Michael Sorkin
Formlabs, the maker of the highly accurate Form 1+ SLA 3D printer, says that Michael Sorkin has now joined the company’s leadership team.
Sorkin will focus on expanding Formlabs operations in the EU market.
In mid-March, Formlabs announced a focus on expansion into the EU market by formally opening offices in Berlin, Germany, and forming a distribution partnership with Sorkin’s iGo3D.
Sorkin is the co-founder and CEO of iGo3D, a leading distributor of desktop 3D printing products in Germany. At the time, Formlabs said the partnership was aimed at enhancing sales and support for the company’s customers in Germany and giving potential customers a first-hand look at their machines at iGo3D’s retail locations in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Oldenburg, Hamburg and Hannover.
“Europe is an extremely important territory for us, and we’re excited to have Michael Sorkin join our team. Michael built iGo3D, one of the most important distribution channels for desktop 3D printing in Europe, he will use this experience do the same leading our efforts in Europe where we have experienced substantial growth in the past year,” says Maxim Lobovsky, the co-founder of Formlabs.
As the head of iGo3D, Sorkin was responsible for the growth of the company to a team of 50 and expanding operations to serve the Netherlands, Poland and Russia. He’s also a member of the advisory board member of The 3D Printing Association, a global association for the 3D printing industry. 
During October of 2014, iGo3D and Sorkin opened the first retail 3D printer store in Germany at a location in Stuttgart city center. Sorkin also opened the first of iGo3D’s 3D printing stores in Oldenburg, and those stores offered full-body-scanning and a range of 3D printing products from 3D scanners to 3D printers to consumables to accessories and software.
“I am honored to lead Formlabs’ European operations and excited for the challenges that lie in our future. iGo3D is a growing business in excellent hands,” Sorkin says. “I look forward to help Formlabs expand their European presence and provide excellent customer experience in Europe. It is a privilege to be part of an ambitious organization that is building some of the best products in the market.”
Sorkin was also the co-founder of Neverhill GmbH, an eco-friendly clothing line designed by artists from around the world, served as an eCare & User Experience Strategist for Vodafone Germany, and was the sales manager at IPC2U.
The desktop SLA 3D printers from Formlabs, based in Somerville, Massachusetts, came out of a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2012. After overcoming allegations of patent infringement lodged by 3D Systems regarding the SLA process, the company worked out an agreement with 3DS earlier this year. The new office they opened this spring, located in the heart of Berlin, marked the first time the company began operations outside the United States.
What do you think about the appointment of Michael Sorkin as the new leader of EU operations for Formlabs? Let us know in the Sorkin and Formlabs forum thread on 3DPB.com.
