Manufacturing Today - January February 2015

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
DIALOGUE WITH | STACI DAVIDSON
WWW.MANUFACTURING-TODAY.COM
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
John Krukowski
john.krukowski@phoenixmediacorp.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Staci Davidson
SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR
Chris Petersen
SENIOR EDITORS
Alan Dorich, Russ Gager,
Jim Harris, Jamie Morgan
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Optimism Abounds
Jeff Borgardt, Janice Hoppe
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Lynn L. Bergeson, Angela Forsyth,
David Schnitt, Larry Stolle
ART DIRECTOR
Erin Hein
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS It’s great to start off a new year on a high
Megan Green, Jonathan Lyzun, Vida Soriano note, but even better when you know things
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Travis Garth will continue to improve even more. It
seems as if many manufacturers feel the
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Jason Quan same way, because there is so much opti-
EDITORIAL RESEARCH MANAGER mism in the industry right now.
James Fuller
The year begins with the 2015 AHR Show
C U LT U R E C H A N G E
PROJECT COORDINATORS
Dan Johnson, David Lankin (page 32), which focuses on all the new ad-
Duncan McGougan, Claudia E. Montaño
Gino Piniero, Dan Wiggins vances in the HVACR industry, and takes B UY AMERICAN
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place in Chicago from Jan. 26 to 28. Accord-
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VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES
Steve Campagna ing to a recent ASHRAE Journal and AHR
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Expo survey among HVACR manufactur-
DIRECTOR OF WEB AND REPRINT SALES
Dash Blankenship ers worldwide, 87 percent of respondents
dash.blankenship@phoenixmediacorp.com said their prospects for business were ei-
ther “excellent” or “good” for the coming
year. Additionally, more than 70 percent of But it isn’t just the HVACR manufactur-
exhibitors reported that they plan to intro- ers that are looking forward to what this
duce new products and technologies at this year will bring. The aerospace sector is go-
year’s show. ing so strong – especially with the delivery
“As the world’s largest HVACR exposi- of A320s, 787s, A350s and 737s – that Zodiac
tion, there are always thousands of new Aerospace (page 16) is increasing its own
product introductions and innovative solu- output and improving efficiency to better
tions debuting at the AHR Expo,” says Clay meet customers’ demands. We also high-
Stevens, president of the International light many other manufacturers that are
Exposition Company, which produces and optimistic about 2015 and the growth that
manages the AHR Expo. “It appears that will come from an improved economy.
the upcoming Chicago show may set a new We’d love to hear from you – what are you
standard for product introductions.” most excited about your business this year?
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 manufacturing-today.com 1

features > 8. 12.
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Columns >
Washington
On the environmental front, TSCA reform
is the only viable contender for serious leg-
islative attention in the new year, and even
this is by no means a given. Page 8
Management
There are three ways manufacturers can
leverage data more effectively. Page 12
Technology
>
New technology solutions are critical for
attracting younger workers and sustaining
innovation in the manufacturing industry.
Page 14
Last Page On The Cover >

New Concept Technology operates its own
Zodiac Aerospace provides components for commercial
and military aircraft, and with the economy improving, it is
apprentice program and supports a local
increasing output and improving efficiency. PAGE 16
training center. Page 152
2 manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 | TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sections > 32. 60.

AHR Expo
The AHR Expo draws big crowds with en-
dorsements from 38 of the leading HVACR
industry associations. Page 32
Midwest
Central Michigan University gets a big nod
from Ford Motor Co. Page 60
International
A new partnership between two Canadian
firms will enable the conversion of munic-
ipal and other waste feedstocks into chem-
cials. Page 88
South
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The manufacturing industry knows it can
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benefit from veterans’ skills from the mili-
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88.
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tary, and hiring events aim to get job seek-
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ers and employers together. Page 108
Northeast
The National Institute for Metalworking
Skills is helping workers improve their
skills. Page 126
West
The construction of the first high-speed
rail system in the United States is not only
historic, but also important for its use of
highly advanced, low-emissions equip-
ment. Page 138
138.

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24. 29.
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Aerospace
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34.
16. Zodiac Aerospace
Zodiac Aerospace is demonstrating its
advanced composites and engineered ma-
terials’ suitability for even more aircraft
components.
21. Birk Manufacturing

Birk Manufacturing is investing in its cul-
ture and new capabilities to enhance its
product offerings and better serve its val-
ued customer base.
24. Superior Tube Co.

Superior Tube continues to build on its 80-
year reputation for innovation.
27. Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin leads the manufactur- AHR Show 40. Spence Engineering Co. Inc.
ing team of the Orion spacecraft as it pre- 34. PoolPak International LLC Spence Engineering Co. switched to a cus-
pares it for its historic flight. PoolPak aims to grow its success with its tom order system and reduced its lead-
MPK Series of dehumidifiers. times through lean manufacturing.
29. GE Aviation
GE Aviation’s investments in new facilities 38. NovelAire Technologies 42. Midwest Metal Products
and new technology will solidify its strong NovelAire Technologies has reached new Midwest Metal Products strives to always
position as a worldwide jet engine, systems heights through its focus on technology and bring its clients the perfect blend of ser-
and services provider. its responsive manufacturing capabilities. vice and technology.

45. Modine Manufacturing

Modine emerged from the recession as a stronger company by
streamlining its efforts.
52. Desert Aire

Desert Aire has thousands of humidifier designs in its data-
base that it can customize and send to touchscreens through-
out its plant.
54. MKT Metal Manufacturing

MKT Metal Manufacturing specializes in providing sheet metal
duct, HVAC products and services to contractors in the greater
Atlantic region. 74.
56. The Hillman Group 80. Loc Performance Products Inc.
The Hillman Group has been a stalwart supplier to the hard- Loc Performance’s diverse clients, ranging from the U.S. Army to
ware and home improvement markets for half-a-century. Caterpillar, depend on it for quality components and assemblies.
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58. ClimateCraft Inc. 82. Denray Machine Inc.
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ClimateCraft Inc. delivers customized air-handling solutions Denray Machine helps make its clients’ environments cleaner
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for a wide variety of air quality needs. and safer.
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Midwest
62. Spartan Light Metal Products

Built on a culture of hard work and innovation, Spartan Light
Metal Products is expanding to meet increased demand.
66. Pony Tools

A storied history and a recent rebrand are key pieces of the
puzzle that should keep Pony Tools at the top of the clamping
and hand tools market for generations.
71. Conex Cable LLC

Conex Cable says its clients can rely on it to deliver their mate-
rials in a timely manner.
74. Beckwood Press Company

Beckwood Press Company has become a leader in hydraulic
presses through innovation and hard work.
76. Hoist Liftruck Manufacturing Inc.

Hoist Liftruck Manufacturing manufactures 75 percent of each
of its products itself, while also maintaining some of the most
competitive lead times in the world.
78. Continental Hydraulics

Continental Hydraulics reintroduces itself to the marketplace
as it transforms its operations through key investments.

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90. 120.
84. New Concept Technology 98. UPM South

New Concept Technology is automating its UPM takes pride in its ability to evolve the
production and training apprentices to meet papermaking industry and set new stan- 110. Eagle Manufacturing
the manufacturing challenges of the future. dards by continuously perfecting its prod- Eagle Manufacturing prides itself on having
uct and processes. been an industry leader in product and pro-
86. Machinewell cess innovation for more than a century.
Machinewell specializes in machining, 101. AirBoss of America Corp.
welding and fabricating for leading manu- AirBoss has cut costs and improved effi- 114. Phoenix Manufacturing
facturers, and is a top supplier to the ATV ciency under new leadership, allowing it Focused on building relationships, Phoe-
and snowmobile industries. to focus on the quality manufacture of its nix Manufacturing gives people with dis-
rubber compounds. abilities a place in the workforce.
International
104. Super Diesel S.A. 118. Precision Drive Systems
90. Eclipse Automation In a challenging market, Super Diesel has Precision Drive Systems’ spindle repair,
Extensive internal capabilities allow proven it can maintain its leadership while sales and manufacturing services keep its
Eclipse Automation to provide custom behaving responsibly toward its employ- customers’ machining operations running
automated manufacturing equipment to a ees and the environment. smoothly and effectively.
diverse portfolio of customers.
106. Virtek Vision 120. Uniroyal
93. Triangle Fluid Controls Ltd. International Inc. Engineered Products
Triangle Fluid Controls remains focused Virtek Vision International’s laser projection Long known for the quality of its cast vinyl
on researching and developing ways to systems help to make mechanical templates coated fabrics, Uniroyal Engineered Prod-
modify and create new products to meet or time-consuming measurement proce- ucts seeks further growth through interna-
industry demands. dures obsolete. tional expansion.

122. East Texas Precast Co. 132. Conical Cutting Tools West
East Texas Precast succeeds in the Texas Revamped Conical Cutting Tools is emerg-
parking garage construction market being as a market leader following a produc- 140. Tesla Motors
cause of its high performance product, tion, sales and marketing overhaul, and is Tesla Motors continues on its plan to
processes and people. known for its high-performance products. transform the economy starting with
high-efficiency, electric vehicles.
124. ESCO Marine 134. Moduline Modular
ESCO Marine’s strength is in giving old ves- Aluminum Cabinets 143. The Clorox Company
sels a new purpose, and it is currently work- State-of-the-art equipment and an ability The Clorox Company’s supply chain strat-
ing on an 18-month-long dismantling of the to customize its offerings are why Mod- egy and leadership forum helps build its
USS Saratoga. uline Modular Aluminum Cabinets are talent base.
sought-after products in a diverse range of
Northeast industries. 146. GCX Corp.
GCX Corp. recently opened a state-of-the-
128. Houghton International 136. Force Robots LLC art facility in El Paso, Texas.
Houghton International serves custom- Force Robots of Cleveland has developed
ers with specialty metalworking fluids cutting-edge robots that it says are much 150. Gruber Industries
and services created specifically for their more advanced than other robots current- Gruber Industries provides products that
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needs, and has done so successfully for ly on the market because its robots use keep its data center and other commercial
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more than 150 years. force and sense to perform their work. customers running at all times.
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COLUMN BY | LYNN L. BERGESON
manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

LYNN L. BERGESON | COLUMN BY
TSCA Reform:
Are Prospects in 2015 Real?
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Whether 2015 legislative prospects regarding reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) are
real is anyone’s guess. On the environmental front, TSCA reform is the only viable contender for seri-
ous legislative attention in the New Year, and even this is by no means a given.
Consideration in earnest is depen- nority in Senate EPW Committee requirement that the U.S. Environ-
dent upon a variety of factors, the leadership is crucial for new reform mental Protection Agency (EPA) en-
most important of which is the crit- measures to pass. sure “with reasonable certainty that
ical need for sustained bipartisan- The House Subcommittee on En- no harm to human health or the en-
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ship. The September 2014 Udall/Vit- vironment and Energy Chair Rep. vironment will result from chemical
ter recasting of the Chemical Safety John Shimkus has been a leader exposures, without taking into con-
Improvement Act (CSIA), first in- on TSCA reform. Shimkus intro- sideration cost or non-risk factors.”
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troduced by Senators Lautenberg duced in March the Chemicals in The debate over “uncertainty of no
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and Vitter in May 2013 and co-spon- Commerce Act, and has devoted harm” comes from the standard in
sored by 25 senators (13 Republicans considerable time to TSCA reform the Food Quality Protection Act.
and 12 Democrats), is an underesti- by educating members on TSCA by High Priority Substances –
mated starting point for discussion. convening hearings over the past Udall/Vitter CSIA requires that EPA
Before going into the merits of CSIA few years on TSCA and how it works identify an initial list of ten high pri-
and Sen. Barbara Boxer’s alternative (or does not). Assuming both cham- ority substances for safety assess-
TSCA reform bill circulated in late bers get a bill out, and assuming ments and determinations within
2014, a few thoughts on the context continued bipartisan support for six months of enactment. Sen. Box-
in which TSCA reform legislation Udall/Vitter CSIA does not dissi- er would make the number 15. Some
will be considered may be helpful. pate, there is at least a theoretical articulation of expected workload is
With the mid-term Republican chance something could happen in probably a good thing to guide the
take-over of Congress, some believe 2015. If there ever was a time when Agency, especially if it is not clear
that bipartisan support for TSCA re- it was true that “there is no small if EPA will receive any significant
form by the Senate Environment and amendment,” it is now. With the re- increase in resources to implement
Public Works (EPW) Committee cent TSCA reform draft, virtually all any new provisions.
leadership is central to the success of sections of TSCA have been signifi- Inclusion of Deadlines – Udall/
any TSCA reform measure. Former cantly revised, and there are many Vitter CSIA contains what many
EPW Committee Chair Sen. Box- issues where opposing viewpoints regard as aggressive but achievable
er has long expressed the need for could sink the bill even if the new deadlines for establishing policies,
TSCA reform, but has been a major Congress is more collegial than in procedures, guidance documents,
impediment to TSCA reform mea- years past. and completing actions. Deadlines
sures given her views on preemption. Below are a few key provisions in help drive priorities, but too many
Sen. Jim Inhofe took over as Chair of Udall/Vitter CSIA, contrasted with or simply unrealistic ones can fos-
the EPW Committee in 2015. Sen. Boxer’s views on the same pro- ter inflated expectations doomed to
Inhofe has long supported TSCA visions. disappoint. In a similar way, Senator
modernization, co-sponsored CSIA, Safety Standard – Udall/Vitter Boxer’s bill emphasizes deadlines
and has renewed his support for CSIA retains the TSCA safety stan- and productivity.
TSCA reform. The continued sup- dard of unreasonable risk of injury. Explicit Identification of Final
port of both the majority and mi- Sen. Boxer’s bill replaces it with a Agency Actions – Udall/Vitter CSIA

COLUMN BY | LYNN L. BERGESON
makes clear what is final agency ac-

tion and subject to judicial review.
This has not been the case in earlier
drafts, leading to some suspicions
and controversies.
Fee Structure – Sen. Boxer’s
version adds a fee structure to fund
Agency actions, assessed on manu-
facturers’ production or import vol-
umes. Resources will be sorely need-
ed, but the Republican Congress
may not allow “taxes” by any other
name. This could put EPA between a new Congress. Provided TSCA re- and EPA science will almost certain-
rock and a hard place. form legislation is considered early be assailed under this Republican
Preemption – The important ly in the New Year, it has a fighting Congress. EPA can be expected to
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issue of preemption is unresolved. chance of success. All bets are like- remain in a holding pattern. As for
Sen. Boxer’s version strikes the ly off, however, if something fails EPA’s chemicals program, the Office
Udall/Vitter CSIA language, which to materialize before the August of Chemical Safety and Pollution
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is similar to the current TSCA lan- recess. Presidential election con- Prevention (OCSPP) will continue
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guage, and basically eliminates TS- siderations can be expected by Sep- its Work Plan Chemicals assess-
CA’s preemptive effect. tember to influence the legislative ments; continue to improve Design
Many believe CSIA recast as Udall/ calendar and serious consideration for the Environment (DfE); con-
Vitter CSIA will be re-introduced in of meaningful legislation, including tinue to build ChemView; develop
the new Congress. With Sen. Inhofe TSCA reform, could halt. CompTox for endocrine disruptors
at the helm in the Senate, Sen. Box- On top of Presidential calendar and chemical categories for com-
er has been eliminated as an abso- considerations, another unknown is mercial chemicals; and in the pesti-
lute block to consideration of CSIA. how exactly the two parties will get cide world, continue the relentless
While Sen. Boxer will remain an along – will the new Congress see pressure to complete timely pesti-
influential ranking member of the any spirit of bipartisanship, bitter cide registration reviews, Worker
committee, and can be expected to feelings about the “imperial Presi- Protection Standard implementa-
oppose any bill that preempts state dency” among the Tea Party types, tion, and Endangered Species Act
chemical laws or otherwise does or generally do they actually want to (ESA) compliance checks.
not address her concerns, Sen. Box- get something done? The recent dis- It is quite likely that 2015 will be
er’s influence has been significantly cussions on immigration reform do an interesting year. Let us hope for
blunted. The key is whether there are not bode well for collegial relations in all our sakes, TSCA reform happens
enough Democrats supporting any Congress. Since the beginning of the in 2015 and EPA continues to imple-
bill to meet the now functionally re- Obama Administration, the key par- ment administrative changes de-
quired 60 votes to get anything done ties have stated they agree on a num- signed to improve domestic chemi-
in the Senate. ber of “principles” which upon review cal management. mt
The American Chemistry Council are, broadly speaking, directionally
supports Udall/Vitter CSIA, as do in agreement. Crunch time is right Lynn L. Bergeson is Managing Partner of Bergeson
& Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), a Washington, D.C. law firm
other chemical trade associations. around the corner – there is a narrow focusing on conventional, nanoscale, and biobased
Cal Dooley noted that a Republi- but real opportunity for success. industrial, agricultural, and specialty chemical product
regulation and approval matters, environmental health
can-led Congress would provide As for other major environmental and safety law, chemical product litigation, and asso-
a “more favorable policy environ- issues, Sen. Inhofe can be expected ciated business counseling and litigation issues. She is
President of The Acta Group, with offices in Washington,
ment” for TSCA reform and he spec- to push hard against the Adminis- D.C., Manchester, UK, and Beijing, China, and President
ulated that TSCA reform legislation tration’s climate change program, of B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM) with
offices in Washington, D.C.
would be viewed favorable in the nominations will continue to stall,

