Albany International Corp. announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Merle Stein as President of its Machine Clothing business segment, and elected him an officer of the Company effective September 1, 2024, to succeed Daniel Halftermeyer, who has stepped down from the position to focus his time and energies on the continued integration of the Heimbach acquisition and the successful transition to Mr. Stein.
Mr. Stein, 47, has considerable experience in the paper and pulp industries and significant knowledge of the Machine Clothing business and a strategic understanding of the markets it serves. He comes to the role with considerably broad leadership experiences, particularly in operational and customer-facing operations. Since April 2024 he has served as Division Chief Operating Officer for the business segment where he oversaw all operational aspects of the business and led the Sales & Marketing, Operations, Procurement and Human Resources functions. Prior to that, since 2022 he was the Vice President Sales & Marketing/Applications for Americas, after having served in various other sales and marketing leadership roles since joining the Company in 2011, including Vice President Sales MC - North America, Regional Business Director and Sales & Service Engineer. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Stein managed papermaking operations at Essity's green field papermill in Alabama where he had risen to the position of Papermill Manager following roles as a process engineer, and machine superintendent. Mr. Stein holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration, both from Auburn University.
Albany International is a leading developer and manufacturer of engineered components, using advanced materials processing and automation capabilities, with two core businesses: Machine Clothing and Albany Engineered Composites.
