BP&R Editor Giulia Daniele caught up with Andrew Hitchcox, Director at Invotek Polymer Solutions. The conversation highlights the benefits and hurdles of transitioning from a full-time employee to a self-employed sales agent representing KraussMaffei and Motan Colortronic in Ireland.
KraussMaffei
[GD] Could you take me through how the idea came about and your first thoughts?
[AH] I started working with Netstal when I was 25, and within four years they joined KraussMaffei, although they were running them as two separate companies. This is the first time I met Richard Mumford.
While at Netstal I spent a year working on a project in Dun Laoghaire for Becton Dickinson (BD). The management team asked me if I would be interested in moving to Ireland, so I did and spent about seven years in the medical device industry. BD was split into different business units, and the one I was involved with was diabetes care. It was spun off to be run as a separate company, which is known as Embecta.
About six months ago, we discovered that Liam Shortt from Bray Engineering Services was retiring. He had the agency for KraussMaffei and Motan Colortronic before me. Richard approached me explaining that they would normally ask an established Irish-based company to take over, but they already have other priorities. They wanted someone whose sole priority was them and their product range. They told me they would have supported me at the start so I could promote their brands in the Irish market.
This is a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I couldn’t turn it down. I’ve never owned a business before, but I was lucky to have a great mentor, Connor Slater, who at the time was the Engineering Manager at Embecta. I have huge trust in Connor and he gave me the confidence to accept. I was shocked to be asked but also equally pleased and honoured.
[GD] How did KraussMaffei and Motan Colortronic support you?
[AH] They’ve allowed me to go out and do my job without worrying financially for the first two years. I can travel, meet old and new customers and re-establish relationships I may have lost. I wouldn’t have had the capital to do it, so their support is extremely important.
My priority is to represent KraussMaffei and Motan Colortronic, helping their customers overcome issues and providing them with innovative solutions. I think having a market presence in Ireland is essential. Many great companies need and want to be supported from a sales, projects and service perspective. It’s a unique position to be in and I feel fortunate to have been offered it.
[GD] How was transitioning from being a full-time employee to a self-employed agent?
[AH] It was strange, and it still is in some ways. Since we were young, we have had a tight schedule and a cut-off time. There’s no cut-off now. This lack of structure took some getting used to. I always like to be busy and help people, and I feel guilty when I have a quieter day. Being an engineer, I love solving problems and being involved, and I struggled with having some downtime, although it’s becoming less frequent now.
I have worked full-time for a company for the last six years, meaning I didn’t travel much. During that time, my network within the injection moulding industry shrank, and I had to get it going again when I became self-employed. I think it was the biggest challenge and still is. Some people don’t know me and others haven’t seen me in a long time, so I am focused on building these relationships back up again.
This job is all about trust. It involves replying to emails punctually and keeping your word. If you say you’re going to do something, you need to prove to them that you’re ready to go out and do it. It’s about keeping the line of communication open and being honest with your customers. If you don’t know the answer to a question, show them you’re actively looking for ways to find it. Some people may be sceptical, especially if they don’t know me, so I want to prove to them that they can trust me, my skillsets and my expertise.
[GD] What are some of the projects you’re most proud of since stepping into this role?
[AH] I was involved in a project with BD, known as the ‘Nano PRO’ project. It’s a pen needle device, and I was tasked with the selection, installation, integration and validation of capital equipment. There were 192 cavity moulds and I had to build these injection moulding cells. Many of these moulds run sub four seconds and each one produces a billion parts every year. This is the first time I've seen something like this in the industry.
I carried out the validation of the Nano PRO moulding cell to medical device standards. It’s the project I am most proud of.
[GD] How do you see your role evolving in the future?
[AH] My priority for the next six to 12 months is to re-establish older relationships and foster new ones. I want to add value to my customers and the projects I am involved with. I am lucky to travel and explore different realities, so I can bring fresh ideas to each project. I also plan to get the business settled and introduce a routine.
I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that KraussMaffei and Motan Colortronic have given me. I am also thankful for the help from Liam Shortt. He came to visit clients with me, and we have a few more trips planned in 2025, so his support has also been invaluable.