COLUMN BY | DAVID SCHNITT
The Right Leverage

there are three ways manufacturers can
leverage data more effectively.
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As we start 2015, we’re entering a crucial phase in the annual lifecycle of manufacturing. With 2015
planning and financials set in place, now is the time for manufacturers to put processes in place
that will drive positive business results and establish a framework for reaching next year’s goals.
With manufacturing in the U.S. pre-

dicted to grow in 2015, many firms
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are striving to take their business to

the next level through geographic
expansion or supply chain improve-
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ments. For mid-size manufacturers,

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growing to the next level without

strains on business processes is cru-
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cial to their success. To continue to

grow and scale their operations suc-
cessfully, it’s important for mid-size
firms to consider how their back of-
fice will grow and develop as their
business expands. Can your pur-
chasing team manage an expansion
into a new market? What about your
accounts payable department?
Benchmarking and data collec-
tion are two important methods for
manufacturers to provide data for
better decision making and drive
actionable business insights in 2015.
Through the identification of pat-
terns and trends in purchasing and
other processes, manufacturers can
optimize the factors that can have
the greatest return on investment
(ROI). For the back office, data col-
lection can be crucial in helping the
CFO and finance department un-
derstand where costs are incurred
and where they can be reduced to
help save the firm more. By having a
greater control over costs, CFOs of
manufacturing companies can more
effectively manage cash flow and

DAVID SCHNITT | COLUMN BY
identify potential opportunities to ceipt. In our experience, many man- controls are in place for gathering
cut costs and improve savings. ufacturers have a 30 percent excep- this information. With this in mind,
tion rate in the matching process, here are three ways manufactur-
Overusing POs which means that those invoices are ers can collect and leverage data to
We’ve seen many CFOs of manufac- routed back to purchasing so they form actionable business insights
turing companies have a lack of con- can amend the PO in order to match for 2015:
trol over business processes, which the invoice. It’s not unusual for
can lead to a worrisome trend: man- companies to create POs so they can > Hold every department ac-
ufacturers’ over-reliance on costly match them to invoices that they al- countable. You can have far
purchase orders (POs). By overus- ready received. more control by holding each
ing POs, manufacturers increase In fact, we often see that the total department accountable for a
the cost of the procurement process cost of the procurement to payment specific budget. This also shifts
and overspend by relying on a pro- process (P2P) for an item bought with responsibility to department
cess that gives manufacturing ex- a PO costs one and a half to two times managers instead of relying on
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ecutives the illusion of control over as much to process as one bought the purchasing team.
their business processes. without a PO. In addition, using POs > Determine your cost per invoice.
Purchase orders are typically is- eliminates the review of invoices by I’m always surprised by the fact
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sued by a manufacturer for specif- department managers who often find that so few mid-size manufac-
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ic goods, parts and raw materials. errors and other issues when review- turing firms know this informa-
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They are a legal document that spec- ing invoices for approval. tion. To calculate your cost per
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ifies pricing, quantities and other For instance, one of our clients in invoice, calculate the total cost
conditions when ordering product. the manufacturing industry had a of all accounts payable func-
Furthermore, POs are issued by a rule that anything bought for more tions (salaries and benefits, IT,
highly skilled purchasing depart- than $5,000 had to have a PO. In overhead, recruiting, training,
ment, whose job is to negotiate and practice this meant that many in- outside vendors, etc.) and divide
secure the best prices, terms and voices arrived into the AP depart- it by the number of invoices pro-
other conditions for the products ment who then had to route them cessed per year. Once you figure
necessary for the business. The to purchasing so they could create this out, you can compare your
best organizations have purchasing a PO to match to the invoice. To fix cost per invoice against other
teams that act seamlessly across the this, we reengineered the process firms of similar size to see if you
enterprise and can determine when so procurement only issued PO’s can improve.
POs should be issued and when they when they could add value in the > Conduct benchmarking reports.
may not be necessary. purchasing of those specific goods Whether annual or quarterly,
What’s happened, however, is that and services by negotiating better benchmarking reports can help
many manufacturers now issue POs pricing, terms or other conditions. you track and anticipate myriad
for every transaction, even for ser- The company regained control by costs of running a business each
vices, office supplies and utilities. electronically routing invoices to year. Within accounting and fi-
By issuing POs for every trans- department managers for approval nance in mid-sized companies,
action, manufacturers increase the and they were held accountable each benchmarks haven’t budged
overall cost of the purchasing pro- month for their spending versus in the last 20 years. With this
cess and dramatically complicate budget. The client’s procurement knowledge, you can more deci-
their internal processes. Costs go costs went down dramatically and sively find solutions that will cut
up because expensive purchasing their control increased as well since costs while also being able to an-
professionals have to spend time there was greater focus on budgets. ticipate the effect this will have
creating PO’s and sending them to on the finance department. mt
the vendors. Then, when the invoice Effective Data
arrives the AP department has to Collecting data has never been easi- David Schnitt is president and CEO of IQ BackOffice. For more
information, visit www.iqbackoffice.com.
match the PO to the invoice and reer for manufacturers – as long as the

COLUMN BY | LARRY STOLLE
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Let Go of the Past

new technology is critical for attracting younger
workers and sustaining innovation.
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Much of the credit for the recent revival of the U.S. automo-
However, changing industry dynam-
tive industry has been given to the doggedness of the Ameri-
ics and emerging technologies are
can workforce. The media has personified the manufacturing making it difficult to retain and attract
worker as a rugged, never-give-up type of guy whose unfailing workers to the automobile industry.
determination has single-handedly build the next generation Consider these recent statistics:
of automobiles. It’s an image that instills confidence and makes > By 2030, 18 percent of the na-
for a great commercial. Certainly, hard-working employees are tion’s current workforce will be
the foundation of success for any company. at least 65 and potentially look-

LARRY STOLLE | COLUMN BY
ing to retire, according to the minutes. These early inventors had ally changed throughout the entire
Pew Research Center. no roadmap to follow, no mentor network. Generally, younger em-
> More than half of employed giving guidance. If a system or pro- ployees do not want to work at com-
workers in the U.S. – 51 percent cess didn’t exist, they had to develop panies where they must maintain
– are either actively seeking or it themselves. old systems. They see it as a move
open to finding new jobs, ac- Developing automation and new backwards and a waste of their time
cording to a survey from social technology solutions is a tradition learning old methods when they
recruiting platform Jobvite. that continues today. Vehicle man- could be working on cutting-edge
ufacturers have been some of the technology systems instead.
Who will replace these experi- first to embed data-producing sen-
enced workers, particularly in the sors in assembly line robotics, con- When to Invest in Technology
automobile industry? Generally, trollers and automotive parts. They Deciding when to upgrade technol-
younger employees are attracted have adopted cutting-edge software ogy is not easy. On one hand, there
to places that offer career advance- solutions to manage vast amounts is a system that, while difficult to
ment opportunities and access to of information and developed their use, gets the job done. The costs
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the latest technology such as 3D own systems when what they need- associated with maintaining leg-
graphical interfaces, voice activa- ed didn’t exist. This “get-it-done” acy systems typically are spread
tion, high-speed processing capa- mentality has been successful with out over time in small increments,
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T ECHNOLOGY
bilities, interconnected systems global auto sales hitting a record thereby not causing a large impact
A LFAB INC.
E CONOMY
or mobile applications. Yet, many 80 million vehicles. However, it on profitably. On the other hand,
N EWS
existing automobile manufactur- has also lead to an industry built installing new systems requires a
ers operate on legacy, proprietary on complex, proprietary systems, large upfront investment, plus a
systems, which can be difficult and which are becoming increasingly significant time commitment for
expensive to maintain. Investing in difficult to maintain. customization. However, when one
technology is important for compa- Many of the software programs analyzes the return on investment
nies wanting to attract new workers used by automobile manufactures over time, the actual cost of main-
who, in turn, bring with them an in- were initially built on the comput- taining an old system typically is
fusion of new ideas and approach- er programming language known as greater than implementing a new
es. “Newer, nimbler companies like COBOL (Common Business-Ori- one, not to mention the opportuni-
Tesla Motors have an advantage be- ented Language). In a 1997 study, ty costs associated with losing top
cause of their pick of engineers to Gartner Group reported that 80 per- talent to competitors.
help innovate,” says Morgan Stanley cent of the world’s businesses ran While it’s hard to predict what
analyst Adam Jonas. on COBOL with more than 200 bil- the future will look like, one thing is
lion lines of code in existence. Over certain – successful manufacturers
Existing Systems Developed the years, these systems have be will be the ones that attract the next
Out of Necessity modified with new add-on features generation of workers by offering
The automobile industry is arguably and more functionality. Addition- a stimulating, advanced technolo-
one of the oldest manufacturing ally, adjustments have been made gy environment. In doing so, these
industries in the world. The first to accommodate business rules and visionary companies will attract a
gasoline-powered automobile was government regulations. The re- new generation of workers and cre-
introduced by Karl Friedrick Benz in sult is often a network of unwieldy, ate a sustainable cycle of innovation
1885, nearly 20 years before the first stand-alone systems that work, but Just as the early industry pioneers
airplane was invented. And, it was are difficult to use and maintain. proved, its new ideas and fresh per-
the automotive industry that pio- Getting data out of these legacy sys- spectives that will continue to shape
neered the first modern assembly tems can be difficult without strong the future. mt
line – an invention by Henry Ford technical knowledge of the old pro-
Larry Stolle is Solution Manager for Automotive Industries at
that dropped the assembly time for gramming language and, when one SAP. For more information visit www.sap.com.
a single vehicle from 12 hours to 90 change is made, it must be manu-

SPECIAL SECTION Aerospace
Zodiac Aerospace / www.zodiacaerospace.com / Headquarters: Marysville, Wash. / Employees: 13,000 in advanced composites and
engineered materials / Specialty: Advanced composites and engineered materials
zodiac aerospace is
expanding aggressively
as the aerospace industry
increases its production.
More Parts is cooled in the preshape, it makes a

hard plastic part.
These products and parts are used
zodiac aerospace shows its advanced materials’ in seats, galleys, lavatories, closets,
suitability for aircraft components. by russ gager cockpit doors, bulkheads, ceiling
panels, overhead bins and sidewalls,
as well as structural assemblies
As the aerospace industry ramps metal fabrication and formulations, such as fuselage frames, shear-ties
up production, its suppliers must, including structural adhesives for and landing gear pods. “Zodiac is a
too. This is creating challenges for the aerospace industry. big company with a lot of different
Zodiac Aerospace’s advanced com- The division also manufactures groups, but the division that I’m the
posites and engineered materials di- prepregs, which are a preimpregnat- president of is responsible for the
vision that the company is meeting ed fiber woven with adhesive in it. “As development and manufacture of
with aggressive expansion. The ad- you form it under heat and pressure, the raw materials that go into the
vanced composites and engineered you can shape it into various parts,” fabrication of interiors, as well as
materials division produces hon- explains Cynthia Raynor, president manufacturing our structural com-
eycomb core, engineered plastics, of the advanced composites and en- posites,” Raynor notes.
primary and secondary composite gineered materials division. The heat Zodiac Aerospace’s advanced
details and assemblies, as well as causes the resin to flow, and when it composites and engineered mate-

zodiac aerospace has

increased its manufacturing
capacity in recent years to
meet the growing demand.
rials division has a total of seven ery and equipment to do that. The al components for the aerospace
manufacturing plants: three at its machinery and equipment is more industry,” Raynor says. “Recently,
Marysville, Wash., campus; one in automated and updated to increase we’ve invested in a new 15- by 40-
Newport, Wash.; two in Southern our output. We’re actually in the foot autoclave. We’ve also added a
California; and another facility lo- process of incorporating new resin robotic inspection cell for nonde-
cated in Tijuana, Mexico. The plants treaters that will be implemented structive testing, as well as robotic
have a combined 650,000 square this year, which will increase our ef- technology for the visual inspection
feet of manufacturing space and ap- ficiency and capacity.” of composite details.” The autoclave
proximately 2,000 employees. The advanced composites facil- is used to make composites tougher.
ity in Marysville has approximate- Zodiac’s engineered plastics site
Production Increased ly 250,000 square feet and about encloses approximately 110,000
Production of honeycomb core 675 employees. “We manufacture square feet and employs 270 em-
sandwich panels has increased. primary and secondary structur- ployees. “We’ve recently invested
“Just in the last year, we implement-
ed an additional C4 honeycomb line, ‘we’re continually working to improve our op-
which in essence doubled our capac-
ity for the creation of honeycomb
erational efficiencies to support our custom-
core,” Raynor says. “We added a sec- ers’ needs. we strive to provide our customers
ond line and put in all the machin- with unparalleled service.’ - Cynthia Raynor
Aerospace SPECIAL SECTION
in new injection molding machines, as such as Zodiac to increase output and lationships. Our development teams
well as five-axes CNC machines to in- improve efficiency. work very well together as we’re de-
crease our capacity and our efficiency, “It’s a very competitive industry,” veloping new products. Our focus is
as well,” Raynor says. Many interior Raynor emphasizes. “The challenge really on the conversion of metal to
components for aircraft are injec- is to be able to meet those increased plastic, as well as the introduction of
tion-molded or vacuum-formed to re- rates by increasing our output and im- new materials and processes that will
place heavier metal components. proving our efficiency. provide lighter and more cost-effec-
“We’re continually working to im- tive solutions.”
More and More prove our operational efficiencies to Delivery methods for components
With delivery of aircraft such as A320s, support our customers’ needs,” she depend on how a customer uses
787s, A350s and 737s increasing, ramp- adds. “We strive to provide our cus-
ing up production is becoming in- tomers with unparalleled service.” Diversified Machine Systems is a leading original
equipment manufacturer of 3 & 5 Axis CNC Routers and
creasingly important. Zodiac provides Besides designing parts and compo- Large Format Machining Centers that are relied upon
by top aerospace companies for machining advanced
components for commercial and mil- nents, Zodiac Aerospace also designs materials in composites, aluminum, thermoplastics, silicon
itary aircraft including passenger air- the tooling to produce the parts. “We carbide, and carbon fiber components. DMS thanks the
entire family of Zodiac Aerospace companies for the
craft, freighters, fighter jets, business work together with customers closely continued worldwide partnership as more than a machin-
jets, helicopters and very light jets. and tightly through the development ery provider – a business partner in process engineering
and development of new machining products, such as
With the economy improving, aircraft and design phase and then into manu- the Heavy Duty DMS 3 Axis Series of Enclosed Overhead
OEMs are demanding faster turn- facturing,” Raynor asserts. “Through Gantry and Twin Moving Table Machines uniquely designed
for their expanding composites business.
around times, which require suppliers that, we’ve been able to forge great re-

them. “If they’re set up for just-in-time and that’s how

they want it delivered, we’re very adept at that,” Raynor
declares. “Then we have other customers who want us
to deliver more in bulk on certain intervals, and we’ll do
that, as well.”
Worldwide Business
Zodiac Aerospace is AS9100 and Nadcap-certified for
quality assurance. It supplies aircraft components
worldwide to such farflung locations as Malaysia, Japan
and Italy. “It’s such a global marketplace today, you can’t
even imagine all the things that you get contacted for ev-
ery day by people from other countries to manufacture,”
Raynor says. “How they’ve heard of you and where the
parts are going and where they end up is amazing.”
This makes for an active supply chain. “We have a very
diverse supply chain with parts coming in from all over
the world and going out to all over the world,” Raynor
points out. “So that’s always a challenge in itself.”
Zodiac Aerospace’s businesses provide a wide range
of aircraft components, such as cabins and structures,
seats, galleys and equipment.
“Zodiac is a very diverse company with facilities all
over the world, and I think that diversity really helps us
to be who we are,” Raynor maintains.
Competition varies depending on what segment of Zo-
diac is being compared. “If you look at what Zodiac does as
a whole, there’s very few competitors,” Raynor maintains.
“If you break it down to individual businesses in Zodiac,
there might be more competitors for that one item, but if
you look at Zodiac’s overall capability to provide integrat-
ed solutions, there are very few competitors.”
For the future, Raynor sees the development of more
advanced composites for larger primary and secondary
structural components in aircraft. “For our engineered
materials, it’s really about the expansion of our product
offerings in terms of our formulations, and continuing to
review those offerings and bring lighter weight and more
cost-effective solutions to the market,” she concludes. mt
Thermwood Corporation, located in Southern Indiana and established in

