Photos courtesy of Peter Neumann Peter Neumann steered Engel during technological changes like rising automation, which the company closely linked to its molding machines to offer manufacturers in high-cost, developed countries ways to boost their competitiveness. DETROIT—Peter Neumann, former CEO of Engel Holding GmbH, enters the Plastics Hall of Fame after putting the injection press maker on a path that's made it one of the world's largest molding machine suppliers. Neumann, who became head of the group in 1997 and retired in 2016, oversaw the building of the company's three factories in Asia, dramatic investments that positioned it to take advantage of the economic growth in China and the region the last two decades.