INNER GROVE HEIGHTS, MINN. — SOMIC Packaging has appointed Paul Jenks to the role of chief sales officer, responsible for leading the company’s growth strategy throughout North America. Jenks will report to SOMIC Group Chief Executive Officer Gerhard Huber, Ph.D.

Jenks brings to his new position 28 years of packaging experience from his roles at CPC, Syntegon, Bosch Packaging Technology and Thermo Fisher Scientific. He has served in roles spanning sales, service, marketing and product management both in the United States and global markets.

“Paul brings the combination of packaging industry knowledge, commercial leadership and customer focus we were looking for as we continue to expand SOMIC’s presence in North America,” Huber said. “His experience leading sales, service, marketing and product teams will help us connect our technology and capabilities even more closely with the needs of customers in this important market.”

Jenks initial priorities include connecting with SOMIC customers and gaining an understand of their business needs and how he can help strengthen SOMIC’s North American strategy.

“My passion is understanding the needs of the customer and the market, and then determining the best way to partner with them for mutual success,” Jenks said. “My first priority is listening. I want to meet with as many customers as possible, spend time with our team and understand where customers see their businesses and packaging requirements heading. We can then translate those insights into a clear vision for SOMIC’s future in North America.”

Jenks will join the SOMIC Packaging team at PACK Expo from Oct. 18 to 21 in Chicago at booth #N-4740.

“PACK EXPO is an ideal opportunity to begin those conversations,” Jenks said. “SOMIC Packaging is a local partner for end-of-line packaging. We want customers to know we are here to guide and support them as they automate, expand and adapt their packaging operations.”

Jenks joins SOMIC at a time when food, consumer packaged goods and other manufacturers are under increasing pressure to optimize secondary packaging operations. The growing number of SKUs, diverse packaging formats, retailer compliance standards and rapidly evolving e-commerce channels are creating greater demand for automation and operational flexibility.

“With more than 50 years of experience, SOMIC has established itself as a technology leader in shelf-ready and end-of-line packaging,” Jenks said. “We provide tailored solutions manufactured to a global standard while supporting customers locally. Our role is to help customers determine how best to automate their secondary packaging processes and give them the flexibility to respond to changing market requirements.”

SOMIC provides automated solutions for collating, grouping and packing products into a range of retail-ready packaging formats, along with complete end-of-line automation systems. The company continues to expand its digital technologies and service offerings to help customers improve efficiency, performance and flexibility.

“North America is a key strategic region for SOMIC, and the company has made important investments in recent years to better serve customers here,” Jenks said. “My task is to build on that foundation, define our commercial strategy and grow the business throughout North America.”

Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.