Novatec Appoints Bob Bessemer VP Extrusion Technology

Novatec Inc. has announced the appointment of Robert (Bob) Bessemer as vice president of extrusion technology. Bessemer joined the firm in August, but the onboarding was kept under wraps to allow him to focus on designing and implementing a new series of medical extrusion equipment in time for release at the MD&M West trade show, scheduled Feb. 5-7 in Anaheim, Calif., Novatec said. The new equipment, dubbed Bessemer Rx-SmartMED Series, initially includes a water tank, vacuum tank, and puller/cutter designed specifically for processors of medical tubing.

Bob Bessemer will play a key role in developing Novatec’s growing downstream extrusion customer base and portfolio of downstream solutions in the coming months, Novatec said in a press release.

He comes to Novatec with a wealth of industry experience, having spent more than 35 years in increasingly more responsible engineering and commercial roles, first at Killion Extruders (now part of Davis Standard), and then 25 years at Conair. Most recently his primary focus was medical extrusion.

Said Novatec President Conrad Bessemer, Bob’s older brother, “Bob’s unmatched extrusion industry knowledge and experience are a key addition to our family. We view his appointment as a sign of our commitment to our customer’s success and growth. Our continuous innovation and increasing demand from our customers and our desire to enter the medical extrusion market led us to look for an addition to our team. We were fortunate to find him available. Someone with Bob’s knowledge and passion for the industry is extremely rare. Bob is well-known in the industry for his customer-focused solutions. We are excited and proud to have my brother with us.”

Added the younger Bessemer, “I’m in awe of the deep bench of seasoned mechanical and software engineers I can work with here (Novatec). I've (gotten) the opportunity to create the medical downstream extrusion equipment that the industry deserves. It's very exciting and personally satisfying to bring innovation to the market with this team of talented and passionate professionals.”