News
Dielectric Adds Key Personnel Preparing for Global Reach
New COO introduces new management in Marketing, Manufacturing and Finance
MENOMONEE FALLS, WI (August 27, 2009)– While tough economic conditions have lead many Milwaukee-area manufacturing companies into a shrinking survival mode, Dielectric is confidently restructuring itself as a world class manufacturer with global reach.
Demonstrating Dielectric’s commitment to this path, primary shareholder, Mike Esser, recently stepped into the Chairman/CEO position, naming global business veteran Gary Les President/COO. Les brings nearly two decades of international business experience, with special emphasis on Asia. Les, a graduate of Northwestern University, holds an MBA from Loyola, JD from DePaul School of Law, and held top leadership positions at Group II Communications, Virchow Krause, and Everbrite. He has already assembled a top notch leadership team whose laser focus is on taking the company to world class standing.
Steve Friedrich joined Dielectric’s leadership team taking charge of the sales function as VP of Business Development, reporting to Les. His role includes business diversification, marketing, and public relations. Friedrich brings over 20 years of international business experience working primarily with major automotive and industrial product OEM customers. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and has held business development leadership roles with Charter Manufacturing, Westaff, and Vulcan Industries.
Steve Keller also joined the Dielectric team as Manufacturing Engineer reporting to Bruce Landay. Keller will lead the engineering function and will be central to Dielectric’s world class manufacturing efforts, leading the implementation of Lean Manufacturing techniques. He is an expert in Lean and cellular manufacturing, and has experience integrating best practice elements - 5S, Kaizen, Six Sigma and TQM – into manufacturing operations. Keller is a degreed Mechanical Engineer (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee), and holds an MBA from Marquette University. Prior to joining Dielectric, Keller was Lean Champion at Everbrite.
Rounding out the new leadership team, Don Cento has joined Dielectric as VP of Finance/CFO reporting to Gary Les. He is also responsible for Human Resources and Information Technology. Cento has over 15 years of financial leadership experience having held Treasury and VP Finance positions at Steeltech, Wellington Management, and Plastics Components, Inc. Cento is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and holds an MBA from Marquette University.
Founded in 1966 by Ray Esser, Dielectric Corporation has grown to become a highly trusted plastics and non-ferrous materials fabricator for some of the world’s most innovative companies, including General Electric, Philips, Siemens, Rockwell International, Cooper Industries, and many others. Dielectric procures directly from global materials experts such as Ensinger, Röechling, Norplex, Westlake, and Thyssen Krupp to offer the latest technology in applied engineering grade polymer and non-ferrous materials through fabricated parts and assemblies. They operate from ISO 9001-2000 registered facilities in Menomonee Falls, WI and also Lake Mills, IA.