1969, offers both three and five axis CNC machining centers ideally suited for the
production, fabrication and trimming of wood, plastics, non-ferrous metals, com-
posites and other advanced materials. These applications range from machining
patterns and molds/plugs to trimming and machining production products for the
aerospace, aviation and defense industries. Thermwood CNC machining centers
are engineered using the most advanced CAD/CAM and structural analysis soft-
ware. All weldments are fully stress relieved and the final machine is calibrated using
three-dimensional volumetric compensation. Thermwood is a US company with
distributors worldwide and provides extensive and complete support, installation,
training and ongoing service.

Birk Manufacturing / www.birkmfg.com / Headquarters: East Lyme, Conn. / Employees: 93 / Specialty: Thermal solutions /
Michael Mattox, president: “Quality is not inspected in, it’s built in, and that’s all on your people.”
throughout its operation,

birk manufacturing focuses
on on quality engineering
and customer service.
Culture Factor “The company’s first employee

still works for us, he’s an environ-
mental engineer,” Mattox says.
birk is investing in its culture and capabilities “We have very little turnover, and
to enhance its offerings. by staci davidson we treat our employees well. Hon-
estly, we can’t have much turnover
because we produce such a custom
Birk Manufacturing may have producing silicone rubber heaters, product. All of our processes have
started small – launching from its but after a few years, the operation been created in-house, and it takes
founder’s garage – but it has seen began producing Kapton© Heating up to a year to train someone well.
steady growth over the years and has Solutions, which is a more advanced Across the board, we are really fo-
become one of the leaders in its mar- technology, President Michael Mat- cused on quality engineering and
ket. This is the result of developing a tox explains. From there, the com- customer service, and it takes a
strong culture, fully understanding pany added Mica insulated heating strong employee base to deliver in
its customers and the needs of the elements and systems, heated tubes both of those areas.”
market, as well as ensuring quality and, most recently, a line of tempera- With Birk’s product and opera-
remains paramount in everything ture sensors. But Mattox stresses that tional growth, the company has dou-
the company does. as much as the company’s technology bled in size in the past four years,
The company was founded in 1989 and product line has evolved over the Mattox notes. As a result, employees
by Norman Birk, who had nothing but years, the company’s culture has kept have had a lot of opportunity to move
a homeowner’s line of credits and his up, remaining a strong backbone for up. The company has filled almost
garage as a workspace. Birk began by Birk’s continued growth. all of its new positions internal-

we are doing it,” Mattox says. “We

are using our quality and expertise
to develop a way to supply more
systems. Our largest customers use
plug-and-play assemblies and that is
what we want to deliver.”
In fact, Birk has found that major
changes are the key to its ongoing
growth. Mattox explains that the
company has a lot of competition
in basic heaters, but not many oth-
ers have the capabilities to also do
high-end assemblies. With its expe-
rienced and knowledgeable work-
force behind it, Birk believes it has
a major advantage in its ability to
deliver the assemblies.
The company’s goal is to dou-
ble the size of the company every
birk’s product and operational three to five years, and it is focused
growth has allowed the
company to double in size in the on growing in higher-end markets,
past four years.
such as aerospace and medical, Mat-
ly, because its employees already of focus at this time is on its supply tox says. He notes that Birk is always
know its products and the Birk way chain, using its suppliers to help its looking for acquisitions to open it to
of meeting customers’ needs. operation – and theirs – grow. new markets, because the medical
“We have cookouts every month, “We have a very challenging cus- market, for example, is difficult to
we have beach days a couple times a tomer base,” Mattox says. “We use get into organically.
summer and we have donuts every 6,000 custom parts, and we need “We see ourselves as an engineer-
Thursday,” Mattox adds. “When we our supply chain to respond as ing company first, and a manufac-
hit our sales and production goals quickly as we do. We are leaning on turing company second,” he adds.
for the quarter we give everyone a our suppliers to help us reduce our “We work hand-in-hand with our
half day to say thank you for the hard inventories. We’re setting up kan- customers, and we see ourselves as
work. Quality is not inspected in, it’s bans and vendor-managed invento- a thermal engineer for customers.
built in, and that’s all on your people. ry in-house, and we’re already see- This is an area of engineering that is
Our people have great ideas and we ing big improvements.” not well understood unless you do it
are willing to listen to them to im- By improving its response on every day, so we spent a lot of time at
prove our company. Culture is really high-end, quick-turn projects, Birk our customers’ facilities are having
the most important thing here.” will be able to reduce the issues it the customers come here so we can
sees with customers challenging work closely with them.
A Major Advantage parts on their assemblies, Mattox “We will continue to be open and
Birk is constantly focused on im- notes. Therefore, Birk is focused on honest with our customers and our
provement to best meet the needs of improving its supply chain, as well people. We give back to our peo-
its customers, and it strives to meet as its quality. The recently became ple to build a strong culture, be-
the needs of research engineers, de- ISO 9001:2008, ISO 13485:2003 and cause without buy-in and support,
velopment managers, purchasing AS9100:2009 certified to demon- it would be impossible to do these
agents and designing experts when strate its dedication to quality. very hard projects to improve the
expanding its product offering. “Those certifications are chal- company. Our people are so driven,
One of the company’s main areas lenging to adopt and maintain, but and that pushes us forward.” mt

Superior Tube Co. / www.superiortube.com / Revenues: More than $50 million / Headquarters: Collegeville, Penn. / Employees: 230
Specialty: Precision tubing / Ben Huber, director of operations: “We thrive working in highly challenging environments.”
the majority of superior

tube’s metal alloy tube The company, which celebrated
products are two inches in
diameter or smaller. its 80th anniversary in 2014, has
seen its products used in a number
of historically significant ways. The
company’s products were selected
for the world’s first nuclear-pow-
ered submarine, the USS Nautilus;
as well as on the Bell X-1, which was
used to break the sound barrier; and
the Apollo project, which put the
first man on the moon.
Investing in Expansion
Superior Tube continues to find new
applications for its products while
broadening the markets it already
operates in. Within the past year,
the company has expanded into the
oil and gas market, where its high
pressure, corrosion resistant tubes
are used in heat exchanger applica-
tions, subsea control lines and in-
strumentation. “We’ve gone from
Truly Superior having a market share of zero in this

industry a year ago to delivering a
significant, multimillion dollar or-
superior tube continues to build on its 80-year der this year to a company in India,”
Huber says.
reputation for innovation. by jim harris The company is also undergoing
vendor qualification from a leading
Developing innovative technol- and metallurgical resources that we European aircraft manufacturer. This
ogies for highly specialized uses is have in-house to help solve our cus- would allow Superior Tube to expand
nothing new for Superior Tube Co. tomers’ toughest challenges.” overseas its aerospace industry work,
Since its founding in 1934, the Col- The company works with specialty which already includes serving as
legeville, Penn.-based company has grades of many durable, high-qual- a key supplier to leading American
been called upon to produce tubes ity metal alloys, including stainless aerospace OEMs. The company will
that have set world records for their steel, nickel, titanium and zirconi- collaborate with sister company Fine
small size and tight tolerances, um. The majority of its products are Tubes, based in Plymouth, United
which has played an important role two inches in diameter or smaller, Kingdom, to build its international
in the initial development of aero- Huber notes. market share. “We’ve always had an
space, medical and nuclear power Superior Tube’s markets include international presence, but there are
industries, amongst others. aerospace, nuclear, medical, and oil certainly opportunities outside of
“We are definitely a specialty and gas. The company’s tubes are the United States for tubing applica-
manufacturer,” Director of Oper- used in a variety of applications, in- tions,” he adds.
ations Ben Huber says. “We thrive cluding as control rods in commer- Expansion is a high priority for
working in highly regulated and cial nuclear reactors, as hydraulic Lexington, Mass.-based Watermill
demanding environments, and we lines in aircraft engines and as med- Group, a private equity firm that
can bring to bear a lot of technical ical stents. purchased the company in 2012.

“They bring a different expectation for the business than

our previous ownership had, but they are also willing and
able to make capital investments in the company which
have opened up opportunities as well as expectations
for us to go after market share in sectors we previously
didn’t participate in,” Huber says.
Superior Tube’s owners are investing in three main
areas of the company’s operation. The first of these is
the maintenance and performance of its equipment.
The company also improved its production flow by mov-
ing equipment and is automating many of its processes.
“Within the past decade, we weren’t necessarily the most
cost-competitive company, so we’ve been taking signifi-
cant action with the support of our owners to drive down
costs of our operations in the form of automation and
applying better technology,” he adds. “These are invest-
ments that are necessary for us to be more competitive in
the markets we want to be in.”
A Precision Operation
Superior Tube’s manufacturing operations are centered
on three main processes. The first of these is tube reduc-
tion, which involves decreasing the diameter and increas-
ing the length of a piece of pipe by applying force to the
outside of a tube. The company also regularly performs
superior tube’s products

are thoroughly cleaned and
inspected before they are
shipped to clients.

superior tube became

as 9100 certified in july,
allowing it to expand its
aerospace-related work.
welding as well as drawing, which involves pulling a tube Tube dedicates specific pieces of equipment to certain
through a die to decrease its diameter. Other manufactur- sizes and types of pipe, which allows it to be flexible in
ing processes include annealing, grinding and cleaning. its manufacturing operations, Huber notes.
The company typically runs low-volume, high-mix Superior Tube is ISO 9001 certified. In July 2014, the
production lines, with frequent changeovers. Superior company received AS9100 certification, which allows
it to expand its work in the aerospace industry. The
company within the next year hopes to attain NAD-
CAP certification for its heat-treating and welding pro-
cess; Superior Tube is already NADCAP certified for its
non-destructive testing procedures and is also DDTC
registered as a manufacturer of defense-related articles.
The company operates a testing laboratory within its
manufacturing facility, and its quality test methods in-
clude ultrasonic and eddy-current testing.
Superior Tube practices lean and Six Sigma methodol-
ogies within its operations. The company partners with
the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center in Phila-
delphia to train its employees in those areas; two-thirds
of Superior Tube’s employees have some degree of lean
training, and six employees are Six Sigma black or green
belt certified, Huber says.
Five of Superior Tube’s full-time employees are specif-
ically dedicated to continuous improvement. One of the
continuous improvement team’s main focuses is reduc-
ing setup time in the company’s drawing and ultrasonic
testing operations; these efforts have led to a 40 percent
setup time reduction in recent years, Huber notes.
“Factories that have survived for 80 years aren’t doing
things the way they always did,” Huber says. “If you visit
ours, you’ll find an operation that is changing every day
for the better. Optimization is on our daily agenda so we
can offer our customers the best service, highest product
quality at competitive lead times and prices.” mt

Lockheed Martin / www.lockheedmartin.com /HQ: Bethesda, Md. / Employees: 113,000 / Bill Johns, chief
engineer: “We’ve designed a heat shield that is 16.5 feet in diameter and is the largest one ever built.”
Quality Assurance
lockheed martin leads the manufacturing team of the
history-making orion spacecraft. by jamie morgan
Manufacturers know that the

only way to know for certain if some-
thing works is to put it to use. On
Dec. 5, the world will be watched as
NASA tested a project that has been
almost 10 years in the making: Orion.
NASA contracted Lockheed Martin
in 2006 to develop a new-generation
spacecraft to support lunar landing
missions and supply runs to the in-
ternational space station.
As the leading member of a team
comprised of major subcontractors
including Aerojet Rocketdyne, Unit-
ed Technologies Aerospace Systems
and Honeywell, as well as an expan-
sive network of minor subcontrac-
tors and small businesses in 45 states
across the country, Lockheed Martin
was pretty far along the project when the orion is designed to
it got the call from NASA to switch withstand 21 days in deep
space, as well as high speeds
focus and set its gaze on deep space. and temperatures.
Readying for Launch clothing, food and water to last them al is stirred as opposed to being melt-
“So now our activity has been on 21 days, as well as spaces to work and ed. As the metal parts mix together, it
developing a new, larger space vehi- get exercise. results in a reliable, lightweight joint
cle capable of giving us the big push Oxygen was also a concern. The that is more reliable against cracks
needed for deep space missions,” team designed a closed-loop life and leakage. The design also has to
explains Bill Johns, Lockheed’s chief support system that captures air withstand the extremely high tem-
engineer for Orion. “Since 2010 we being breathed out. It dispels the peratures and radiation it will come
have been focused on this deep space carbon dioxide and moisture and re- across on its descent back to earth,
variant and much more recently we cycles the oxygen and nitrogen back and this is the element that Lockheed
are very focused on building and get- into the cabin, reducing the crew’s will make a top priority in its testing.
ting ready to fly Exploration Flight reliance on oxygen and nitrogen sys- On its flight test, Orion launched
Test-1 [EFT-1], which is our first or- tems on board. from a vehicle called Delta IV Heavy,
bital flight that will gather the data Another consideration was the the biggest rocket available today. It
we are looking for.” design’s strength. For instance, went into a low-earth orbit and orbit-
Lockheed and NASA teamed up to Lockheed Martin manufactured the ed the earth once. At that point most
design a four-person spacecraft ca- pressure vessel from lightweight alu- spacecraft will prepare to descend,
pable of 21 consecutive days of space minum lithium and using a technique but Orion is looking to pioneer new
travel that can accommodate enough called friction stir welding. The met- frontier. After its first orbit, Orion

shot 3,600 miles above the Earth. On things will get hot. Not only that, we “We are moving out briskly with the
the way up and on the way back down, have to protect future crew from tem- next production version and as soon
Orion passed through the an area of peratures like that and also from the as this data gets back we will bury
high radiation. landing loads of hitting the ocean.” ourselves in it and make sure we un-
On its descent to earth, Orion The heat shield is made of a coating derstand anything new it’s telling us,”
reached a speed of 20,000 miles per called Avcoat, which burns away as it Johns explains. “Any adjustments it
hour, unavoidably compressing air heats up in a process called ablation to indicates will be quickly incorporated
ahead of the heat shield surface that prevent the transfer of extreme tem- into the design of the next spacecraft
reached 4,000 F because of the high peratures to the crew module. It is also because the next spacecraft explora-
speed. Once it entered the earth’s at- covered with a silver reflective tape tion is slated to go into beyond-lunar
mosphere, a set of specially created that protects the material from the ex- orbit on a much longer duration 20-
parachutes deployed, slowing Orion treme cold temperatures of space. day mission.” mt
down to 20 miles per hour before it Once it launched, the team began
splashed down into the Pacific Ocean. tracking 10 of the top-16 safety risks Craig Technologies Founder/CEO Carol Craig believes
in a people-first culture and has grown Craig Technologies
EFT-1 will determine whether the Ori- associated with deep space travel mis- to be a manufacturing service provider of choice to avia-
tion and aerospace customers such as Lockheed Martin
on can withstand such a mission. sions. Sensors and electronic systems and Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Space Systems. The
“We’ve designed a heat shield that is provided information on the environ- company offers a unique multi-disciplinary capability of
integrating manufacturing, design, and innovation at their
16.5 feet in diameter and is the largest ment inside and surrounding Orion 161,000 sf facility in Cape Canaveral, FL. Craig Technologies
one ever built,” Johns says. “When it’s and how the spacecraft both influenc- makes their customers’ problems their own and shares the
risk to find value-added solutions.
coming back at 20,000 miles per hour, es and reacts to that environment.

