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Facteon appoints new General Manager to lead international expansion
Global factory solutions specialist, Facteon, has appointed John Cochrane as the business’s new General Manager of Facteon Group.
Following the departure of the former General Manager, Dave Body, Cochrane emerged as the preferred candidate based on his year of service as Head of Group Sales and a period of encouraging business growth across several markets.
In August, Facteon’s China operation relocated to a larger, state-of-the-art facility in Qingdao, Shandong following a period of rapid growth. The facility now has 55 staff on board to boost its operations in the region.
The business has also recently completed a roll out of its Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) factory software and hardware products across seven factories for New Zealand and China-based customers.
“Facteon has a strong legacy as a forward-looking business, leading the way in helping manufacturers understand the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 and how emerging and digital technologies can be applied to enhance the future of their business,” explains John Cochrane, General Manager of Facteon Group.
“It’s an exciting time for our business. We’re continuing to look at opportunities to expand globally, bring greater balance to both our New Zealand and China operations, and deliver cutting-edge technologies to our clients. I’m thrilled to be leading a talented and skilled team as we head into an exciting new chapter.”
John has more than 20 years’ experience in senior management roles. Prior to joining Facteon last year, John was Head of Business Attraction at ATEED (Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development Group) and before that, was the New Zealand Trade Commissioner for Southern China.
He started his career as a chemical engineer and worked for Xerox Corporation before joining Commtest Instruments in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Supporting John’s mission to lead Facteon and deliver the latest automation, Industry 4.0 and IIoT solutions to factories across the globe, will be a new General Manager for Facteon China, Eric Zhao.
Zhao worked with Haier for 11 years, before joining Facteon seven years ago. Building on his experience as Strategic Director and then Vice General Manager for Facteon China, the new role will see Zhao continue to grow the Group’s capabilities and customer base in China.
Facteon is trusted by some of the world’s biggest brands and businesses – such as Fisher & Paykel, Haier, and GE Appliances - to design, implement and maintain their production plants and machinery.
About Facteon
Facteon is a global designer, builder and innovator of world-class production equipment. Established in New Zealand in 1981 as the internal engineering division of Fisher & Paykel Appliances, Facteon has expanded to provide global businesses with cutting-edge smart manufacturing, robotics, data science, machine learning technology and IIoT solutions. Facteon aspires to cultivate a smart manufacturing ecosystem in which machinery and IIoT offerings interact seamlessly.