Probat appoints Ryan Dodd to lead North American operations, sales strategy

For roasters waiting on parts, service calls or new equipment builds, Probat’s North American reset now has a new person at the center of it. Ryan Dodd became chief executive of North America on April 20, taking the role as the coffee-roasting-equipment maker continued folding its U.S. business into Dallas, Texas.

The appointment followed Probat’s decision to centralize work previously spread across Lincolnshire, Illinois, Memphis, Tennessee and Dallas. The company said the consolidation was meant to improve communication, speed up decision-making and strengthen collaboration, with the Dallas site anchored by AC Horn Manufacturing, which Probat acquired in early 2024. For cafés, roasteries and dealers, the practical question is whether that tighter structure translates into shorter equipment lead times, steadier service coverage and clearer pricing support as the transition settles in.

Dodd arrives with more than 23 years in mechanical engineering and a career built largely in sales and business development. His most recent post was director of sales at Echo Incorporated. Before that, he served as managing director at ProXES and director of sales at Eirich Machines. Probat said he will lead the company’s continued expansion in North America and also oversee global sales strategy for the nuts-and-snacks business, a sign that the company wants commercial leadership that can move comfortably between coffee and adjacent food-processing lines.

Ellen Nielsen stepped down as chief executive of North America but remained with the company as chief financial officer for North America. Probat said she would continue to oversee consolidation initiatives and the financial priorities tied to the transition. That pairing, new commercial leadership on one side and continuity on the finance and integration side on the other, suggests the Dallas move is being managed as both an operational and a sales reshuffle.

The broader context is a company that has steadily widened far beyond roasting equipment. Founded in Emmerich, Germany, in 1868, Probat now says it has about 1,200 employees across Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Scotland, the United States, Canada, Brazil, India and Singapore. It describes itself as a global market and innovation leader in processing solutions for coffee, cocoa, chocolate, nuts, popcorn and new food products, and it has expanded further with acquisitions including AC Horn Manufacturing and Royal Duyvis Wiener in 2024.

Wim Abbing, Probat’s chief executive, framed the restructuring as a push toward a more agile, closely connected and future-oriented organization. In North America, that ambition now runs through Dallas, where Dodd will be the name roasters and dealers watch for the next round of changes in support, sales and service.