Stephen J. Martin
Middleboro, MA 02346
***.******@*****.***
Summary:
Experienced, sales professional, knowledgeable in food packaging and processing equipment sales within the food industry. Excels in the technical aspects of sales. Competent in working in fast-paced, high-pressure environments and completing sales goals within time and budget constraints. Consultant to end-users. Superior sales and customer service skills, both in-plant and via the telephone. Significant customer base. Bottom line…able to “close the deal”.
Industries Served:
Meat, Poultry & Seafood
Dairy
Prepared Foods
Bakery
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Equipment Sold:
Horizontal thermoform-fill-seal packaging machines
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) machines
Automatic vacuum-chamber packaging machines
Film/Plastics/Materials
Smokehouses
Bowl cutters & choppers
Stuffers
Extruders & co-extruders
Dicers & slicers
Mixers & grinders
Companies Sold To:
Tyson/IBP
Cargil Poulty/Meat Solutions
Sysco Foods/Buckhead Beef
Smithfield Foods
Koch Foods
Stampeed Meats
Numerous small to medium sized meat protein suppliers
Professional Experience:
Packaging Consultant, Middleboro, MA____________________________________Present
Current customers are HRI suppliers looking to develop retail programs, including Nagel Veal out of CA, Leone’s Meats out of PA, South Shore Meats out of MA and Colorado Boxed Beef out of FL
Promarks Inc., Ontario, CA 2010 -2011
Sales Manager-Food Processing & Packaging Equipment
Directly responsible for overseeing the sales of food processing and packaging machinery to the North American market.
Utilizes knowledge of products, materials and gases in qualifying the customer’s needs and determining the best solution and direction for each client.
Provides sales training and education for all products and their applications to domestic and international sales agents.
Responsible for handling all broker technical inquires and sales concerns within North America.
Works directly with the factory/manufacturer in determining current and future market trends and equipment needs specific to the North American marketplace.
Arisean, Inc., Whitman, MA ____________2001 – 2009
Sales Manager-Food Packaging Equipment-North America
Established new customers and further developed existing house accounts in the sales of food packaging machinery primarily within the poultry and red-meat industries. Target territories: North America
Annual sales: $2.5 million
Evaluated customers’ in-plant operations, equipment and materials to assess their overall equipment and material needs with the end goal being the improvement of both plant efficiencies and product presentation.
Headed technical assistance in the trouble-shooting and maintenance of packaging equipment as well as processing equipment.
Developed national rebuilding program of thermoforming packaging machines involving the purchase, refurbishment and sales of packaging machines and supplies.
Consultant to Sipromac Inc. Directed design engineers in the development of their first fully automatic vacuum packaging machine. Worked directly with sales & marketing to identify potential customers as well as packaging machine brokers. Designed new machine brochures along with effective marketing tools and strategies.
Harpak Inc., Easton, MA 2000-2001
Case Ready Meats, Product Line Manager
Assisted in redesigning and introducing the Italian Mondini tray sealing machine to the American market, defining it as one of the premiere Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) lines in the country.
Identified target customer lists and profiles for the national sales team.
Conducted sales presentations to plant management in the specifics of “case ready” production and the specifics of Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) environments and its potential to increase shelf life, yields and efficiencies.
Worked with customers to insure product quality, package integrity and market ready presentation.
Developed relationships with packaging material vendors as an additional resource of sales leads.
Supervac, GES. m.b.H., Vienna 1999
Product Line Manager
Coordinated all sales efforts within the US and Canada.
Traveled with a sales staff of 16 to re-energize and re-direct the sales of fully automated vacuum chamber machines.
In a 12 month period was directly responsible for doubling stagnate sales levels to over $4 million annually.
Robert Reiser Company, Canton, MA ______ 1987 –1999 Product Line Manager
Built service organization for company’s full product line of food processing & packaging equipment.
Staffed and trained field sales and technicians for US and Canada.
Assisted in price negotiation & buying of thermoforming machines.
Promoted to manager of a new product line for the “case ready” program through Ross Industries..
Part of sales and marketing team that introduced the “Case Ready Program” to Tesco Stores, UK, resulting in the sale of over 400 machine lines. Product line was expanded to include the countries of the Western Europe.
Traveled extensively throughout North American with 17 sales people. Trained and assisted in product line presentations. Initial primary focus in the US was to introduce Wal-Mart to the“Case Ready Meats” program.
Worked closely with packaging material suppliers to assist in full sales potential of
packaging lines.
Pacific Packaging Products, Los Angeles, CA 1984 –1987 President/Co-Owner
Initially, exclusively a sales company for packaging materials to the food industry. Successfully achieved $3,000,000 in packaging material sales in a 2 year period.
Expanded product line to include food processing equipment and two packaging systems of thermoforming & fully automatic vacuum chamber machines.
Staffed and trained field service personnel on installation, repair, packaging materials and equipment, to insure customer’s satisfaction on package integrity and presentation.
Oberto Sausage Company, Kent, WA 1983 –1984
Plant Engineer
Assisted in restructuring company during and after labor dispute.
Assisted in overseeing the production and maintenance of 3 processing plants.
Directly responsible for the direction and scheduling of 12 maintenance personnel.
Responsible for spec’s of preprinted and thermoforming packaging materials.
Cost justification of new capital equipment investment.
TW Kutter, Canton, MA 1979 – 1983
West Coast Service Manager
Installed a variety of food packaging and processing equipment.
Trained 5 new field service technicians for western states sales territory.
Assisted customers on production line efficiencies, product presentation and package integrity.
Professional Licenses:
Massachusetts, state certified, licensed Journeyman Electrician
Career Highlights:
Keynote, guest speaker at the AMMP to food processors on the specifics of packaging shelf life and presentation possibilities using a variety of packaging and processing machines and packaging materials.
Guest speaker for MAP at the PMMI to retailers concerning packaging options for Case Ready Meats and other prepackaged, cooked foods.
Worked directly with LSU’s Food Science Department for an 8 year period. During this time
consulted with university staff to assist in the development of improvements in meat products’ shelf life, safety and presentation using both gases and packaging materials.
Collaborated with packaging and chemical engineers from a variety of manufacturers
i.e. Dupont, Cryovac, Winpack & Curwood to combine collective resources and
knowledge to re-engineer materials to improve product shelf life and presentation.
Integrated personal experience/knowledge of industry needs and requirement with
that of European and domestic mechanical engineers from Dixie Union, Kramer
& Grebe, Ross Industries & Sipromat to design and/or modify machines to fit both
USDA and US market requirements for food packaging and processing applications.