BBT Names New President
Berndorf Belt Technology USA (BBT; Gilberts, IL) named Dr. Jeffrey Ahrstrom as the president of their North American subsidiary. He brings over 30 years’ experience within the machine tool and manufacturing industries, most recently with BLM Group USA. BBT is a subsidiary of the Berndorf Band Group (Österreich, Austria), serving the United States and Canadian markets. They produce stainless steel, carbon steel and titanium belts known for the quality of their mechanical and physical properties, as well as geometric characteristics. These belts are widely used in continuous industrial processes, such as pressing, drying, cooling, baking and conveying.
A strong advocate of promoting manufacturing careers and developing new manufacturing talent, Ahrstrom looks toward actively growing this subsidiary’s business. He has served on the board of the Northern Kentucky International Trade Association, where he championed a program to connect members with global businesses and networking opportunities through education programs, trade seminars and other special events. “Manufacturing is a dynamic industry and it’s exciting to see talented people recognize it as a viable, rewarding career,” he said. “Our challenge is to focus on serving current customers, while keeping an eye on expansion, improving service and expanding product offerings. The best way to cover all those bases is by growing internally, and that means recruiting and keeping good talent.”
As the executive vice president at MAG-IAS (now the Fives Group), he led design and manufacturing teams in the development of process equipment, production lines and turnkey plants for large industrial groups in various sectors. Ahrstrom also served as the managing director at DMG MORI Ellison Technologies, as the director of international business development at Fives Machinery Systems, and the vice president and general manager of Services America at MAG-IAS GmbH. “Throughout my career, I’ve worked with some of the most talented manufacturing professionals from all over the world. It’s very rewarding to share what I’ve learned – the best practices, engineering solutions and sales strategies – with the current and future generations of manufacturing professionals,” he added.
