Hoffer Plastics, a leading provider of custom injection molding solutions, has named Justin Markel as Director of Engineering.
In this role, Markel will lead Hoffer’s engineering organization, supporting product development, the strategic integration of technology and data-driven decision-making. He will also strengthen collaboration across technical and commercial teams, customers and supply partners.
Markel previously held program management and business development roles at Hoffer and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering. His technical and customer-facing expertise gives him a valuable perspective on connecting customer needs with product design, manufacturability and commercialization.
A key priority for Markel is building on Hoffer’s engineering expertise with earlier insights into customer programs. His approach centers on connecting customer expectations, engineering requirements and business objectives at the front end, beginning with a clear understanding of how a product will be used and what it needs to accomplish. By establishing clarity early, teams can make more informed decisions throughout the program, streamline development and create a more efficient path from concept through production.
“Things change quickly in this industry, so responsiveness is critical. But before we start solving a problem, we need to understand what success looks like for the customer,” said Markel. “With that understanding, we can make better engineering decisions early and move through development more efficiently. It’s about being methodical upfront so we can move faster later.”
Markel also sees an opportunity to make greater use of Hoffer’s manufacturing and engineering data with artificial intelligence. Hoffer’s internal AI platform can identify patterns and surface insights across data from ERP systems, process monitoring, tooling and measurement technologies. For Markel, the goal is to turn that information into insights that help teams make informed decisions faster, improve program efficiency and enhance performance.
“Justin brings a fresh perspective, strong technical expertise and a valuable understanding of both the customer and the business,” said Jim Stoffel, vice president of quality excellence at Hoffer. “He has a natural drive to ask insightful questions and bring the right people together in the process. That combination will help our engineering team approach complex challenges with greater clarity and support successful outcomes for our customers.”
Automation is also part of Markel’s long-term strategy, particularly flexible technologies that can support multiple products, processes and applications. In a custom injection molding environment where program requirements vary, Markel sees an opportunity to pursue automation that can be deployed across multiple jobs or similar applications, improving productivity while extending the value of the investment beyond a single program.
Markel’s vision for the engineering team centers on helping individuals expand their capabilities, evolve with the business and take on new challenges. By drawing on the team’s ideas and expertise, he aims to build on Hoffer’s engineering strengths and further equip the team to anticipate and respond to evolving customer and market needs with fresh thinking.
For more information, visit www.hofferplastics.com.