R&D/Leverage promotes Mike Stiles to CEO
April 26, 2017 R&D/Leverage, headquartered in Lee’s Summit, MO, announced the promotion of Mike Stiles to CEO. Stiles joined the company in 2000 as an Account Manager and was promoted to Director of Sales in 2015. He has been instrumental in helping to grow R&D/Leverage to a globally recognised manufacturer of precision injection and injection stretch blow moulds, and structural brand development for Fortune 500 customers in the rigid packaging, consumer products and healthcare markets.
According to Stiles, the process of becoming more than just a mould maker over the past decade involved understanding the customers’ requirements and collaborating with them to solve their challenges and problems. Structural Brand Development is a value-added proposition that R&D/Leverage implemented to help customers. While that part of the Company’s business doesn’t come into play on every project, Stiles noted that many of R&D/Leverage’s customers depend on this expertise that includes market research and trends, and other branding considerations. For those who come with the upfront structural branding & design work completed, R&D/Leverage puts every project that comes through the doors through a risk analysis process.
Stiles sees good things for R&D/Leverage’s future. “I see us continuing with what is currently our biggest growth segment, which is high quality, high cavitation, ultra-precision injection moulds that are required for the medical and packaging markets. These are areas where we currently have a large and stable customer base. We are recognised as industry innovators when it comes to implementing some of the latest direct side-gate or direct angled-tip hot runner systems for injection moulds and this is producing many opportunities. Additionally, we have plans in place to increase our global footprint in the injection blow mould and injection stretch blow mould segment – stay tuned.”
R&D/Leverage is hosting their Tri-annual Open House this September 20-22, where new developments will be presented and demonstrated during plant tours and presentation series. The theme of the event is “Breaking Down The Silos In Plastic Packaging” featuring Keynote speaker, Gerry O’Brion “What Big Brands Know”.
