Apr 8, 2019   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Prototek Sheetmetal Fabrication Names William Gress as Chief Executive Officer

Prototek Sheetmetal Fabrication (“Prototek”), a portfolio company of CORE Industrial Partners and a leading rapid prototyping service provider of CNC machined and sheet metal fabricated parts and components, announced today that its board of directors has appointed William (“Bill”) Gress, a former Brunswick Corporation executive, as the Company’s new CEO.

Mr. Gress joins Prototek with over 30 years of leadership experience spanning across supply chain, procurement, product development, business development and general management. He most recently served as President of South America for the Brunswick Corporation, a global active recreation products company, where he ran Mercury Marine in South America and grew revenue above 20%. Previously, he was President of Brunswick Latin America, holding chief P&L responsibility. Mr. Gress holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Management from the University of Illinois Springfield.

“Bill has a demonstrated track record of successfully scaling businesses across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America while simultaneously reducing costs and maintaining an attractive margin profile,” said TJ Chung, Chairman of the Board of Prototek and Senior Partner of CORE Industrial Partners. “Prototek is growing quickly and we believe Bill’s past leadership roles at Brunswick Corporation and his deep experience within industrial manufacturing and procurement make him the ideal candidate to continue effectively scaling the business. We look forward to bringing his decades of operational expertise to bear in order to establish Prototek as a market leader within the rapid prototyping industry.”

“I’m very excited to join the Prototek team as CEO, especially at such a critical juncture for the company, which is currently at the forefront of technological innovation within rapid prototyping,” said William Gress. “Prototek has a world-class team, a highly regarded platform, and an unmatched commitment to providing the highest level of quality and innovation for its customers. I look forward to a continued partnership with CORE Industrial Partners in order to capitalize upon the numerous growth opportunities available in such a rapidly growing and dynamic industry.”

ABOUT PROTOTEK SHEETMETAL FABRICATION:
Prototek Sheetmetal Fabrication is a leading rapid prototyping service provider of CNC machined and sheet metal fabricated parts and components for a variety of end markets, including aerospace, defense, medical, robotics, electronics, consumer, and general industrial. Headquartered in Contoocook, NH, Prototek serves a diverse customer base with numerous in‐house manufacturing capabilities across two dedicated facilities. For more information, visit www.prototek.com.

ABOUT CORE INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS:
CORE Industrial Partners is a Chicago-based private equity firm investing in North American lower middle-market manufacturing and industrial technology businesses. CORE’s team is comprised of highly experienced former CEOs and investment professionals with shared beliefs, deep experience and a proven track record of building market-leading businesses. Through our capital, insight and operational expertise, CORE partners with management teams to create unique value, grow revenues and consistently deliver lasting results. For more information, visit www.coreipfund.com.