Leadership
Richard Butler
CEO, Excelis
Richard is the CEO of Excelis. Prior to Excelis, Richard was President and CEO of EDSCO, which was sold in January 2020. Richard joined the EDSCO team in 2014 as CFO, and he was later promoted to President and CEO in 2017. Prior to EDSCO, Richard spent over 23 years at AZZ, Inc., a $1.2B publicly traded company. Richard served as Chief Accounting Officer in his last 10 years at AZZ, Inc.
Richard holds an MBA from Texas Christian University and a BS in Accounting and Finance from Hardin-Simmons University. Richard is a native Texan and has two grown children Jake and Jess. Outside of work Richard has a passion for fishing, especially deep sea fishing.
Hans Kobor
President, Excelis Primary Packaging Group
Hans Kobor brings a robust background in engineering, leadership, and strategic growth. Prior to Excelis Hans served six years as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, and four years at Gates corporation where he oversaw operations for the fast-growing Carbon Drive business unit. With over a decade of experience spanning both technical and managerial roles, Hans is dedicated to driving innovation and operational excellence at Excelis. Hans holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and is a graduate of MIT’s Leaders for Global Operations program, holding an MBA and MS in Mechanical Engineering.
Troy Diercks
Director of Sales, Excelis Primary Packaging Group
Troy Diercks brings over 3 decades of experience as an OEM business development professional. His experience includes Electrical and Mechanical Automation knowledge within the Food and Packaging, Auto and Semiconductor Industries. Troy has a strong ability and history of success creating and developing new business relationships to increase market share and obtain growth. Troy is driven to bring together the Excelis team and develop a strong and focused sales organization to meet the expectations and requirements that our customers demand from their automation partner.
James Horne
President/CEO, Technical Beverage Services
James Horne is the President and CEO of Technical Beverage Services, bringing 23 years of diverse experience within the organization. Starting as a bookkeeper in 2001, he advanced through roles as a service technician on Simonazzi fillers and gained expertise in purchasing, accounting, and shipping and receiving. This hands-on journey has given James a comprehensive understanding of operations, enabling him to lead with both strategic insight and practical know-how.
Ante L. Baskovic
Executive Vice-President, AB Technology, Inc.
Ante L. Baskovic is the Executive Vice-President and Co-Founder of AB Technology, a Los Angeles-based automation engineering firm. Under Ante's leadership, AB Technology has become the preeminent brand in high-speed labeling and padding equipment for the packaging industry. Ante's vision and strategic growth plans have generated an impressive global customer base throughout the United States, Mexico, Peru, and Australia. Ante L. Baskovic holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, emphasizing entrepreneurial studies through the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.
