TELFORD, UK, July 17, 2025 – iconsys has named Alex Smith as head of sales for consumer goods and aerospace and defense, underscoring the company’s focus on manufacturing automation, industrial automation, and robotics. Alex Smith will have to tackle the immediate roadblocks disrupting the FMCG sector which are labor shortages, supply chain disruption, and stringent regulations.
Alex Smith brings 15 years of technical sales experience from Emerson, Cimlogic, and Eyelit. He has a subject matter expertise of deploying operational technology and real-time data solutions in industries including aerospace and defense, consumer goods, medical, and automotive.
“It’s all about solving problems and delivering value, and that really resonates when you are talking to the customer about automation solutions,” explained Alex Smith, who has a degree in chemistry from Leeds University.”
“In essence, we can make consumer goods and aerospace companies digital ready. From our technology partner independence and ability to carry out site assessments and functional safety consultancy, through to system integration and full turnkey automation lines – it’s a tailored solution from start to finish.”
“The approach is to partner with our customers over the entire lifecycle of their assets, from initial consultancy and automation project design, to delivery, implementation and ongoing maintenance.”
He continued: “iconsys has nearly 40 years’ experience of working in these sectors and, from my first few months in this role, you can tell there is an appetite from potential customers to see how we can help companies increase productivity, profitability and safety over the long term.”
“Obsolescence is a big issue for the larger consumer goods companies. Lots of machinery is outdated, inefficient and not suitable for networking and real-time data collection. The challenge will be how we reverse this without the need for massive capital investment and how that solution can be replicated across multiple production sites.”
Iconsys supports suppliers in the aerospace and defense sector with automation, electrification, and digital transformation projects. The company focuses on improving productivity, compliance, and energy resilience. Its experience in regulated environments and in delivering cyber-secure, safety-critical solutions helps secure long-term partnerships with original equipment manufacturers.
Alex went on to add: “We provide our customer base with access to consultative services that cover sustainability, safety, digital transformation, cyber security and energy management.”
“This then leads on to lifecycle services, which include automation solution design, implementation, installation, commissioning and ongoing maintenance.”
Nick Darrall, managing director of iconsys, continued: “As a management team we’ve identified several key industries where our expertise, solutions, consultative and ‘lifecycle’ offers can be applied to deliver immediate and long-term benefits.”
“Consumer goods and aerospace are both sectors that need a lot of support towards digitization, and, in Alex Smith, we have the perfect lead to help support our expansion in this market.
“He is highly driven and is excellent at opening new doors, creating collaborations and partnerships that deliver true, tangible value. I’m delighted we’ve managed to attract him to our business.”
Alex concluded: “What would success look like in our first year? There are some immediate lifecycle and consultative projects we are close to sealing that will make a real difference to our clients.”
Source: iconsys
About iconsys
iconsys, founded in 1987, is a U.K.-based provider of automation solutions and systems integration services, headquartered in Telford, Shropshire. The company delivers industrial automation, enterprise integration and strategic manufacturing solutions across sectors such as metals, automotive, marine and ports, food and beverage, pulp and paper, construction materials and fast-moving consumer goods. As of 2024, it reported annual revenue of £14.5M, with the total number of staff expected to exceed 115 by April 2026. iconsys focuses on integrating industrial automation technologies to support clients throughout the asset lifecycle, aiming to improve safety, profitability, security, reliability and productivity.