Newsmakers

Josh Fredette has accepted the position of program manager in the sales organization. Before joining Mack, he worked for General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Pittsfield, Mass., for four years, during which he completed the company’s three-year Engineering Leadership Rotational Program. While there, he also led critical production efforts for the Attack Weapons Control System and Launcher Subsystem Control Group for the Ohio Class Submarine Fleet Ballistic Missiles. He holds a bachelor’s in industrial engineering from the SUNY Institute of Technology, Utica, and a master’s in engineering management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is now pursuing an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst. Fredette and his wife, Amy, live in North Adams, Mass., and are the parents of a 14-month-old son.

Kris Rounds and David Bulick have recently joined Mack as quality engineers. Rounds came to Mack after a 10-year stint as quality assurance engineer at NSK Steering Systems America in nearby Bennington, Vt., where he was responsible for the start-up and launch of several new product lines. Rounds earned a bachelor’s degree in electro-mechanical engineering from Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center, Vt. He is also a certified fitness instructor, and teaches indoor cycling and weight training.

Bulick relocated to Mack from Schick Manufacturing, Milford, Conn., where he worked for eight years. As a lead mechanical project engineer in Schick’s injection molding group, Bulick focused on long-term production stability for a line that manufactured over 300 million razors annually. A 20-year engineering veteran, Bulick has also worked for Pratt and Whitney, North Haven, Conn., in both R&D and manufacturing engineering, and has operated his own business as an independent engineering contractor. A graduate of the University of Connecticut, he holds a bachelor’s degree in both mechanical and materials engineering. Bulick resides in Arlington with his wife, Justine, and four-year-old daughter.

Four have joined the manufacturing department, including Keith Symonds, Richard Sevigne, Eric Wells and Ed Stockdale.

Symonds, a manufacturing engineer, formerly worked for seven years for NSK Steering Systems America, Bennington, Vt., where he designed and managed new product lines, and served as an overall troubleshooter for electrical/mechanical issues. Earlier, Symonds worked for Ford Motor Co., London, England, for 14 years. A British native, Symonds graduated from Havering Technical College in London with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering. He also completed coursework toward a master’s degree
there. He resides in Hoosick Falls, N.Y., with his wife, Kristine, and four-year-old son.

Both Sevigne and Wells are electro-mechanical technicians working on Class III medical device production lines.
Sevigne was formerly with Thermo Fisher-Scientific, Waltham, Mass., where he led a Final Test team for environmental monitoring systems. Earlier, he was a telemetry technician for GE Energy, Schenectady, N.Y. Sevigne first developed his electronic troubleshooting skills in the U.S. Navy, where he served his country for four years. Later, he graduated from Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, N.Y., with an AAS degree in electrical engineering technology.

Wells worked most recently at Fibermark, Inc., Brattleboro, Vt., as an industrial electrician. Earlier, he served in the U.S. Navy as an electrical supervisor for four years; first, aboard the U.S.S. Fitzgerald on the Damage Control Team for helicopter operations for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and later in Camp Pendleton, Calif. Wells received formal training in engineering at the Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Ill., and also attended Central Texas College, Killeen, Texas. He resides in Sunderland, Vt., with his wife, Stephanie, and three-year-old twin daughters.

Stockdale has joined Mack as a process engineer, monitoring and modifying molding processes to yield the best possible plastic parts. A 20-year veteran of plastics processing, he has worked for a number of custom injection molding companies. Most recently, he was a process engineer for Applied Plastics Technology, Worcester, Mass. Stockdale was a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force for four years, and attended the Lowell Institute of Technology, where he earned a Plastics Certificate. He also holds an AS degree in plastics engineering from New Hampshire College, Nashua, N.H. He and his wife, Sherry, reside in Cambridge, N.Y., and are the parents of two young-adult children.

Chris Merrills and John Preiser have joined the purchasing department as supplier engineers, bringing extensive quality and printed circuit board expertise to the group. Merrills worked in supplier quality for 17 years for Hollingsworth and Vose, Greenwich, N.Y., a global manufacturer of engineering papers and non-wovens. A Six Sigma Black Belt, he evaluates supplier quality performance at Mack, and works proactively to elevate vendors to even higher standards. Merrills is an alum of Adirondack Community College, part of the State University of New York. He and his wife, Dawn, reside in Cambridge, N.Y., and are the parents of six children ranging in age from eight to 19.

Preiser came to Mack from Nexus Custom Electronics, Brandon, Vt., a manufacturer of highly specialized printed circuit boards used in military, communications and scientific applications. During his eight-year tenure, Preiser was engineering manager with responsibility for several departments, including manufacturing engineering, test engineering and equipment maintenance. A graduate of Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va., he holds a bachelor’s in electrical engineering technology. Preiser lives in Rutland, Vt., with his wife, Nicole, and four-year-old son.

Mack’s newest addition is Andrew Jaskey, a recent mechanical engineering graduate from Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. While pursuing coursework, he also worked for two years as a mechanical engineering intern at Systems South, a custom conveyor and robotic systems manufacturer. Jaskey has joined the Application Development Center as a design engineer, but will also rotate through each of the manufacturing departments at the headquarters plant. He resides in Arlington, Vt., with his wife, Deborah.