ST. LOUIS — Feb. 11, 2020 — The leadership team of Baldwin Technology Company Inc. has appointed Joe Kline as its new President and CEO, effective January 17, 2020. Baldwin is a leading global manufacturer of innovative process-automation technology for the printing, packaging and converting industries. Acting CEO Kyle Chapman will continue as Baldwin’s Chairman, and devote greater focus to BW Forsyth Partners’ rapidly expanding portfolio. In 2012, Forsyth acquired then-public Baldwin and took it private.
“After a rigorous search and vetting process, it became apparent that Joe is a perfect fit, with the vision and flexibility to lead Baldwin and to take advantage of the significant opportunity we have to serve the industry,” said Chapman. “Joe is a seasoned leader who is highly people-focused—which fits perfectly into both our corporate culture, and into building long-term positive relationships with customers.”
Prior to joining Baldwin, Kline served as the president of a division in Eaton’s electrical sector. In addition, his previous experience includes commercial leadership roles at Eaton, Duke Manufacturing and Emerson. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Ohio University and a Master of Business Administration in international business from Saint Louis University.
“Joe is a proven business leader with a robust track record of identifying and developing growth opportunities through his strong commercial orientation,” Chapman continued. “He will help us get closer to our customers. I’m excited about the innovative solutions that he will help us develop and grow to support our customers as they further unlock their potential.”
When asked about what attracted him to Baldwin, Kline remarked: “Baldwin has an impressive and growing collection of connected technologies under one roof, and I’m excited to partner with our global organization to bring these comprehensive solutions to our global markets and customers. I look forward to engaging with our customers around the world to strengthen our product and service capabilities, and to build upon Baldwin’s rich heritage of delivering product and service solutions that help our customers improve their operations.”
Kline’s appointment follows the 2019 appointments of four Baldwin business segment presidents: Rich Bennett at AMS Spectral UV, Tomas Anderbjer at Baldwin Precision Applications, Vince Balistrieri at Baldwin Vision Systems, and Matt Shishikura at Baldwin Japan.