KODAK, Tenn.—James Wirtz II has been named president of Rep Corp., a subsidiary of Lyon, France-based Rep International.
Wirtz's term begins immediately. He succeeds Tim Graham who has decided to take a reduced role at the company, according to Rep news release. In his new role, Wirtz will be responsible for the management and corporate direction of Rep, and will be based at the company's new headquarters in Kodak, near Knoxville, Tenn.
Rep, a North American manufacturer of rubber molding presses and related equipment, brought Wirtz on as a sales manager in 2014.
Wirtz's experience in the rubber molding industry began with Wirtz Manufacturing, a Michigan-based company his family owned and operated. There, he learned the business of mold design and contract production, Rep said. Wirtz Manufacturing redirected itself into battery manufacturing in the 1990s, and Wirtz helped design and construct manufacturing facilities across the U.S. in the rubber industry.