Machinery Systems Inc. (MSI) recently announced the appointment of Eric Hilliard to the position of vice president of the company's Illinois Mazak business unit. In this position, Hilliard will oversee the region's Mazak sales, application engineering, customer service and manufacturing software. Having joined MSI in 1996, Hilliard has worked as a sales engineer in three geographic territories. Prior to that, he held multiple other positions in the industry, including working as an electrical and mechanical technician. "Over the past fifteen years, Eric has demonstrated a tremendous commitment to our mission of serving American manufacturers in the Midwest," said Ron Mager, president and CEO of MSI. "As the economy continues to rebound, we are seeing more and more manufacturers looking to maximize their future potential by investing in and integrating new Mazak technology. Eric will play a vital role in helping these customers optimize their operations."

MSI is the largest U.S. distributor of Mazak machine tools and provides extensive service and support to manufacturers. The company assists customers in improving their productivity and profitability by offering a comprehensive package of products and services. Hilliard has been an active Certified Machine Tool Sales Engineer since 1995 and is a former member of Vistage International. He holds an Associate in Applied Science of Electronics degree from DeVry University and a Management Certificate from Harper College. Hilliard resides in Huntley, Illinois with his wife and two daughters.