Dan Finazzo fell in love with engineering the same way many engineers do: working on his first car.

“I was just intrigued with all things mechanical,” Finazzo said.

After college, he started his engineering career in the paper making industry, quickly becoming an expert in fluid handling. Finazzo later worked for a chemical manufacturer, using his skills in fluid handling, and it was there he discovered packaging. Trained as a mechanical engineer, he didn’t know the first thing about packaging systems. But he says that didn’t matter.

“Once I saw that equipment and how it was arranged as a system, I was smitten,” Finazzo said.

Finazzo would go on to work in packaging engineering, materials handling and logistics for some of the country’s largest corporations. He even started his own firm before finding his way to Ibberson, where he now works as a senior packaging engineer. Finazzo said the wide range of experiences he’s had throughout his career have continually fueled his passion for the packaging and engineering processes.

“Once a dentist becomes a dentist, it’s hard for them to go into another trade,” Finazzo said. “The nice thing about the packaging discipline is that it has afforded me the ability to work for a tremendous variety of companies and across many industries.”

Versatility creates exceptional value

Finazzo said his experiences have made him extremely versatile, allowing him to understand manufacturing operations from every perspective. He said that versatility helps him deliver exceptional value for Ibberson’s clients.

“What makes me feel good is to provide leadership to both clients and internal resources and demonstrate how to address and solve their problems because we know how to approach their issues,” Finazzo said. “We’re collaborating and aligning with our clients’ resources while being sensitive to their constantly changing demands and challenges.”

It seems those needs are changing faster than ever these days, with advances in new technology and new consumer behaviors reshaping the way consumer packaged goods manufacturers design and operate their processes and facilities. For example, when companies change their distribution methods to meet the demands of the changing marketplace, they need different packaging designs. Changing those packaging designs means engineers need to be current and aware of packaging systems and capabilities, which can have implications for manufacturing operations and company productivity as a whole.

Having someone like Finazzo on the team adds tremendous value because he can help project managers and team members early in the project to better understand the details of packaging equipment. With his ability to speak the same language as the client, the equipment vendors and the engineers, Finazzo helps ensure the project at hand avoids costly issues during all phases of the project.

“It really helps to have an SME who knows all the ins and outs of the packaging industry, especially when we’re calling on people seeking to address their problems,” Finazzo said. “I pride myself on being able to go toe-to-toe and being very technically savvy in today’s marketplace.”

New challenges ahead

As technology continues to evolve, Finazzo said he expects the rise in automation and use of robotics, vision and information to become even more commonplace. But he said companies need to recognize the true cost of packaging systems and the overall implications for their facilities and personnel before making major investments.

After having so many diverse experiences in the industry, Finazzo said he came to Ibberson because it would allow him to work on projects from the earliest design phase, all the way through construction and then into startup, commissioning and turn over. He said he enjoys being involved in the entire end-to-end process and finds something exciting in every phase. For someone with a tremendous passion for package engineering and a desire to continually take on new challenges, he said it’s a perfect fit.

Want to put Dan Finazzo’s expertise to work for you? Contact Ibberson today to see how our team of experts can deliver exceptional design-build solutions for your food and beverage business.