Press release submitted on behalf of New Era Converting.

New Era Converting, Paterson, New Jersey, an IPCO company focused on providing custom designed equipment solutions for the web handling industry, has announced that Stephen Pickett is taking on a new role as controls engineering manager.

In this role, Pickett manages New Era’s Controls Engineering Department, focusing on delivering high-quality engineered solutions. His duties include resource planning, leading process improvement initiatives, mentoring engineering staff, customer relations, team development and inter-departmental reporting.

Pickett is a seasoned automation and controls professional with over two decades of experience in programming, system integration and engineering leadership. He has developed PLC and SCADA programs, designed and certified industrial control panels, commissioned machinery around the world and created multiple standardized controls platforms.

“Stephen has contributed to significant improvements in efficiency, repeatability and reliability across multiple projects,” said New Era Managing Director Paul Lembo. “He continues to drive innovation, mentor junior engineers and coordinate cross-functional operations.”

Pickett’s interest in automation began in high school through an industrial wiring course that featured projects with PLCs. This early passion for combining computer programming with process control led him to pursue a degree in controls engineering at Drexel University in 1998, from which he graduated magna cum laude in 2003.

In 2016, Stephen took the next step in his professional development by enrolling in the Master of Science in Engineering Management program at the University of New Haven, earning his degree in 2018. The following year, he formally transitioned from technical engineering into a management career.