Change in the Executive Management of STEP-G

Markus Ogawa is the new Managing Director of the ST Extruded Products Group (STEP-G). He replaces Michael Zint. Ogawa has been with STEP-G for five years as Business Liaison Manager.

”We would like to thank Mr Zint for his extraordinary commitment and dedication over the past years. At the same time, we are delighted that Mr Ogawa, an experienced manager, has joined us from within our own ranks. We are convinced that Mr Ogawa and the entire STEP-G team will continue and further develop the successful work of recent years,” says Tomokazu Yamashita, Chief Executive Officer of Sankyo Tateyama Europe BVBA.

Michael Zint, the Managing Director, made a significant contribution to the integration of the extrusion division of the American company Aleris Extrusions into the Japanese group Sankyo Tateyama, Inc., as well as to the establishment of ST Extruded Products Germany GmbH. Under his leadership as Managing Director, the Group was able to secure important strategic partnerships and forward-looking projects. The separation was amicable, due to differing strategic visions.

Markus Ogawa is an intercultural communications expert with more than fifteen years’ experience in project management within the aluminium and automotive industries. He accompanied the integration of STEP-G into the Japanese parent company, Sankyo Tateyama Inc., from the very beginning after its takeover in 2015, successfully establishing communication between the different cultures. He later successfully coordinated and led the first cross-company joint project between STEP-G and Sankyo Tateyama Inc., which operates in the automotive industry.

His professional career has also taken him through Mazda Europe, Toyota Motor Europe, and Sekisui Chemical. Most recently, he worked as an independent consultant for partnership negotiations between Japanese and German and French companies. As Business Liaison Manager at STEP-G since 2016, he was responsible for coordinating communication between the European plants and the Japanese parent company. He also supported the sales department as a consultant, looking after Japanese customers and partners.

“I am very much looking forward to this new task of working with the team to holistically and successfully overcome the constant challenges and current developments in the aluminium industry for STEP-G and its brands, BUG Aluminium-Systeme and RMG. In order to best serve the requirements of our customers in line with the changing market situation, it is important to me to put the company on a sustainable growth path,” says Markus Ogawa about his appointment as Managing Director.

BUG Aluminium-Systeme
Schachenstraße 14
88267 Vogt, Germany

Tel.: +49(0)7529 999 0
E-mail: bug.sales(at)step-g.com