TAUNTON, MASS. — Harpak-Ulma, the North American arm of Ulma that provides connected packaging systems, elevated Kevin Roach from chief executive officer to CEO and chairman of the board.

Roach succeeds longtime chairman Charlie Harlfinger, who is retiring.

As chairman, Roach will oversee the company’s strategic vision, focusing on innovation, customer satisfaction and growth, the company said. Roach has been CEO since joining the company in April 2018.

Before his time with Harpak-Ulma, Roach was executive vice president and general manager at Intelligrated. Previously, he was executive vice president and general manager ERP at Epicor Software Corp.

Harlfinger has been the company’s president from 1998 to 2013 and chairman of the board since its founding. Harlfinger founded Kutter Supplies in 1974 and merged with Tw Foods to later become Tw Kutter, which supplies meat processing and medical packaging equipment.

Linda Harlfinger, Charlie Harlfinger’s daughter, founded Harpak in 1994, which later became Harpak-Ulma. Charlie Harlfinger joined the company as CEO.  

“The journey that began with Tw Kutter has come full circle — capping an impressive 40-year history with our family,” said Linda Harlfinger, chief operating officer at Harpak-Ulma. “(Kevin) has demonstrated unwavering dedication, and his extensive industry background coupled with technological savvy makes him uniquely qualified to accelerate Harpak-ULMA’s growth. His passion, commitment, and visionary leadership have consistently prioritized the best interests of our employees and company. We have great confidence in his ability to drive innovation and maintain our leadership in the industry.”