GE Aviation / www.ge.com/aviation / 2013 revenues: $22 billion / Headquarters: Cincinnati, Ohio / Employees: 40,000 / Specialty: Com-
mercial and military aircraft engines / Mike Meguair, plant manager: “Our employees have a will to win and be successful at what they do.”
Soaring Forward
ge aviation’s investments in facilities and technology
will solidify its strong position. by jim harris
north carolina gov. pat mc-

crory addresses attendees
of the grand opening of ge
aviation’s new facility.
One of the world’s leading pro- plants manufacture engine compo- “GE has been developing this
viders of jet engines and integrated nents, and final engine assembly is technology for many years, but this
systems for commercial and mili- performed in Durham. is the first time we’ve been able to
tary aircraft continues to make sig- One large part of the company’s put it into production on any of our
nificant investments in its future. investment came to fruition in Oc- engine platforms,” he adds.
GE Aviation, an operating unit tober, when the company opened Made of silicon carbide ceramic
of General Electric Co., is commit- the doors to a new facility adja- fibers and ceramic resin, CMCs are
ting $195 million in its four man- cent to its Asheville plant. The new manufactured through a highly so-
ufacturing facilities in North Car- 170,000-square-foot facility is the phisticated, proprietary process.
olina through 2017. The company first in the world to mass produce The material enables engine com-
employs 1,300 people in sites in engine components made of ad- ponents to be lighter, more durable
Durham, West Jefferson, Wilming- vanced ceramic matrix composite and able to withstand higher tem-
ton and Asheville. The West Jef- (CMC) materials, Plant Manager peratures than typical super alloys,
ferson, Wilmington and Asheville Michael Meguair notes. Meguair says.

The new material will be used to produce a high-pres-

sure turbine shroud, an engine component that directs
exhaust gases through turbines. The component will be
a part of the LEAP jet engine, developed by CFM, a joint
venture between GE Aviation and French aircraft and
engine manufacturer SAFRAN. The LEAP engine will be
used starting in 2016 on next-generation aircraft includ-
ing the new Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX. The
joint venture has already received orders for more than
8,000 LEAP engines; each engine will include 18 CMC
turbine shrouds.
Meguair credits the facility’s distinction as the first GE
Aviation site to produce CMC parts to the workforce in
Asheville. “Our strongest attribute here in Asheville, and
the reason we were selected to house this technology, is
the talent of our employee base,” he says. “We have an
overall culture of innovation and change, and our employ-
ees have a will to win and be successful at what they do.”
The Asheville plant employs 290 people; that number
is expected to increase to more than 340 people within
the next five years. Operations at the plant, which today
include machining rotating parts including shafts, seals
and blade retainers, will gradually transition entirely to
the production of CMC components in the next several
years, GE Aviation notes.
Local Partnerships
GE Aviation worked closely with the North Carolina De-
partment of Commerce to secure the new Asheville loca-
tion. The company also worked with the state and sever-
al local municipalities and agencies to provide technical
support and incentives related to investments in all four
of its manufacturing sites in the state. One of these part-
nerships was with the Asheville-Buncombe Technical
Community College, which assisted in training on the
new equipment, GE Aviation says.
GE Aviation also invested in improvements to its
three other facilities in North Carolina. This includes
increasing the capacity and investing in new equipment
at the Durham facility for engine assembly. The compa-
ny also intends to expand its West Jefferson and Wilm-
ington facilities.
The West Jefferson facility, which houses machining
of rotating parts, is in line for an 80,000-square-foot
expansion anticipated to open before 2017. At Wilming-
ton, where the company manufactures medium- to large-
sized rotating parts, investments will include the pur-
chase of new plant equipment.

Worldwide Commitment
GE Aviation this year also broke ground on a significant
investment in its U.S. manufacturing operations outside
of North Carolina. The company within the next few years
will open a $100 million jet engine assembly facility in La-
fayette, Ind. The facility will be GE Aviation’s seventh new
facility in the past seven years, joining the Asheville facility
as well as sites in Batesville, Miss.; Auburn, Ala.; Greenville,
S.C.; Dayton, Ohio; and Ellisville, Miss.
The 225,000-square-foot facility will assemble the
new LEAP engine. Within five years, the plant’s work-
force is expected to exceed 200 people performing fi-
nal engine assembly for the engine as well as producing
components including compressors, combustors and
high-pressure turbines.
“We are thrilled by the airline industry’s enthusiasm
for the new LEAP engine and its groundbreaking tech-
nologies,” GE Aviation President and CEO David Joyce
said in a statement. “Beginning in 2015, the LEAP engine
will experience a dramatic production ramp-up for the
remainder of the decade. We are grateful to the entire
Indiana team for ensuring that our Lafayette assembly
plant will be soon up and running.”
The plant will be minutes from Purdue University in
West Lafayette, which has a long history of collaboration
with GE Aviation and its parent, GE. GE employs more
than 1,200 Purdue University alumni, including more
than 400 at GE Aviation. Over the past five years, GE has
financed more than $2.5 million in research and develop-
ment projects at Purdue, the company says.
The investments in North Carolina and Indiana repre-
sent a portion of the company’s worldwide commitment
to growth. The company expects to invest more than $3.5
billion in plants and equipment worldwide between 2013
and 2017, with most of that investment in the United
States. “This long tradition of commitment to new tech-
nology has helped GE maintain its leadership position
within the industry with a proud list of firsts in both mil-
itary and commercial jet propulsion, tracing back to 1942
with America’s first jet engine,” the company says. mt
Graphel Carbon Products With deep roots in southwest Ohio, the North-
east and upper Midwest regions of the U.S., Graphel Carbon Products has been a
strategic partner of GE Aviation and the aerospace industry since 1965. Celebrating
50 years of providing graphite parts-to-print to the aerospace industry, Graphel
Carbon Products has earned ISO9001, AS9100, NADCAP and ITARS certifications/
registrations, insuring compliance with the industry’s highest standards. Graphel
Carbon Products provides value through accurate, on-time precision manufactur-
ing as well as collaborative design and tooling services, creating a partnership of
performance with GE Aviation and beyond.

SPECIAL SECTION AHR Show
34. PoolPak International LLC

40. 52. 54. 38. NovelAire Technologies
40. Spence Engineering Co. Inc.
42. Midwest Metal Products
45. Modine Manufacturing
52. Desert Aire
54. MKT Metal Manufacturing
56. The Hillman Group
58. ClimateCraft Inc.

AHR Show SPECIAL SECTION
‘EXCELLENT’
PROSPECTS
the hvacr sector of the manufacturing industry is looking forward
to a steadily improving economy and is excited to show everything
new the market has to offer at the ahr expo.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
As the HVACR industry gears up to hit Chicago from Jan. 26 to 28

for the 2015 AHR Expo, a recent survey shows there is growing optimism
for improving economic prospects this year. In December, the ASHRAE
Journal and AHR Expo released a survey showing 87 percent of the re-
spondents said their prospects for business were either “excellent” or
“good” for the coming year.
Along those same lines, 96 percent of HVACR manufac- while the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Insti-
turers believe 2015 sales will continue to increase, with 47 tute of Canada is an honorary sponsor.
percent expecting sales increases of 5 to 10 percent. Twenty More than 40,000 HVACR professionals are expected to
nine percent of the respondents forecast sales increases of attend the 2015 AHR Expo. “As the world’s largest HVACR
more than 10 percent. exposition, there are always thousands of new product in-
“What is especially interesting about this year’s survey troductions and innovative solutions debuting at the AHR
is that manufacturers are seeing bigger increases in new Expo,” Stevens says.
construction, light commercial, heavy commercial and data “To accommodate the demand for exhibit space in Chica-
centers,” says Clay Stevens, president of International Ex- go, we’ve already had to expand the space layout,” he adds.
position Company, which produces and manages the AHR “Chicago is historically the site of our largest events, and it
Expo. “In the previous two years’ surveys, they were expect- is very encouraging that so many HVACR manufacturers and
ing more growth from retrofit/renovation and maintenance/ suppliers have reserved space. Coming off the record-break-
replacement areas.” ing attendance at the 2014 New York show, all signs, including
Additionally, 70 percent of respondents said they plan to in- economic indicators, are pointing to another great show.”
troduce new products at the 2015 AHR Expo, which is up 3 per- In addition to a possibly record-breaking number of attend-
cent from last year. Of these respondents, 53 percent said they ees and exhibitors, the 2015 show will have its largest-ever
plan to introduce products that improve energy efficiency. education program with more than 120 sessions of seminars,
These numbers predict a lively atmosphere for the AHR workshops, certification reviews and exams, and new product
Expo, which is endorsed by 35 of the leading HVACR indus- presentations. The leading associations, publications and or-
try associations. The expo is co-sponsored by ASHRAE and ganizations serving the HVACR market have created the in-
the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, dustry’s most comprehensive educational program. mt

PoolPak International LLC / www.poolpak.com / 2014 sales: $17 million / Headquarters: York, Pa. / Employees: 90 / Specialty: Dehumidifica-
tion systems (primary market: indoor pools) / Robert Paley, president: “We are No. 2 in marketshare [in the United States], but closing in on No. 1.”
poolpak specializes in
dehumidification systems
used mainly in indoor pool
applications.
Hit a Home Run markets, in particular the Far East,

Middle East and South America,”
he says.
poolpak aims to grow its success with its mpk Approximately 12 to 15 percent of
series of dehumidifiers. by alan dorich PoolPak’s sales are international.
“We also are party to a joint ven-
ture in China that manufactures
The dehumidification business Based in York, Pa., PoolPak is our units there for distribution to
can be a complex one, with the con- a manufacturer of dehumidifica- domestic Chinese markets,” Paley
stant entry of new innovations and tion systems that are primarily adds. “Our future strategy would
customers that need high levels of for indoor pool applications. The be to expand the manufacturing of
customization. But PoolPak Inter- company was once a part of York units in China to penetrate other
national LLC copes with it all, Pres- International, until a group of its Far East markets.”
ident Robert Paley says. employees purchased it in 1986.
“We’re very good at doing that In 2002, Paley and a group of in- Achieving Success
[because] we’re flexible,” he says. vestors purchased the company PoolPak’s customer base consists
“We’re able to satisfy what the mar- and expanded PoolPak’s reach. Un- of recreation and fitness centers,
ket today is demanding with highly der Paley’s tenure, “We have put a colleges and high schools. “We also
customizable equipment that is rich large emphasis on international have a very, very strong presence
with features and energy efficient.” sales and penetrating international in the hotel hospitality markets, as

‘on the sales side, our independent sales reps refrigeration system, which has a heat
pump cycle that adds heat back to the
are the best in the business. a great product plus air and the pool water. “We don’t waste
great sales representation accounts for our suc- any of that energy,” Paley says.
cess in the marketplace.’ - Robert Paley The system also has a thermal coef-
ficient of performance of up to five, al-
lowing it to meet pool water set points
well as residential sales for larger in- machine performance is maximized and manage space humidity levels.
door residential pools,” Paley says. while incurring the lowest possible The system also is effective through-
The company has achieved leader- cost to the owner.” PoolPak also has a out the year, significantly reducing the
ship in the U.S. market, he adds. “There strong staff, which supports its opera- fuel usage for auxiliary heaters.
are many people that say they’re in the tions. “On the sales side, our indepen- Another feature is PoolPak’s Smart
industry, but we only consider three dent sales reps are the best in the busi- Economizer heating and dehumidifica-
main players that service the indus- ness,” he says. “A great product plus tion system, which uses outside air to
try,” he says. “We’re No. 2 but closing great sales representation accounts
Conn-Fab Sales, Inc. PoolPak has been a proven
in on No. 1.” for our success in the marketplace.” leader in the indoor pool dehumidification industry for 25
He credits PoolPak’s success to the years. Conn-Fab has been a proud PoolPak partner for the
past 15 years in supplying quality, custom-manufactured
quality of its dehumidifiers. “It’s a Saving Energy equipment supports for their equipment. From product
very, feature-rich product,” he says. PoolPak’s green focus can be seen design thru fabrication, Conn-Fab does it all! Visit our
website at www.connfab.com.
“It has a great control routine in that throughout its products, including its

Green Features
PoolPak International LLC’s dehumidification systems have multiple high-ef-
ficiency features, including wall condensate prevention. “In every pool envi-
ronment, there is one surface on which condensate will form before the other
surfaces,” the company says.
Usually, those surfaces are skylights, windows, doors, frames or north walls.
“The PoolPak controls monitor that surface temperature,” the company says.
“When that surface temperature drops to within a few degrees of the space
dew point, due to lowering outdoor temperatures, the PoolPak controls auto-
matically lower the room relative humidity and dew point,” it continues. “This
feature prevents condensation on the cold surface, unnecessary oversizing of
the dehumidifier and excessive compressor operation.”
Another feature is the quality construction of its products, which are built
to withstand corrosive environments. “High-performance coatings, copper
construction of critical parts and quality components ensures … [the] PoolPak
unit will operate long past industry standards,” it says. “Longer life reduces the the company’s new mpk series
of dehumidifiers features a
demand on natural resources and reduces the impact on disposal.” modular design and feature
smart technology.
heat and dehumidify over a range of outside air condi- The Economizer also runs without compressors, which
tions. According to the company, it uses simultaneous oper- saves a “tremendous amount of energy,” Paley says. “We
ation of heat recovery and standard economizer modes, and also have other types of dehumidification equipment
adds 15 to 20 percent energy savings over dehumidifiers. that operate without compressors.”
Staying Ahead
Last year, PoolPak introduced its MPK Series, a new
line of indoor pool dehumidifiers that features a mod-
ular design. Additionally, “We believe it to be state-
of-the-art,” Paley declares. “It encompasses all of the
leading-edge technologies.”
Available in sizes ranging from 30 to 90 tons, the MPK
Series features include Smart Air Management for au-
tomatic airflow monitoring and control, advanced con-
trols and system monitoring routines, and a Smart Pump
Control for pool water heating. “We believe it puts us
ahead of our competition in terms of features and value,”
he says.
PoolPak will promote the MPK Series at the 2015 AHR
Expo this January in Chicago. “We’ll have videos, inter-
active displays and people there to fully introduce and
exhibit the product,” Paley says.
Tracking Quality
Poolpak, as part of its formal quality program which is in-
tegral in its manufacturing, utilizes an incident tracking
system, Paley says. “It clearly documents all incidents,
whether internal or external to our operation,” he says.
“We then track the resolution of those incidents.”
These resolutions can involve changes in design, man-
ufacturing procedures or even a change in the vendor be-
ing used. So far, “It has shown a high level of success in

strong lean initiative here about 10 “We feel that we offer the premier de-
years ago and we’ve built on that,” he humidification solution for indoor
says. “We certainly agree and practice pools with [this] line,” he says. “We
lean in all major activities.” Lean con- offer an extremely high value type of
cepts can be seen throughout the com- equipment, with relatively low main-
pany’s ERP. tenance required.
“It’s a piece of equipment that’s go-
Going Big ing to last for many, many years,” he
Paley is proud of Poolpak and the says, noting that the MPK has gained
company’s growth. During his tenure, a lot of interest from customers. “We
“We’ve grown sales over 100 percent,” feel we’re really going to hit a home
Paley continues. “We’ve opened up run with it.”
many new markets, we’ve become pre- Poolpak also plans to expand its
mier suppliers to some major fitness presence in China, where the compa-
chains in the United States, and we ny is the leader of its market. “We’re
have an extremely strong sales rep net- building a factory over there that’s
terms of materially reducing our man- work that gets us in front of engineers going to be four times the size of the
ufacturing defects,” Paley says. all over the country.” current facility,” Paley continues.
The company also has implemented Paley is excited for the company’s “They’re going to do some big num-
lean manufacturing. “We had a very future, particularly with the MPK line. bers over there.” mt

