A family-owned and operated business for over seventy years, Thayer Scale’s executive team are experts in engineering and manufacturing of continuous weighing and feeding equipment. They are innovators and pioneers in the industry, providing leadership for the team of experts who work with customers to develop industry-leading technical solutions.
Frank Hyer
Frank joined Thayer Scale in 1963 as manager of engineering and manufacturing, and was promoted to general manager of the company in 1965. In 1973, he acquired Thayer Scale from Cutler-Hammer and founded Hyer Industries. Frank has been an active innovator and pioneer in the continuous weighing field for more than fifty-five years (he published his mechanical engineering master’s thesis entitled “A Scientific Approach to Conveyor Weighing” in 1968). Frank holds math and engineering degrees from Ripon College and the University of Delaware, and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin.
Frank is a lifetime member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the International Society of Automation. He has served as past director of the Process Weighing Committee of ISA, and he helped to draft the committee’s input to the National Bureau of Standards Handbook 44. Frank is an active patentee and contributor of technical articles in the fields of weighing and material handling. He is married and enjoys golf, travel, and spending time with his three children and four grandchildren.
David Hyer
David rejoined Thayer Scale in 2013 as vice president and general manager and was promoted to President in 2016; he is responsible for daily company operations. David was first employed by Thayer Scale in 1985 as a college student; at that time he wrote machine-level code for the company’s PI-164 instrument.
Previously, David was the division manager for Teradyne’s circuit-board test and inspection business. His professional experience includes senior management positions in sales and business development at Teradyne, as well as at two venture capital-backed startups. David holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University. He is married with three children, and enjoys tennis, golf, and spending time on his boat.
Todd Newman
Todd Newman leads Thayer Scale’s product development efforts and custom-engineered solutions. He joined Thayer in May 2021 and brings over sixteen years of experience with process control and engineering development.
He has served in several significant engineering roles at Thermo Fisher Scientific since 2006. In his previous role as Senior Engineering Manager of the Materials and Minerals business unit, he was responsible for delivering productivity increases within the engineering teams around the globe for custom engineered solutions and product standardizations. Before this, he led the Bulk Material Handling and Process Analytics engineering teams at Thermo Fisher to cut costs and develop products as Senior Engineering Manager. Prior to joining Thermo, he was Mechanical Engineer and Project Manager with F&S Fabricating serving the mining and paper mill industry in Northern Minnesota.
Newman holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. His experience working with global engineering teams will promote growth in many segments and geographies for Thayer Scale’s equipment and instruments. He currently enjoys hiking in Massachusetts with his wife and three children, cycling throughout the summer, and canoeing in the Boundary Waters.
Bruce Horn
Bruce Horn manages the manufacturing team and is responsible for Lean Implementation, including continuous improvement, pull-system implementation to create better flow on the factory floor, work cell design and optimization, shorter lead times for customers, and higher quality. He will oversee Safety and OSHA standards and manage the company’s outsourcing strategy and relationships with key suppliers. He brings extensive experience in Lean Manufacturing and Equity Development.
Horn joined Thayer Scale from HTP Comfort Systems, Inc. where he was most recently the Director of Manufacturing. He had responsibility for overall production, safety, maintenance, facilities, training and Lean Management at the privately held manufacturing company. Prior to HTP, Bruce was the Manufacturing Manager for Cybex International, the commercial treadmill manufacturer. At Cybex, Bruce was responsible for the implementation of Lean Manufacturing principles on the productions floor, enabling an increase of production from 18 to 52 units/day.
Horn holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Lowell. He is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and completed a Certificate Course in Continuous Improvement Lean from the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership.
He is married with two children and enjoys CrossFit and golf.
Andy Forrester
Andy Forrester is the VP of Sales and Marketing for Thayer Scale and leads the company’s sales and marketing strategy and implementation. He is focused on developing effective programs that deliver sustainable financial improvements to drive growth for the business in key segments.
Forrester has an impressive background in Sales and Marketing. Prior to serving in his role at Thayer Scale, he was the VP of Sales and Marketing at Spiroflow Systems, where he led the company’s powder handling and dry solids processing. He also served as the Director of Sales and Marketing at Kice Industries, an engineering company with a focus on dry bulk material handling and dust control solutions. Earlier in his career, Forrester assumed numerous marketing and sales positions at Hilti Corporate with an emphasis on the Energy and Industry segments.
Forrester has a Bachelor of Science (Honors) degree in Information Technology from Shrivenham University, England. He received a diploma in Business Management from Westminster University, England, along with various other advanced training certifications. Andy is the Treasurer of the Board for Process Equipment Manufacturers Association (PEMA) and served as a Commissioned Officer in the Royal Air Force. During his free time, Andy enjoys time with his family, cycling, Moto-trials, golf, and travel.