” he says.

Another key reason to combine and streamline North American operations is customer ease and convenience, Shoulders concludes: “Customers who have been purchasing various OYSTAR brands will now have one key contact in North America to facilitate all machinery requirements. It is now more efficient to arrange the design, manufacture, installation and service of a complete packaging line from beginning to end.”


About OYSTAR Group
OYSTAR is one of the world’s leading suppliers of packaging machinery, technology and services. OYSTAR has extensive process know-how in the key industries of dairy products, food and consumer, as well as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Based in Stutensee, Germany, the holding company currently represents 14 manufacturing companies as well as numerous sales and service companies. At present, OYSTAR Holding employs a workforce of approximately 2,200 worldwide and generated a total of EUR 402 million in sales in 2009. For more information, go to www.oystar-group.com.



Contact: Mary Baltzell, 563-391-1100
Davenport, Iowa