NovelAire Technologies / www.novelaire.com / 2013 revenue: $10 million / Headquarters: Baton Rouge, La. / Employees: 65 / Specialty: Indoor
air quality solutions / Terry Parker, VP of manufacturing: “When people see our equipment, they say it’s quiet, it’s efficient and it’s built like a tank.”
novelaire technologies is
one of the world’s leading
providers of indoor air
quality solutions.
Top of the World Award in recognition of the compa-

ny’s forward-thinking designs in de-
humidifier technology.
novelaire technologies has reached new heights Parker says the company’s dedica-
through its focus on technology. by chris petersen tion to staying on the cutting-edge
of technology has been a major
component of its success, but that
With its products found in the have made NovelAire Technologies doesn’t mean the company sacrific-
world’s tallest building – the Burj a go-to source for manufacturers es the fundamentals. “When people
Khalifa in the United Arab Emir- across a broad segment of markets. see our equipment, they say it’s qui-
ates – as well as in the Hubble Space NovelAire Technologies’ prod- et, it’s efficient and it’s built like a
Telescope and the Space Shuttle, uct lines serve a variety of indoor tank,” Parker says.
NovelAire Technologies is at the top air quality needs for manufacturers
of its class in more ways than one. serving the residential, commer- Leading Technology
The Baton Rouge, La.-based compa- cial and industrial markets as well NovelAire Technologies’ product
ny is one of the leading providers of as OEMs in the automotive, power lines consist of three main catego-
indoor air quality solutions ranging generation and other industries. ries. The company’s dehumidifiers
from dehumidifiers to energy con- The company’s leadership in the are built for residential and com-
servation wheels to desiccant wheels. market is demonstrated by its in- mercial applications, as well as in
As VP of Manufacturing Terry Parker novative products, which helped customized specialty models for
explains, the company’s technology NovelAire Technologies earn the unique applications such as remedi-
leadership and dedication to quality 2009 Frost & Sullivan Leadership ation or moisture storage.

For dehumidification applications as part of a larger This is due in large part to the company’s relatively
system, NovelAire Technologies provides a series of des- small size, which Parker says gives it the ability to react
iccant wheels designed to dehumidify sensitive environ- quickly to customers’ requests and customize products
ments such as hospitals, supermarkets, clean rooms and easily without missing delivery dates. “We’re a small and
industrial sites where humidity needs to be controlled for nimble company,” Parker says.
corrosion protection, condensation control and/or mold The company’s technology edge also plays an import-
and mildew control. The company also manufactures en- ant role in the rapport NovelAire Technologies has with
ergy conservation wheels used in ventilation applications its customers. Through the use of 3-D modeling software
to reduce energy consumption. The company says that be- and the company’s strong information network, Nove-
cause HVAC systems are generally the systems that con- lAire Technologies is able to do everything related to
sume the most energy in a building, its energy conserva- design digitally, meaning it can share up-to-the-minute
tion wheels provide significant cost savings because they information about its products with its customers in real
can transfer latent and sensible heat between air streams time. “We’ve really tried to use information technology
without the need for a larger compressor, condenser or and software to our advantage,” Parker says.
other vapor compression cycle components. In the future, Parker says the company expects to grow
Developing the most effective and most advanced in the dehumidification niches it has chosen to serve.
technology on the market is a primary concern for Nove- He says the success NovelAire Technologies has experi-
lAire Technologies, and Parker says the company is seri- enced in the energy recovery wheel, desiccant wheel and
ous about making sure its products meet every custom- dehumidifier segments gives it confidence that the com-
er’s needs. The company is one of the few manufacturers pany will experience greater success in the future. mt
of air-to-air energy recovery wheels to have its prod-
ucts certified by the Air Conditioning, Heating and Re-
frigeration Institute. For its desiccant wheel products,
NovelAire Technologies developed an advanced, tem-
perature-resistant substrate that allows for significant
increases in moisture removal while keeping energy re-
quirements low, the company says. The company’s rec-
ognition by Frost & Sullivan in 2009 is further testament
to its technology leadership, according to Parker.
“By leveraging its background and expertise in desic-
cant technology, NovelAire has developed the Comfort-
Dry 400 and ComfortPlus 300 dehumidifiers,” Frost &
Sullivan said at the time of the presentation.
NovelAire also has developed the Novel-Ice product
lines, which allow application of its technology to de-
humidification applications in lower temperature spac-
es like ice rinks, curling rinks and refrigerated storage.
The company says the Novel-Ice units are more efficient
than current gas-fired dehumidifiers and are all electric.
Small and Nimble

Parker says NovelAire Technologies backs up its designs
with a manufacturing process that is capable of meet-
ing customers’ needs virtually every time. He says the
company’s production facility is characterized by a high
level of efficiency and responsiveness, with lead-times
of three to four weeks for wheel products that are well
below the industry average.

Spence Engineering Co. Inc. / www.spenceengineering.com / Employees: 55 (manufacturing) / Specialty: Steam pressure-reducing pi-
lot-operated regulators / Stephen Gross, site leader: “We like to say, ‘Reach for the mind before you reach for the wallet.’”
Steam
Heat
spence engineering co.
switched from a build-to-
stock to a custom order
system. by russ gager
Pressure-reducing regulators are
used in systems that circulate steam
or hot water in closed loops to pro-
vide heat. In 1925, Paulsen Spence
designed the first normally closed,
pilot-operated, diaphragm-actuated
pressure regulator and called it the
Spence Type ED. Now a business
unit of Circor, Spence Engineering
Co. Inc. carries forward the found-
er’s reputation for products man-
ufactured with high reliability and
great longevity.
“We have products that have been
reliably running for 40 years with-
out rebuilding,” Site Leader Ste-
phen Gross declares. He attributes
that longevity to the products’ ro-
bust yet simple designs and the re-
peatability of the company’s manu-
facturing processes.
spence engineering’s major product
Spence Engineering Co. designs applications are in district heating
systems that distribute steam to
and manufactures steam regulation buildings in a central location.
equipment, custom steam specialty
products and fluid control devic- on the steam side,” Gross says. “The loops. It’s going to be cheaper than
es. The company’s major product technology is shifting on the indi- buying your very own expensive
applications are in district heating vidual heating side to go toward hot boiler and running it.”
systems that distribute steam to water for self-reliant control with- Steam also is used for many in-
buildings in a central location, such in apartment buildings. Hot water dustrial processes that require high
as a city’s downtown or a hospital, heating is gaining traction because heat quickly. Although steam sys-
university or military installation. condensing hot water boilers can tems operate at higher pressures
Its products also are used in indus- have very high efficiencies, nearly than hot water ones, many of Spence
trial processes for products such as 98 percent, but steam systems that Engineering’s products also can be
textiles or plastics and are sold to are designed well can be very effi- used for hot water heating, and the
boiler manufacturers for inclusion cient and cheaper in total cost of company is developing new hot wa-
on their products. ownership. This is especially true in ter products to meet the demands of
“Our products are primarily used municipalities with district steam the market.

The majority of Spence Engineering’s products are

manufactured from cast iron or steel in the company’s
approximately 68,000-square-foot plant at its headquar-
ters in Walden, N.Y. Many parts are machined on mills,
lathes or specialized drills. Bar stock is used for internal
parts key to the operation of the devices, and processes
for some parts include solder-welding or brazing.
Production of some parts is fully automated running
on state-of-the-art CNC work centers, while other parts
may be produced in lower quantities on manual machines
up to 60 years old. Assembly typically is manual but uses
jigs and fixtures to optimize set-up and cycle time as
much as possible. Products are distributed primarily in
North and South America.
Stock to Custom
Although it might seem counterintuitive, Spence Engi-
neering Co. reduced its lead-times approximately three
years ago by switching from a build-to-stock system to
filling custom orders as they arrive. “We went from being
driven by management resource planning and forecasting
and what we think demand is to really shortening our lead-
time from 20 to 30 days down to 10 days on 80 percent of
our revenue and being able to individually have specific
customer orders flow through the factory,” Gross says.
“We like to focus our efforts on eliminating non-val-
ue-added work,” Gross says. “If we constantly refine
our processes to spend more of our time on value-added
work and less of it on non-value-added work, it’s going to
lower our overall cost, increase our efficiency, improve
on-time delivery and therefore satisfy our customers.”
The reduction of inventory aids in this process. “Inven-
tory hides all sins,” Gross quips. “As you start reducing
inventory, you start understanding where the critical pro-
cesses are within your production system that need fixing.”
If one workcell is slowing an entire production pro-
cess, employees and managers dedicate resources to
remove obstacles to its efficient operation. This might
mean working smarter, eliminating duplication, improv-
ing procedures or increasing manpower or equipment,
sometimes over the course of an entire year. “You elimi-
nate these obstacles and go from 30 days to 10 days lead-
time with less inventory,” Gross says.
The company’s team attitude contributes to its suc-
cess. “We come here for more than just to earn a pay-
check,” Gross concludes. “You come here to have your
voice heard. It’s much more than just punching a clock
– it’s being a part of something.” mt

Midwest Metal Products / www.anglerings.com / HQ: Michigan City, Ind. / Employees: Approximately 50 / Geoff Wendt, president:
“If you don’t have people who believe in the business, then you really don’t have anything.”
King of the Rings

midwest metal products says it brings its clients the
perfect blend of service and technology. by alan dorich
midwest metal products

recently added 27,500
square feet of space to its
main manufacturing facility.
Many firms manufacture angle west Metal Products manufactures Metal Products to put those ideas
rings, but Midwest Metal Products rolled angle rings and structural to fruition. Today, Midwest Metal
sets itself apart by making itself shapes for clients that range from Products manufactures hundreds
invaluable to its clients, President HVAC and mechanical contractors of thousands of angle rings annually
Geoff Wendt says. “You have to fig- to major technology corporations. for contractors that serve such cli-
ure out how to make business so Wendt’s father, Bill Wendt, started ents as Intel Corp. and Texas Instru-
nice [that] they don’t want to go the company in 1982. ments Inc.
anywhere else,” he says. Previously, Wendt was part of a Midwest Metal Products has a
The company earns client loyalty family company that made structur- stock product line of angle rings that
by making sure it provides friendli- al rings. “He had a lot of ideas on how range from three to 72 inches. Aside
er, faster service than its competi- to make them better, but because he from its own stock specs, the com-
tors, Wendt says. “Once people get a didn’t have full control of the busi- pany emulates all other stock specs
taste for that, they stick with you,” ness, he wasn’t able to implement of its competitors. “If you want to
he says. them,” Geoff Wendt explains. get the ‘Midwest experience,’ but
Based in Michigan City, Ind., Mid- Bill Wendt then founded Midwest stick with a different competitor’s

spec, we can accommodate for that,” Trinity of Sales

Geoff Wendt says. “This is particu- Midwest Metal Products offers its
larly important when doing work on clients what Wendt calls “the trinity
an existing system where it’s import- of sales” – quality, service and price.
ant that the flanges stay the same for “I can say that we offer all three of
maintenance reasons. those without question,” he says.
“For the most part, those stock Although Midwest Metal Products
angle rings are used as flanges for in- is a low-cost manufacturer, “We ser-
dustrial ductwork,” Wendt says, not- vice the customer better and we do
ing that the remainder of its business things in the quality department that
consists of custom work. no other ring manufacturer does,”
he says. For instance, the company
The Family Business electronically measures each ring
Wendt has a long history with Mid- with custom built, in line coordinate
west Metal Products. After growing measuring machines during the man-
up in the business, he pursued a ca- ufacturing process, before they are
reer in Chicago’s restaurant indus- shipped out.
try. “I came back in February of 2002, During this process, Midwest Metal
[when] my dad was getting closer to Products makes a record of the mea-
retirement,” he recalls. surements in its database. That way,
At the time, many were interested if a customer has a problem with the
in buying Midwest Metal Products. size, “I can call up the information,”
“When I caught wind that my dad might Wendt says. “We have very little qual-
seriously consider exiting, it only made ity control issues because of that.”
sense for me to come on back to the Midwest Metal Products measures
family business,” Wendt says. its rings with coordinate measuring
He credits the company’s success to machines that the company builds
its employees. “They all know how we itself, with “a core group of people
want to be portrayed in the message who have been with the business for
that we send to our clients and pro- a long time,” Wendt says. “[We] are
spective customers,” he says. “You very good at thinking up ideas on
can have all the fancy machines you how to make things more efficient,
could ever buy, but if you don’t have how to make a better ring [and] basi-
people who believe in the business, cally better ways to make sure we’re
then you really don’t have anything.” staying ahead of the curve.”
Midwest Metal Products’ work is The company also invests in reg-
“a perfect melding of technology and ular maintenance of the machines,
human touch,” Wendt says. “Our ser- he adds. “I don’t think there’s a sin-
vice people are fantastic, very friend- gle machine in our shop that isn’t
ly and prompt.” changed a couple times a year,” he
He asserts that when customers says. ”Whether it’s changed by re-
call the company, they always deal placing hydraulic motors with servo
with a live person and not voice mail. drives, updating controls to the lat-
“You can get them any time on the est and greatest, etc.”
phone, but they have tools in both
the office and the shop to do their job Making New Space
better than anyone else in the indus- Midwest Metal Products recently
try,” Wendt says. added 27,500 square feet to its fa-

midwest metals relies on the

convenience of automated
vending systems from
quality mill supply.
cility in Michigan City, which was long overdue, Wendt

says. “We’ve been getting more and more cramped over
the past couple years due to our growth,” he explains.
Midwest Metal Products applied “an immediate Band-
Aid” by adding more space with two more dock doors.
“Now that we’ve added on to our building, we’ve added
four more dock doors on the old side of the building for a
total of 10 shipping docks,” Wendt says.
Now that the extension is completed, “I want to start
perfecting the systems we have in place and apply those
to larger structural profiles,” he says.
The company still plans to be a ring manufacturer, but
“the material we’re going to make the rings from is going
to be heavier,” he says, noting that he has new ideas on
how to add value. “[They] will be unique.”
Branching Out
Next year, Midwest Metal Products will appear at the
AHR Expo in Chicago. “We’ve been displaying [there] for
about 10 years now,” Wendt says. “It’s always nice for us
when it comes back to Chicago.”
He looks forward to meeting his current customers
and new people at the show. “If I see some sort of new
product on the floor or some exhibitor I haven’t met be-
fore, it’s always time [to offer our services],” he says.
Wendt predicts continued growth for Midwest Metal
Products with its staff, which consists of “some long-
term employees who have been here 15 to 25 years,” he
says. “I have a lot of fresh people in the shop and office,
as well.”
He expects the company to branch into new markets,
including building components, architectural details
pressure vessels and tanks. “The applications on the cus-
tom side of things are almost limitless,” Wendt says. mt

