Gema USA Inc. announced that Mike Thies has been promoted to general manager of Gema USA Inc. Thies has more than 36 years of service with Gema in multiple positions; since 2010, he has been the director of sales and engineering. He is a graduate of ITT Technical Institute, with a degree in electrical technology. Entering the finishing industry in 1986, Thies started his career at Gema as an electrical assembler, then moving throughout the company in a variety of positions including field service, engineering, and sales.

Throughout his career, Thies has been an active participant within the powder coating industry. As a published author and speaker about powder coating, Thies actively presents at technical conferences. He is an active contributor within several organizations, including the Gema representative on the National Fire Protection Association Chapter 33 committee, Powder Coating Institute technical committee, ASTM, and the pipe coating association, NAPCA. Thies’s engineering ability has been rewarded with several U.S. patents.