Joe Spohr started his career in plastics, and indeed blow molding with an apprentiship at Kautex, Germany. Then he joined what would become Battenfeld Fischer, germany as sales Manger for exports. Immigrated to South Africa in 1971 and joined the fledgling Maritime Marketing, at that time just 5 years old. Joe became Sales Director, and in 1978 was approached by his old company, Battenfeld Fischer to take over their US operations. At the time Battenfeld Fischer was extremely small in the US, importing all their equipment from the parent company. Soon the business grew to an extent that local assembly, and then complete manufacture of the entire range of shuttle machines became necessary!
In 1989, Battenfeld Fischer purchased the then Hartig Industrial Blow Molding machine company, and Joe left to work in his own business – extrusion blow mold manufacturing in California. From there he moved back to the East Coast taking over as President of a personal care bottle blow molder.
Shortly afterwards, he was recruited by Graham Engineering, manufacturers of rotary wheel equipment, taking over as President of that York,PA company.
With Joe, Graham Engineering expanded to purchase the Hesta shuttle machine company based in Stuttgart,germany – and also introduced their own design accumulator head machinery, single and dual head for the manufacture of industrial packaging, toys, automotive, leisure, and garden equipment.
In 2005 Joe took early “retirement” to meet and marry his South African love.
They now live in Ballito,KZN and Joe looks after Seecor’s markets in that province, as well as several major corporate accounts nationwide.
In his spare time Joe also consults for a New York private equity company, Irving Place Capital, as an advisor to their large blow molding portfolio. Irvings flagship company is Alpha Packaging,-headquartered in St Louis,MO- major producer of pharma and nutrional containers, utilizing the extrusion, stretch blow, and injection blow process.
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