www.modine.com / HQ: Racine, Wis. / Global employees: 7,000 / Specialty: Thermal manage-
ment / Thomas Burke, CEO and president: “One of the things that makes us strong is our depth.”
Keeping
its Cool
modine emerged from
the recession as a
stronger company
by streamlining its
efforts. by jim harris
During his six years at the helm
of Modine, Thomas Burke has guid-
ed the company through extremely
challenging and, in the past few years,
encouraging times. His proudest
achievements, however, go beyond
leading the company out of very low
spots during the 2008-09 recession,
introducing new products or entering
new global markets.
“I feel a sense of confidence when I
see a team focused on our principles
come together,” he says. “I’m always
pleased with the new products we
introduce and with our ongoing re-
search, but when our team comes to- modine ceo and president
thomas burke has guided the
gether, it provides the company with company through difficult
times since 2008.
a prevailing focus that we can benefit
from all the time.” used in light-, medium- and heavy-du- Modine’s customers also look to it
Burke, a former executive with Ford ty vehicles as well as in heating, venti- to provide high-quality, state-of-the-
Motor Company and Visteon – a parts lation and air conditioning equipment, art solutions at a competitive price.
supply company spun off from Ford in off-highway and industrial equipment “The business-to-business world in
2000 – joined Modine in 2005 and has and refrigeration systems. the vehicular sector, whether auto-
served as its CEO and president since “What we do best is address dif- motive, truck or off-highway, is a very
2008. At his previous companies, ficult heat transfer conditions and competitive one,” Burke says. “Our
Burke gained familiarity with Mo- problems and bring solutions to our customers depend on many different
dine’s thermal management products customers that have a very challeng- suppliers to provide products that
from purchasing its parts and licensing application in the markets we meet their technical needs. They’re
ing its technology for Ford vehicles. serve,” Burke says, citing small spaces looking for proven field performance,
Founded in 1916, Modine manufac- with significant amounts of heat gen- proven delivery and ongoing cus-
tures heat exchange components such eration as an example. The compa- tomer support and expect us to bring
as radiators, condensers and oil cool- ny works directly with its customers them the latest technology.”
ers as well as a highly respected line of to understand their needs and then, The company’s manufacturing
building HVAC final products includ- whenever possible, uses its exist- capabilities include stamping, fab-
ing unit heaters, rooftop ventilation ing product platforms as “building rication, forming, assembling and
units and chillers. Its products are blocks” to provide solutions. braising. “We are fully vertical-

modine’s customers look to

ly integrated in the manufactur- it to provide high-quality
thermal solutions at a
ing processes on our core products,” competitive price.
Burke says.
Modine purchases more than $140
million worth of aluminum for its prod-
ucts each year. Other materials used in
the company’s components include cop-
per and stainless steel.
Survival Planning
Burke first mobilized his executive
staff and manufacturing team shortly
after taking his leadership position in
2008, when the company faced a sig-
nificant challenge as a result of a drop
in sales and stock price resulting from from the recession as a stronger, more volved rationalizing Modine’s portfolio
the global recession. focused company. and focusing its efforts on the market
The company formed a “war room,” A four-step plan for the company segments in which the company had
and gave its executives the task of creat- emerged from its strategic planning the greatest competitive edge. “We had
ing a plan that would allow it to emerge sessions. The first step of the plan in- a large product line,” Burke says. “We

‘what we do best is ad- involved reducing $80 million in ex- Goals for Growth
penses and operating costs. This includ- With its operations back on more solid
dress difficult heat ed staff and service cuts, including the financial ground, the company last year
transfer problems and sale of a company airplane. established a new set of four priorities
bring solutions to our After setting its product and staff that it calls “enduring goals.” These are:
customers.’ - Thomas Burke priorities, the company entered the fi- > Reaching a 10 percent compounded
nal phase of the plan: capital allocation annual growth rate;
wanted to see which of our products discipline. This included reducing its > Achieving a 15 percent return on av-
were the strongest, best performing and capital expenditure budget from $100 erage capital employed;
most valued in their markets.” million to $60 million while reducing its
Once that was complete, the compa- debt. “We now find ourselves in a much Assurance Operations Corporation is a full ser-
ny entered the second phase of its plan, stronger position from a balance sheet vice engineering and manufacturing solutions company.
AOC specializes in the design, development, testing, pro-
which involved realigning its manu- perspective,” Burke says. gram management, and production of custom industrial
steel packaging and material handling, metal fabrication,
facturing efforts around its new prod- Modine executives regularly commu- and stamping applications. AOC is equipped with the
uct portfolio. At the time, the Racine, nicated with employees throughout the necessary tools, manpower, and experience to provide top
quality and delivery at competitive prices to customers in a
Wis.-headquartered company operat- plan’s execution. This included week- wide variety of industries.
ed 42 manufacturing facilities; today, ly business meetings, weekly updates Modine has relied on AOC’s team of experienced OEM
design, engineering and manufacturing professionals for
Modine operates 27 manufacturing fa- to the company’s board of directors, a over a decade. AOC is proud to be a partner with a leading
cilities around the world, Burke notes. monthly CEO newsletter and quarterly company like Modine, continually developing new and
improved products in the thermal management industry.
The third phase of the four-point plan meetings with employees.

> Building a balanced and diverse and plants, the better off we’ll be in ring pattern, which guides and teaches
business model; and the future from a competitive stand- the improvement pattern.
> Becoming the fastest-improving point,” Burke says. “One of the things that makes us
company in its industry. The company’s internal improvement strong is our depth,” Burke says. “We
discipline, known as the Modine Oper- have the most knowledgeable people
The company’s diversification strate- ating System (MOS), improves both ad- in the world, who develop heat trans-
gy allows it to continue to grow in cer- ministrative functions and manufactur- fer products and processes. We want
tain sectors when others are not seeing ing operations, providing a framework to make sure we provide opportunities
growth, Burke notes. “Right now, the for the use of lean practice and other and an environment that allows us to
off-highway segment is down globally, improvement tools. recruit and retain people who share in
but we’re benefiting from strong truck Built on five long-standing global that focus.”
and automotive markets, which is off- commitments and structured to help
setting that loss,” he adds. achieve the enduring goals, Burke says Global Casting Partners has enjoyed a 15 year part-
nership with Modine Manufacturing. We are the recipient
MOS brings together improvement of the 2012 Global Export Supplier of the Year Award. We
Internal Improvement principles and leadership behaviors to have grown from providing service parts support to sup-
plying production castings for major programs including
Modine’s focus on continuous im- engage and guide Modine team mem- Navistar, Volvo, Peterbilt, International, Daimler Benz as
provement in its manufacturing and bers in the use of three key concepts: the well as castings for many off-road applications. DENSO is
our most recent program for the Dodge 1500 diesel engine
administrative processes is helping improvement pattern; target process CAC tanks. We launched this program in 8 weeks from
it meet its fourth enduring goal. “The conditions, or the ways the company tooling to full production. Modine has helped us grow into
a global source for quality aluminum castings.
faster we can improve our processes wants a process to work; and the mento-

International Growth China serving multinational custom-

Modine is looking to new locations and ers in the off-highway market.”
markets to achieve its goal of annual Founded in 1964, JAC produces a
growth. In October, the company se- wide range of light-, medium-, and
cured a contract with Chinese commer- heavy-duty vehicles for sale in China
cial vehicle manufacturer China Anhui and around the globe.
Jianghuai Automobile Co. Ltd. (JAC) to The contract will allow the company
produce cooling modules. Production to expand its presence in Asia, where
is anticipated to begin in 2016. it operates five manufacturing facili-
“Modine is one of the most trust- ties in India, Korea and China. “That
ed heat transfer names in the global region is our least developed in terms
commercial vehicle market and we of tenure and size,” Burke says. “We’re
are very honored to be able to support continuing to grow there, and expect
JAC, one of China’s premier domestic that the economic growth in China and
truck manufacturers,” Scott Bowser, India will help us.”
Modine’s Vice President – Asia, said The JAC contract closely follows an-
in a statement. “This is the first ma- other significant international growth
jor award resulting from our strategy opportunity. In February, Modine’s U.K.
to diversify Modine Asia’s business, subsidiary, Airedale International Air
which established its reputation in Conditioning Ltd., acquired Barkell,
modine tests all of the

components and machines
that it manufactures.
modine’s products include

a custom air-handling unit manufacturer in northern En- hvac units used in
commercial buildings.
gland. The acquisition added air-handling products to Aire-
dale’s existing HVAC offerings. “This allowed us to strengthen
our portfolio and broaden the markets we serve,” Burke says,
noting that the company’s U.K. business is focused primarily
on data center cooling. “Because of this acquisition, we can
provide a more complete system to our customers.”
Modine continues to seek acquisition and partnership op-
portunities both overseas as well as in North America. This
includes potential expansion into markets adjacent to those
it currently serves, such as power generation, Burke adds.
Community Enhancement
Modine’s internal philosophy of continuous improvement
extends beyond its manufacturing facilities. “We’re always
helping to improve the conditions and environments of the
areas where we live and work,” Burke says.
Many of the company’s employees are involved in com-
munity activities, including volunteering in schools or
homeless shelters. On a corporate level, the company sup-
ports the community through the Modine Manufacturing

Company Foundation, which it established in 1995.
“The mission of the foundation is to aid in the develop-
ment of strong, vibrant communities,” the company says.
“Through direct grants, the foundation creatively and
thoughtfully acts as a champion for the communities in
which Modine operates.”
The foundation focuses on four areas:
> Education, including university science and technology
training programs as well as elementary, middle school
and high school programs designed to help students de-
velop and maintain an interest in math, science, tech-
nology and business;
> Arts and culture, including supporting museums, or-
chestras, theaters and ballets, as well as the sponsor-
ship of concerts;
> Civic and community programs; and
> Health and human services, including programs that
promote wellness or enhance quality of life.
“The foundation engages in grant making that reflects
the basic tenets, beliefs and philosophies of Modine compa-
nies, which are characterized by our global commitments
of applied innovation, global competitiveness, financial
integrity, responsible relationships and corporate citizen-
ship,” the company says. mt

Desert Aire / www.desert-aire.com / Headquarters: Germantown, Wis. / Employees: 85 / Specialty: Indoor swimming pool dehumidifiers and
dedicated outside air systems (DOAS) / Keith Coursin, president: “The manufacturing staff has the latest in correct drawings at their instant disposal.”
a hybrid of the assembly line

and manufacturing cells helps
desert aire maintain low lead-
times for its custom products.
Paperless Plans standard series and a multiple series

of products, depending on the type of
application. Our sales reps can use the
desert aire has thousands of humidifier designs in software to configure the solution for
its database that it can customize. by russ gager the customer. We have nothing in in-
ventory – no wholesale stock. Every-
thing that leaves the building has been
As concerns about indoor air qual- midification products and dedicated configured for a customer’s needs.”
ity and black mold have increased outside air systems work in conjunc- Those plans are highly detailed.
over the years, the desire for dehu- tion with commercial HVAC equip- “We have our manufacturing and
midification has created additional ment. The bulk of the company’s our design operations basically send
markets for Desert Aire. Founded products are sold in North America, out a configurable bill of materials
in 1978 to dehumidify rooms with but they also are exported to the Mid- with the appropriate instructions
indoor swimming pools, the compa- dle East and Asia, where Desert Aire on how to put those items together,”
ny’s equipment is now specified for President Keith Coursin sees op- Coursin explains.
indoor ice rinks, water and wastewa- portunities for future growth. Only Doing this requires a high de-
ter treatment plants, office buildings, small indoor pool dehumidifiers are gree of knowledge about dehumid-
schools and universities. designed for single-family homes, ification equipment. “We do a lot
Desert Aire’s swimming pool sys- with the majority being designed for of training for the manufacturing
tems not only dehumidify the air, but the commercial marketplace. force so they understand what the
also heat or cool it so no other HVAC “Our product line is configured base rules of refrigeration design
system is required. Its other dehu- to order,” Coursin notes. “There is a would be and then provide instruc-

tion tools for them to be able to configure these prod- production line. “Normally, it happens as a new product
ucts as they come down the line,” Coursin says. “We’re comes out,” Coursin explains. “We continue to tweak
unique in that the wide range of sizes and units rolling its design and take cells offline on a continuous basis as
down the line one after each other is quite diverse. So we we see opportunities to optimize the manufacturing. A
had to figure out how to configure the flow of work. complete cell or a complete line would get a major over-
“You have units that are large and need access to reach haul. That happened two years ago when we stripped the
the upper portions of them, and units that are small that line down, rebuilt and reconfigured it for the workflow
you need to have a work platform so that they can be el- of a new product. It was a modification of a dedicated
evated so they’re at the appropriate ergonomic level,” outside air unit, where we’re designing it for some cost
Coursin continues. “They’re not run down traditional reductions and reducing the price to the field.”
roller lines or anything else. We had to come up with a Coursin attributes the company’s success to its sole
mobile carts and wheels system to maneuver the units focus: dehumidification. “It’s what we want to be known
down the shop floor.” for,” he says. “It’s what we provide the design and assis-
tance to the industry on. That – coupled with a focus on
Touch-Screen Manufacturing energy-saving design – keeps us at the forefront of the
Using this type of manufacturing requires everyone to industry. Our focus on this art is what we want to contin-
work on the same page, and with Desert Aire’s touch ue to develop and be noted for. So the new products and
screens throughout the manufacturing plant, they are. new designs – along with solving problems that are out
“The manufacturing staff has the latest in correct draw- there with more energy efficiency – we think will sustain
ings at their instant disposal,” Coursin points out. our position in the marketplace for the long term.” mt
Desert Aire is in its fourth year of rolling the touch
screens out throughout the plant to replace paper plans.
“They started in one of those offline subassembly cells
that supply multiple product lines in the plant,” Coursin
notes. “By integrating it there, we were able to see an im-
pact across all the manufacturing lines.”
The company uses a hybrid of the assembly line and
manufacturing cells in its 100,000-square-foot plant in
Germantown, Wis. Lead-times for many of the company’s
products are from four to 12 weeks.
“We are an assembly operation where we work with
our key suppliers in the industry to do the major com-
ponents,” Coursin says. “The coils, the compressors and
the sheet metal are all done externally to our operation.
So we have a very organized supply chain.” Besides as-
sembly, the company also uses brazing to weld copper
components together.
Desert Aire’s products are designed using 3-D model-
ing software so its vendors all have the exact specifica-
tions for each component. “The software has reduced
the design time and enabled us to catch all the misalign-
ments faster,” Coursin says. “So we’re able to go through
the design process to shipping product at a much faster
rate than we ever have in the past.”
Rebuilt Line
When Desert Aire introduces new products to the mar-
ket, it sometimes takes that opportunity to optimize its

