Pintsch Bubenzer Moves for Zuchowski in Ports, Offshore

Pintsch Bubenzer USA has named Mike Zuchowski regional sales manager for ports in the western region of the states and Canada.

The manufacturer of high-performance disc and drum brakes for steel cranes and other severe duty applications is seeing high demand for its products from the ports and offshore market. Zuchowski will focus on the West Coast, Pacific Northwest and West Canada, while Sean Sheridan’s nationwide role has been refocused in line with ongoing growth in the sector.

Ports and offshore are two very different markets, however. Offshore has many subsegments in which Pintsch Bubenzer interfaces with; offshore drilling / exploration, wind energy, and maritime vessels are its strong suits. Ports, meanwhile, Zuchowski said, can be divided into two segments: bulk and container handling.

Joel Cox, president at Pintsch Bubenzer USA, said: “We had been using Sean for all ports nationwide, but the demand required us to have someone to focus from New Orleans, West. Since Mike has homes in Dallas and Houston, he was perfectly placed to step into the role and Sean can continue to serve the equally buoyant East Coast region. Our offshore business has always flourished but this is the first time we have appointed a specialist from that specific sector. Offshore is a specialized market and it’s important that we have expertise in place to ensure an upward curve continues in the long-term.”

Zuchowski said: “The ports sector in the USA is tied closely to global economic conditions. Like any business when times are good, as they are now, equipment downtime becomes extremely costly. Our product is instrumental in the safe and efficient operation of any crane or bulk handling system. As shipping vessels increase in capacity, ports look to automation for faster load and unload intervals. With this automation comes higher duty cycles and with that component failure is inevitable. We see an increasing amount of time and money going into training maintenance crews to properly monitor and diagnose issues before they lead to lost production time.”

Cox added: “Mike and I have worked together for around eight years in his role as a sales representative; he knows our equipment well and has a drive and passion for the products and their quality. I approached him about focusing his full-time efforts on our sales endeavors and, once we had established a shared vision for the product range, he was keen to explore that opportunity.”

Long-term success

Zuchowski said: “I am confident of long-term success now that we are putting a full-time push, investigation, and surveys for new and upgraded equipment. Cutting costs internally, while providing faster response with a local presence, coupled with a team that has a vested interest in seeing the customer succeed: that is what we are after.”

Zuchowski was born and raised in a rural farm community West of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1984, he moved to Dallas, Texas and took a role related to engineered automation and material handling equipment. Three years later, Zuchowski founded his own sales agency, Advanced Production Solutions, targeting high-quality product manufacturers, selling into steel-producing facilities and offshore industries. Forging a connection with what was then a little-known brake company called Pintsch Bamag, the brand has been a constant in his professional life since.

Pintsch Bubenzer USA has named Mike Zuchowski regional sales manager for ports in the western region of the states and Canada.

Zuchowski lives with wife Sue and rescued dog, Sydney. He has four daughters and nine grandchildren. He enjoys scuba diving, rock music, wood-working and general residential improvement projects.

Cox hinted at additional recruitments in due course. He said: “We had our biggest year ever in 2019; we are working towards adding more regional and market champions. It’s an ongoing project given our presence in the ports, intermodal, movable structures, offshore, wind, winch, mining, steel, and crane industries.”

Zuchowski said: “Quality products and the team to support it [set us apart]. The highest degree of quality is maintained throughout the most comprehensive line of products available to industry today. While our tag line ‘Braking Unlimited’ certainly reflects the scope of products we offer, it is of no value if you don’t have the expertise to guide your customer to the proper product to address his or her application and follow through to be sure it is serviced properly.”