To promote the wider benefits of all-electric injection moulding

Effective 10 September 2021, Michel Carreiro is confirmed as the new Managing Director of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag do Brazil (SDBR). He succeeds Christoph Rieker, who recently departed having led the company for many years.

Responsible for the sale of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag machines in Brazil and South America - in particular Argentina, Chile, Peru and Colombia – Carreiro is also charged with managing the region’s entire customer service strategy, including the supply of spare parts. "I will continue to develop our sales and market strategy in this region and motivate our team accordingly in order to achieve the strong synergies and reach our common goals," stated the 45-year-old.

Strengthening the SDBR team, expanding domestic market penetration and growing the company’s share in defined strategic segments are Carreiro’s principal ambitions. The market expert is also focused on strengthening customer service, advancing the consulting practice and promoting the critical role played by the global company’s newest application technology. Welcoming Carreiro into his new management position Liebig comments: “We are delighted to have attracted such a seasoned industry professional who is so widely respected by his injection moulding peers and has such a robust sales track record.”

Citing his appointment as the biggest challenge of his professional career to-date, Carreiro comments: "To lead such a successful company like Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is a great honour. Given our high-end product range – particularly our state-of-the-art all-electric machines – future prospects in the Brazil market already look promising. I am really proud to work with such pioneers in energy reducing technology which doesn’t compromise on the high level of precision, quality and productivity.”

Committed to maintaining a collaborative and community spirit among the workforce, Carreiro emphasises: “Teamwork underpins our ethos and ultimately we will continue to achieve the company’s vision together through cohesion, empathy and strong communication,” adds the Managing Director.

Given the high energy costs in Brazil, Carreiro views the Brazilian subsidiary as being excellently positioned to generate market growth through the implementation of all-electric machines. Highlighting the challenges, he reports that currently there’s a high concentration of simple machines featuring low level technology. Yet, Carreiro expresses confidence that by aligning the company’s strengths to customer needs, electricity consumption can be reduced and production efficiency increased. “The packaging and consumer goods industry has achieved high sales in Brazil. As demonstrated by the popularity of the El-Exis SP high-speed series, the market potential is excellent with a strong foundation for future growth.”

Carreiro has worked in the plastics industry for over 25 years, commencing his professional career in 1995 as a plastics process engineer after graduating from Brazil’s renowned technical school SENAI Mario Amato, São Bernardo do Campo/São Paulo. "After that, I obtained a degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Fundação Santo André," notes Carreiro. He is currently completing an MBA in Business Management at Fundação Getulio Vargas."

For 16 years, Carreiro worked as a mechanical sales engineer at a local injection moulding manufacturer and as an application specialist for a global group. Both roles involved closely supporting customers to develop the best technical and commercial solutions for their plant. Since 2013, Carreiro has held a responsible sales position, providing a solid foundation and extensive knowledge in automation and application technology.