MKT Metal Manufacturing / www.mktduct.com / HQ: York, Pa. / Employees: 65+ / Specialty: Commercial and industrial HVAC sheet metal
duct manufacture and accessories / Ken Brown, president and CEO: “Our manpower is our No. 1 asset.”
Duct Done Right

mkt metal manufacturing specializes in providing sheet metal duct,
hvac products and services to contractors. by jeff borgardt
mkt metal manufacturing has

been supplying customers
with sheet metal ductwork
since 2004.
MKT Metal Manufacturing is a because of the work ethic of the la- That’s the way the industry seems
pure OEM, located in York, Pa. Pri- bor [here].” In fact, York is a major to be morphing away from contrac-
marily, it caters to the construction manufacturing region in the nation. tor-based manufacturing. To a de-
industry as a direct supplier to me- MKT was established in 2004 by gree, that is “inviting the fox into
chanical and sheet metal contrac- partners Ken Brown, Mike Sunday, the hen house.” We have risen up
tors, most located within a 250-mile Troy Rentzel, and Frank Kottcamp. as a pure manufacture which is not
radius of its facility. Since then, Kottcamp has retired. threat to contractors.”
Customer demand requires MKT Three of the partners were em- In the past decade, MKT has
to run two shifts in its rectangular ployed by a prominent mechanical achieved rapid growth of its pro-
and spiral shops. “Our manpower contractor prior to establishing duction capabilities. In 2009, MKT
is our No. 1 asset,” Ken, President MKT. “We had the idea we could started its spiral shop. All spiral
and CEO explains. break off and become a true OEM,” production and inventories is man-
“Our success is because of our Brown recalls. “Rather than a poten- aged in a 10,000-square-foot facility
workforce,” he adds. “York, Pa., is a tial competitor [to our clients], we separate from its 15,000-square-
great place for manufacturing. It is are an actual supplier. foot rectangle shop. In 2010, air fil-

tration systems were added to the welding stations and advantage of the speed, economics, and consistency
plasma tables to ensure cleaner air for their employees. of MKT’s factory automation.
Last year, MKT purchased a new 56,000-square-foot fa- > Original Equipment Manufacture – As an OEM,
cility that houses all operations in the same building. The MKT is able to cut out the middle man to save com-
new facility has helped MKT increase production and panies more money.
provided the ability to better satisfy growing demand.
Brown says business conditions are great in the York New Markets
area. Plus, “We have no boundaries,” he adds. “We have MKT is expanding beyond its traditional HVAC industry,
shipped across the country and overseas to Dubai and Af- “The company is in a great position to enter new mar-
ghanistan.” MKT has also provided duct to contractors kets because we have become more efficient, digitized,
such as URS Corp. who serve the U.S. Department of De- and software-driven.” Brown explains. “We are now
fense and other state and federal agencies. moving into specialty metals,” Brown says. This new in-
The MKT team knows in order to satisfy the custom- volvement includes providing parts for pharmaceutical,
er, it must understand the industry. “We operate in pure institutional, food processing and other manufacturing
chaos,” Brown jokes. “We design and build our produc- sectors. MKT is capable of manufacturing products such
tion schedule based on factors in the industry such as as lab tables, exhaust hoods and stainless steel panels.
construction schedules and weather.” Brown explains, in “People are surprised at the sophistication of MKT’s op-
many other manufacturing operations a company might erations,” Brown says. “We have converted dingy, dark
take an order for 80 widgets, it then produces and deliv- rooms [of the industry past] to a well-lit, CNC-driven
er the 80 widgets. MKT, on the other hand, must deliver manufacturing process.” mt
to meet contactor’s schedules. Although, MKT is faced
with production and delivery challenges the company
overcomes them with constant communication. “Ev-
eryone knows what is happening,” Brown explains. “The
right hand knows what the left is doing. Communication
is key to be successful in our industry. Construction is a
very dynamic environment.”
How has MKT Metal Manufacturing achieved so much
in the past 10 years? “I think a lot of it is our manage-
ment,“ Brown says. “It’s a first-generation ownership;
we have passion and vision. We strive not to be the big-
gest, just the best.” Brown says the MKT management
team “leads from the front, we are involved in day-to-day
operations and provide a lot of energy that the rest of the
company follows.” MKT’s achievements are the result of
the four principles the company was built upon:
> Reduce business overhead – MKT strives to help
companies eliminate shop overhead by manufactur-
ing materials so the focus remains on the field.
> Manufacture and distribute – Brown explains
that the contractors prefer purchasing products
from a supplier rather than a competitor. MKT fo-
cuses on manufacturing and distributing products as
well as assisting with measuring, minor installation
and duct welding.
> Optimize production – MKT helps companies
keep work in house by supplying straight duct while
they produce fittings. This allows companies to take

The Hillman Group / www.hillmangroup.com / 2013 revenue: $565 million / Headquarters: Cincinnati / Employees: 2,000 / Specialty: Hard-
ware-related products / The Hillman Group: “As a company, service is the hallmark of The Hillman Group.”
the hillman group celebrated

its 50th anniversary of
supplying the hardware
store industry in 2014.
Fifty Strong service and merchandising aids,”

the company says.
Fasteners still make up a sub-
the hillman group is a stalwart supplier to the stantial portion of the company’s
hardware and home improvement markets. business, but The Hillman Group’s
product lines also feature more than
40,000 SKUs that include keys, en-
Fifty years in business is a mile- The company was established in graving and letters, numbers and
stone that few companies are for- 1964 with a focus on manufactur- signs for homes and commercial
tunate enough to reach, but for ing screws and other fasteners for uses. The company’s customer base
The Hillman Group the fact that it hardware stores. However, as the is made up of more than 21,000 re-
marked its 50th anniversary in 2014 years rolled on, The Hillman Group tailers, and includes major compa-
is proof enough that it has found evolved into a more rounded and di- nies such as Ace Hardware, Lowe’s,
the winning formula for serving the verse supplier for a broad selection Home Depot and True Value. “Hill-
hardware and home improvement of customers in the hardware and man is the respected global leader
industries. And, like the screws and home improvement sectors. “While and most trusted partner to the mar-
other fasteners that established its Hillman was founded as a fastener kets we serve, delivering value-add-
reputation, The Hillman Group says company, we have branched out into ed and innovative solutions,” the
its customer service, quality and in- a diverse entity, serving the con- company says. “The Hillman Group
novation are what have held the com- sumers’ everyday needs with com- is dedicated to helping our partners
pany together and allowed it to grow mon products for commercial and succeed by managing their complex
into the market leader it is today. residential uses, as well as offering product categories while enhanc-

ing the consumer experience. We provide best-in-class ica, including Mexico. “These facilities combined can
service, innovation, quality and unique merchandising accommodate over 5,000 orders and 225,000 lines per
solutions. Our team continually improves internal effi- day,” the company says. “Hillman has a 24-hour process
ciency, increasing speed to market while remaining flex- time from order receipt to product shipment with a 97
ible in the eyes of our partners.” percent fill rate.”
The Hillman Group’s devotion to quality and service Within these production and distribution centers, The
is strong no matter whether the company is dealing with Hillman Group has the capability to introduce a signifi-
a big-box retailer or one of the 15,000 independent or cant amount of innovation into the marketplace, and it
franchise retailers that make up its customer base. The does so regularly.
company explains that these smaller retailers typically “Whether in distribution, key duplication, or sales and
are part of cooperatives like Ace Hardware or Do It Best service, The Hillman Group is known for innovation,”
Corp. “The company sells directly to the cooperative’s the company says. “Many of Hillman’s distribution cen-
retail locations and also supplies many fastener items to ters employ the very latest in warehouse management
the cooperative’s central warehouses,” the company says. systems software, allowing paperless order picking. The
“These central warehouses distribute to their members technology used to engineer our Axxess Key Duplication
that do not have a requirement for Hillman’s in-store ser- System has revolutionized the metal key duplication
vice. These arrangements reduce risk, credit and logistic process, giving consumers a virtually foolproof system.
expense for Hillman and reduce central warehouse inven- Our sales and service teams are equipped with the best
tory and delivery costs for the cooperatives.” technology for taking, tracking and transporting cus-
tomer orders.” mt
Key People
One of the strongest advantages The Hillman Group
says it brings to the marketplace is its dedicated sales-
force and service organization. “As a company, service
is the hallmark of The Hillman Group,” the company ex-
plains. “The company employs the largest factory direct
salesforce in today’s industry.
“The depth of the sales and service team enables Hill-
man to maintain consistent call cycles, ensuring that
all of their customers will experience proper stock lev-
els and inventory turns,” the company continues. “This
team can also build specific planograms to fit the needs
of any store, as well as customizing programs that will
meet consumers’ requirements for pricing, invoicing
and computer needs. This unique group also benefits
from daily internal support from the inside sales and
customer service teams.
“We have a solid group of professionals whose dedica-
tion and teamwork form the backbone of our company,”
the company adds. “Hillman continually strives to hire
associates that meet our standards for interpersonal
skills and strong work ethic.”
Total Capabilities
Also providing The Hillman Group with considerable
strength in the marketplace is its infrastructure, which
consists of 11 manufacturing and distribution facilities
that are strategically located throughout North Amer-

ClimateCraft Inc. / www.climatecraft.com / 2014 revenue: $23 million / Headquarters: Oklahoma City / Employees: 150 / Specialty: Custom
air-handling units / ClimateCraft Inc.: “Our applications and engineering teams consist of some of the industry’s most talented professionals.”
climatecraft says its

air-handling units provide
clients with greater effi-
ciency and energy savings.
Custom Work its customers’ need for customized

air-handling solutions, whether
they need a custom unit due to a spe-
climatecraft inc. delivers customized air-handling cial application, a physical challenge
solutions for a wide variety of air quality needs. or long-term durability needs. No
matter why their customers need a
custom AHU, ClimateCraft says it
Depending on the circumstanc- vironments in healthcare, educa- has the ability to deliver a custom
es, indoor facilities can have wildly tion, laboratory, commercial and unit and more.
different air quality needs. Provid- high-tech manufacturing facilities
ing building owners with custom- throughout the United States,” the Full Solutions
ized air-handling units (AHUs) that company says. “Our applications A major contributing factor in Cli-
can meet their highly specific needs and engineering teams consist of mateCraft’s ability to deliver cus-
is what ClimateCraft Inc. has been some of the industry’s most talent- tom AHU solutions for its custom-
doing since 1998, and the company ed and innovative professionals. ers is its manufacturing capabilities,
says it has the engineering expertise Their extensive knowledge and ex- which the company says are among
necessary to supply air-handling perience come standard with every the best in the industry. “Our cus-
solutions for virtually any situation. design to produce a custom solution tom AHUs are made in Oklahoma
“ClimateCraft Inc. is a leading for the most challenging new con- City in a manufacturing facility
manufacturer of innovative custom struction, renovation or replace- that is designed to produce some
air-handling units that are used to ment projects.” of the industry’s highest-quality,
provide comfortable, efficient en- The company says it understands most-durable and best-performing

products,” the company says. “We combine leading-edge of maintenance and longevity, nothing beats a custom
construction methods with high-quality components to air-handling unit.
produce AHUs that offer exceptional performance, qui- “Over the years, tremendous effort has been devoted
et operation and lasting value. ClimateCraft systems can to improving chiller efficiencies, as well as to achieving
comply with the high-velocity hurricane zone require- unitary equipment mandates for lowering energy usage,”
ments of Miami-Dade County and the Florida Building the company adds. “At the same time, airside products
Code, and meet the seismic construction and compli- have been widely ignored, so today there is tremendous
ance requirements of the International Building Code. opportunity for building owners to benefit from recent
In fact, ClimateCraft was the first custom air handling advances in that area.”
company to receive California’s OSHPD certification.” ClimateCraft says its solutions for air-handling pro-
The company’s manufacturing capabilities would not vide customers with energy-efficient and ecologically
be possible without the engineering expertise Climate- sound products and should prove to be the key to its con-
Craft brings to the table, and the company says it results tinued success for the foreseeable future. “By focusing
in products that go above and beyond for its customers. on total cost of ownership rather than on system cost,
“We’ve considered many common concerns about cus- and by factoring high energy efficiency and minimal
tomized air handlers, so we built an extra level of quality system upkeep into airside equipment maintenance
into each of our products,” the company says. budgets over the long term, building owners will realize
“For instance, knowing that vibration is an enemy to the benefits of investing in custom AHUs rather than in
the lifespan of a fan and motor, our FanMatrix design is standard options that may be less expensive in the short
not only balanced at the design point, but throughout term,” the company says. mt
the operating map of the fan curve and uses spring iso-
lation and greaseable motor bearings with the intent of
extending the motor life well past our standard five-year
warranty period,” the company continues. “Another
example, our MatrixMonitor, provides notification of
when motor bearings need to be greased based on op-
erational time and speed to allow for minimal, planned
maintenance when it’s convenient for [the customer’s]
facility. These features and benefits are just a few exam-
ples of the exceptional engineering that goes into every
ClimateCraft product.”
Suitable Solutions
ClimateCraft says its customized air-handling systems
are becoming especially necessary in a world where in-
door air quality and energy efficiency have become high-
er priorities for property owners. “Until recently, the
HVAC industry had been slow to change,” the company
says. “Modifications to codes, emphasis on reducing
energy consumption, and LEED and green building ini-
tiatives targeting net zero facilities have challenged the
industry to look for better ways to condition the spaces
HVAC systems serve.
“Reducing building system maintenance costs as
well as sustaining optimal performance over the life of
airside equipment is where the HVAC industry’s focus
lies today,” the company continues. “When it comes to
capital budgets, design flexibility, system integrity, ease

Midwest
62. Spartan Light Metal Products

66. 74. 84. 66. Pony Tools
71. Conex Cable LLC
74. Beckwood Press Company
76. Hoist Liftruck Manufacturing
78. Continental Hydraulics
80. Loc Performance Products Inc.
82. Denray Machine Inc.
84. New Concept Technology
86. Machinewell

Midwest
PREMIER
PLACEMENT
central michigan university gets a big nod from ford motor co., as the
company makes some major investments in attracting the university’s
top students.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Central Michigan University’s (CMU) engineering program has

been designated as one of a select number of universities nationwide to
be invited to participate in the Ford College Alliance. This new initiative
is managed by the Ford Motor Co. Fund and supports the company’s
U.S.-based Premier and Standard Recruiting colleges and universities.
In addition to internship and job opportunities provided as dent vehicle teams on campus: the Society of Automotive
a Premier Recruiting school, the Ford College Alliance al- Engineers Baja team and the Formula One team. In addition,
lows CMU students to benefit from vehicle team support and four students have been conditionally approved to receive
$25,000 in scholarship money as a result of this collaboration. $10,000 – $2,500 each – through Ford Blue Oval Vehicle
“The intensity and caliber of CMU’s engineering stu- Team Challenge Scholarships.
dents equal those at other schools with very strong engi- In addition, Ford’s manufacturing division has selected
neering programs,” says CMU alumnus Kevin R. Ford, ’85, four CMU engineering students for a 12-week summer man-
plant manager of Dearborn Engine and Woodhaven Forging ufacturing internship. CMU senior and mechanical engi-
Plants. “Their passion and enthusiasm when they talk about neering major Allison Lynch from Weidman is among them.
what they’re working on in their labs is just incredible.” “CMU’s mechanical engineering major is rigorous and
CMU’s participation in the Ford College Alliance means nearly every class is catered to engineering projects,” Lynch
the Ford Fund will award $10,000 in Ford Blue Oval Schol- says. “I’m so thrilled that I’ve been accepted for an intern-
arships to qualified CMU students. Two College of Business ship and am eager to experience engineering through the
Administration students and three College of Science and manufacturing environment at Ford.”
Technology students already have been designated Ford CMU senior and mechanical engineering major Alexandar
Blue Oval Scholars and will each receive $2,000. Grabinski completed an internship last summer at Ford’s
“CMU having earned the level of a ‘Premier’ university to transmission plant in Livonia where he analyzed and doc-
target for recruitment by a company of the caliber of Ford is umented transmission assembly process operations, shad-
a great vote of confidence in our programs and graduates,” owed process engineers, worked with plant personnel to
says CMU School of Engineering and Technology director solve issues and led team project review meetings with plant
Mohamad S. Qatu. management and staff. Grabinski has been offered a posi-
Ford is providing CMU $5,000 in financial support split tion in the Ford College Graduate program after graduation
between two engineering and engineering technology stu- from CMU in May 2015. mt

Spartan Light Metal Products
www.spartanlmp.com / Annual revenue: $180 million / HQ: St. Louis / Employees: 900 Midwest
Specialty: Aluminum and magnesium die cast manufacturing
When Henry A. Jubel founded

