HERMA U.S. Fills CEO and Sales and Marketing Director Positions

With its goal of continuing the expansion strategy of recent years, HERMA US—the North American subsidiary of the HERMA Group, which specializes in packaging and labeling technology—has now filled two key posts: Klaus Kraemer takes over the post of CEO of HERMA US, thereby succeeding Peter Goff who has left the company for personal reasons. 

Gavin Purvis assumes the recently created post of Sales and Marketing Director at HERMA US. In previous managerial posts for major players of the packaging industry, the new CEO Klaus Kraemer has already achieved ambitious growth and development objectives, mostly focused on the USA and other international markets.

For example, as President North America for the German packaging machine specialist Rovema, within four years he trebled turnover in the US market by setting up a production facility in addition to the existing service and spare parts business. Furthermore, Kraemer has  experience in conducting negotiations with international corporations. 

Most recently, for the globally active consultancy and auditing firm CKH headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, while based in Barcelona he was responsible for transforming 23 European entities of a Fortune 500 company into a financial services company. Before this, the mechanical engineer, who was born in Heilbronn (Germany) and holds German and US citizenship, accelerated USA market penetration of the Italian packaging machine company TSW Industries. As CEO of the PKG Packaging Group, which develops packaging solutions for multinational companies in the food, chemical and industrial goods sectors, he also pushed further internationalization and led an M&A program. As a result, the group's turnover increased by 30%. He also established an American-Serbian final packaging company in 50 countries within two years.

Expert in the US packaging market

"Klaus Kraemer is an outstanding expert in the US packaging market," says Martin Kühl, head of the Labeling Machines division at HERMA. "He has repeatedly demonstrated how market potential and customer needs can be translated into further concrete corporate growth. He also has a keen nose for operative process optimization and efficiency enhancement. He is therefore a huge asset for us."

From 2017 in his role as Area Sales Manager and later as Head of Area Sales and Key Accounts, Gavin Purvis—the new Sales and Marketing Director—had already spent more than five years making a contribution to securing a position for HERMA US in North America. In 2022, Purvis became Director of Business Development at AST, a technology-leading US specialist for aseptic filling and sealing systems.

"There, Gavin focused on robotics-assisted solutions, which is now of great value to us,"  says Kühl. "This is because automated product handling during labeling processes is also becoming increasingly important for HERMA US. We are all the more delighted to have him back in the fold."

Since 2016, HERMA US headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, has been developing and selling labeling and handling solutions based on high-performance label applicators and labeling machines for the USA, Canada and Mexico. Thanks to technology and consistent service orientation, HERMA US has grown in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and tobacco products sectors.