Spartan Light Metal Products in
1961, he aspired to develop a corpo-
rate culture to create value for cus-
tomers. Jubel believed that machin-
ery and technology weren’t going
to build the company. Instead, em-
ployees with innovative ideas and
strong work ethics would launch
Spartan Light Metal Products to the
forefront of the die casting indus-
try. Helping customers with prob-
lems was his first dedication, the
company says.
This dedication led to the devel-
opment of B390 wear-resistant alu-
minum alloy in 1976. By 1978, these
strong core values launched Spartan
into an industry leadership position
as it became the first company in
spartan light metal products
is a leader in aluminum and
North America to offer commercial
magnesium die-casting
products and assemblies.
magnesium die-cast products.
In the years to follow, Spartan
Spartan Success Light Metal Products has earned

many major quality certifications
and awards from its customers.
spartan light metal products is expanding to The company reached a milestone
in 2004 with an exclusive licensing
meet increased demand. by jeff borgardt agreement with NASA for the use of
MSFC-398.1 aluminum/silicon hy-
Toyota supplier Spartan Light plants in Hannibal and Mexico, Mo., pereutectic alloy.
Metal Products is a family owned and Sparta, Ill. It also has sales of- Today, Spartan Light Metal Prod-
aluminum and magnesium die cast fices in Detroit, Tokyo, Japan and ucts continues to be a solutions lead-
manufacturing company. The staff Landstuhl, Germany. Operations er in the design and manufacture of
is expert in machining, assembly, include heat treating, finishing, ma- aluminum and magnesium die-cast-
design and analysis. Its reputa- chining and assembly. Toyota is its ing products and assemblies.
tion for quality, service and value largest customer. “While the size and capabilities
has made the company a valuable In March, Spartan was named of Spartan have grown well beyond
partner with a wide range of man- an Excellent Quality Performance what was envisioned by its founder in
ufacturers, from automobiles and Award Winner by Toyota Motor En- 1961, there is one thing that remains
trucks to power tools. gineering and Manufacturing North the same: dedicated and innovative
“Our scope of experience includes America Inc. at a supplier meeting in people striving to solve the custom-
design, engineering assistance and northern Kentucky. “Toyota works er’s problem,” the company says.
strict quality and process control closely with each supplier partner to “For more than five decades, Spar-
for complex products,” the compa- build our vehicles to the high-qual- tan Light Metal Products has been
ny says. ity, safety and reliability standards an industry leader in both aluminum
Headquartered in St. Louis, the our customers expect,” said Robert and magnesium custom die cast-
company operates manufacturing Young, purchasing vice president. ings,” the company adds.

MIdwest Spartan Light Metal Products
ideal high-temperature substitute

for cast iron. This alloy offers high-
wear resistance and great strength
at elevated temperatures. Also, its
lighter weight provides critical mass
reduction while maintaining or in-
creasing product performance.
As a system provider, the key ben-
efit Spartan provides is the tech-
nological expertise to design and
manufacture custom aluminum and
magnesium die-cast products that
reduce engine oil leaks and seal fail-
ures. Increased product durability
can lead to a reduction in warranty
claims, the company points out.
“Our expertise is ideal for pres-
sure-tight applications requiring a
lightweight, thin-wall product and
pressure-tight, leak-free sealing
system,” Spartan Light says. “For
the company says its
strength lies in its ability to structural applications, we can
provide customers with full
solutions to their needs. produce a lightweight product that
maintains its strength integrity un-
Lighter, More Durable close, long-term relationships with der load. For wear-resistant appli-
Spartan Light Metal Products says supply chain partners, good values cations that include hydraulic pump
it is a solutions company. “Lead- and a dedicated workforce. bodies, cylinder liners, or small en-
ing manufacturers want lighter Spartan Light Metal Products is gine and transmission components,
and more durable parts,” Spartan not only producing high-quality cast- our experience with the B390 alumi-
says. “That’s why they partner with ings, however. “We pride ourselves num/silicon hypereutectic alloy and
Spartan for the development of on delivering solutions that meet the high-temperature MSFC-398.1
high-pressure die-cast products in our customers’ needs, each and every offers a broad range of solutions.”
light-weight metals. With Spartan’s time,” the company states.
unique experience and capabilities, Spartan has designed and manu- Plant Expansion
we can help select the appropriate factured thin-wall, structural parts In August, Spartan Light Metal Prod-
material for application needs. We that are lighter and more durable. ucts kicked off a $17 million expan-
also support product design, design Reducing product weight while sion of its plant in Audrain County,
validation and product testing.” maintaining durability requires Mo. The company’s Mexico facility
The company recently expand- matching the manufacturer’s appli- is growing from 58,000 square feet
ed its facility in Mexico, Mo. It has cation needs to appropriate materi- to 126,000 square feet. This space is
als. “We use a variety of alloys that dedicated to producing engine com-
Davis Tool & Die For the past 12 years Davis Tool & Die has
been supplying Spartan Light Metal Products with casting dies for
include creep-resistant magnesium ponents for Toyota vehicles. The
the Automotive, and the Lawn & Garden industries. Being central- alloys for higher-temperature ap- expansion adds 88 jobs to the plant
ly located between Spartan Light Metal Products manufacturing
plants and the corporate service center, Davis Tool & Die can sup- plications and hypereutectic-alu- built in 1995. The new space will also
port these facilities in a timely manner. Much like Spartan Light minum alloys for high-wear applica- include locker rooms and offices.
Metal Products, Davis Tool & Die invests in its people, technology,
and continually strives to be at the forefront of the die casting tions,” the company explains. In 2012, it added two new produc-
industry. Davis Tool & Die is a proud recipient of a Spartan Light Spartan utilizes low-creep alumi- tion lines to manufacture oil sumps
Metal Products “Core Operating Value Award.”
num developed with NASA. It is an and head covers for Volkswagen

Spartan Light Metal Products Midwest
and produce battery cases for GM The company maintains that and encouraging, working together
electric vehicles. That $12.5 mil- it creates a work environment in to improve performance with a mu-
lion expansion added 42 new jobs. which employees are engaged and tual obligation towards fellow co-
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon vis- cooperate with each other and are workers, Spartan Light Metal Prod-
ited the plant at that time and said, respectful, helpful, supportive ucts says. mt
“This exciting news from Spartan is
continued evidence of the rebirth of
the auto industry in Missouri and of
how our state fosters an excellent
climate for business growth.”
As a global leader in light-metal
technology, Spartan provides engi-
neered solutions and products to
major automotive manufacturers
such as Toyota, Ford, GM, Honda
and Volkswagen, as well as to other
commercial companies including
Hydro-Gear, a manufacturer of pre-
cision drive systems for the lawn
and garden industry. Spartan ships
its complex cast, machined and
assembled products to locations
throughout the country and inter-
national markets.
The company says it succeeds be-
cause of its outstanding workforce.
It is currently hiring for roles such
as CNC specialist, machining tech-
nician, preventative maintenance
technician, product engineer, qual-
ity engineer and lean site coordina-
tor in Sparta, Ill. Employee bene-
fits include medical and retirement
plans, potential performance bo-
nuses, profit sharing, insurance and
tuition reimbursement, among oth-
ers. The company also has an intern-
ship program.
Industrial Tool, Inc. (ITI) is an industry leader

with over 40 years of experience in the design and build
of quality workholding fixtures and custom dedicated
machining equipment. ITI also provides manufacturers
with complete machine tool turnkey systems and
robotic automation. Our objective at ITI is to provide
engineered solutions specific to the part and required
machining processes. The result is a machining system
that is accurate, efficient and provides optimum ROI.
Spartan Light Metal Products and Industrial Tool part-
ner to create the innovative solutions necessary to be a
successful tier 1 supplier to the automotive industry.

Pony Tools
www.ponytools.com / Headquarters: Chicago / Employees: 70+ / Specialty: Clamping and
Midwest
hand tools / Joe Krueger, president and CEO: “We are focused on innovation.”
pony tools is building off

of its storied history by
rebranding the company to
better reach the market.
Tools for Success resonated in the marketplace from

a brand perspective and how well
the brand names did,” Krueger says.
pony leads the clamping and hand tools market “We also had this unique heritage
thanks to tradition and innovation. by eric slack and compelling story, but we simply
weren’t telling it.”
Founded in 1903 as The Adjustable ture growth of the company. Pony Reaching the Market
Clamp Company by Adele Holman, Tools has spent the last 18 months Operating out of almost 100,000
Pony Tools has created a long tradi- rebranding the company. Market re- square feet in Chicago, Pony Tools’
tion of manufacturing high-end prod- search indicated that the Pony name manufacturing capabilities include a
ucts here in the United States. The had substantially greater consumer screw shop, press room for stamping
founder’s great-great grandson, Doug recognition than both the Adjust- parts, machining operations, auto-
Holman, is now the current owner and able Clamp and Jorgensen names. mated assembly and hand assembly
chairman of a company that is known The company also believed it must of various product families. Multi-
for its iconic Pony and Jorgensen do away with the limited “Clamp” ple international suppliers provide
brands in clamping and hand tools as nomenclature and adopt “Tools” parts and components utilized in fi-
well as its trademark orange color. to allow for greater product line nal assembly. Although a handful of
President and CEO Joe Krueger distinctions and extensions. From complete products are imported, the
came onboard in 2012 to lead a new there, Pony Tools was born. majority of tools are assembled in
management team as part of Doug “There was a real disjoint be- the Chicago factory with globally and
Holman’s vision for charting the fu- tween how well our company name domestic sourced components.

Pony Tools Midwest
‘multiple generations
of employees worked
for us, and we’ve served
generations of con-
sumers. telling their
story tells our compa-
ny’s story.’ - Joe Krueger
Pony Tools serves retail distribu-
tors, retail store operators and end
consumers. Retail and distribution pony tools president and
ceo joe krueger (left) and
customers expect Pony Tools to be vice president of sales and
marketing dave madden.
the category leader and be on the fore-
front of innovation in new tools and hardware stores, and they rely on Pony working, Pony Tools provides prod-
merchandising programs that build Tools to manage the category,” Vice ucts and support for the experienced
excitement with the end users. President of Sales and Marketing Dave and skilled woodworkers as well as
“The category we supply is relative- Madden says. young consumers just coming into
ly small in home improvement and In its primary market of wood- woodworking. To reach this mar-

Midwest Pony Tools
pony tools is well known

for its clamping and hand we have developed a targeted strategy for reaching them
tools as well as its trade-
mark orange color. through our new Pony Tools Institute website due to
launch in early 2015,” Madden says.
Also Influencing consumer purchasing decisions is a
new marketing campaign that capitalizes on the compa-
ny’s heritage with distinct graphic imagery, heavy in-store
merchandising, new print advertising campaigns and the
company’s sponsorship of “Rough Cut – Woodworking
With Tommy Mac,” produced by WGBH and shown on
PBS in 96 markets with one million viewers per week.
“We have this unique story to tell of history and heri-
tage,” Krueger says. “Not just of our founders, but also
the fact that multiple generations of employees worked
for us, and we’ve served generations of consumers. Tell-
ing their story tells our company’s story, and we are then
ket, it maintains a presence in print and digital trade able to reinforce what that heritage means through our
publications as well as participating in programs to actual brands.”
support leading trade schools and high school indus- Pony Tools also serves industrial distributors, a segment
trial arts programs. of the market separate from retail hardware and home im-
“This is a key target demographic for Pony Tools and provement channels. The company uses its industrial dis-
tributor catalog and online web listing resources as touch
points for the industrial end use customer.
Adding to Excellence
Among the key investments being made into the orga-
nization are major investments into the company’s re-
branding initiative with new imagery, logos, point-of-
purchase materials and packaging design. The graphic
imagery not only evokes the time-honored traditions of
woodworking and the requisite mentoring that happens
from generation to generation, but it aims to engage
new audiences while capitalizing on its unique past,
having been founded by a woman in a predominately
male industry.
Additionally, the company just purchased its first two
CNC Swiss Screw Machines and will install them in the
first quarter of 2015. Additional machines will be pur-
chased in the second half of 2015. The screw shop will
be relocated in manufacturing with a new overhead han-
dling system being installed to manage raw materials.
Pony Tools is also implementing a new ERP system
and investing in new hires and adding talent to the orga-
nization. The ERP will go live in the second half of 2015.
The improved data and information will allow the com-
pany to better manage inventories, rate vendor perfor-
mance, drive more efficiencies and productivity in man-
ufacturing and provide timely information on customer
demands. Talent will be key to the company’s growth and

Pony Tools Midwest
success, as organizational development and investment

in people will drive performance.
Customer service, sales, supply chain and production
teams are fully integrated and can provide real time in-
formation to customers on order fulfillment. Pony Tools
has a virtual 99.9 percent on-time fulfillment perfor-
mance. When the company completes ERP implementa-
tion, customers will be able to directly access informa-
tion on order status as needed.
Beyond that, the company is implementing the Entre-
preneurial Operating System (EOS) and executing the
Traction methodology to help it stay on track with im-
portant objectives. As part of the EOS initiative, Pony
Tools identified organic growth, product innovation,
new market development and strategic acquisitions as
major priorities for the coming year.
“We are focused on innovation and targeted new busi-
ness development initiatives and will collaborate with
retail and distribution partners to implement the right
strategies,” Krueger says “We will manage the dynamics
of the digital world as we implement social media, web-
site and merchandising programs. We will also work to
better understand the changing demographics and needs
of consumers through targeted market research.” mt
pony tools has invested

in talent development
initiatives and upgrades to
its equipment.

Conex Cable LLC
www.conexcable.com / Headquarters: DeKalb, Ill. / Employees: 25 / Jerry Bills, consultant
Midwest
for sales and marketing: “If we take care of the customer, everything else will fall into place.”
Wired to Succeed
conex cable says its clients can rely on it to deliver
their materials in a timely manner. by alan dorich
Sometimes timing can be every- conex’s continuous

extrusion method bonds
thing for a business that offers exact- high-purity aluminum to
high-strength steel wire.
ly what a market is looking for at that
exact moment. Conex Cable LLC had
that luck when it started offering alu-
minum-clad steel (AS) wire nearly 25
years ago, Consultant for Sales and
Marketing Jerry Bills says.
In the immediate years prior to
1990, “The only way people could
get AS wire was to go offshore,” he
recalls, noting that Conex’s busi-
ness surged when it served stateside
customers with its product. “Our
timing was very, very good.”
Based in DeKalb, Ill., Conex offers
AS wire that is manufactured us-
ing a continuous extrusion method
that bonds high-purity aluminum to
high-strength steel wire. The com-
pany’s history goes back to 1988,
when Alcoa Inc. and Kaiser Alumi-
num Corp. were closing the doors
on their wire and cable plants.
Those operations included a plant
in Dublin, Calif., that was built to
make aluminum tubing for overhead
cable ground wire. Allan Coleman,
the owner of the Chicago-based
Coleman Wire/Nehring Electrical
Works, bought the plant with the in-
tention of manufacturing AS wire.
Coleman also formed a joint ven-
ture with Hitachi Cable in Japan,
which had the U.S. patent on the
manufacturing process of the wire.
Together, the companies started
Conex Cable Inc. under the direc-
tion of Raymond Hott, chairman.
Later, Hitachi Cable acquired all of
the company in 1994.

MIdwest Conex Cable LLC
transmission line in the West Vir-

ginia hills for one of the largest
investor owned utilities, in 2005.
“The terrain was so rugged that two-
thirds of the towers had to be flown
in by helicopter,” Bills recalls.
The utility, he notes, wanted
guyed-V towers that were support-
ed by guys that would not break.
Although the requirements were
beyond Conex’s size capability, “We
brought in over 500,000 pounds
of wire from our associate J-Power
Systems,” he recalls.
Recently, several of Conex’s trans-
mission line clients have upgraded
their lines. “They do that with high-
conex has found that its
aluminum conductor steel er-strength steels,” Bills says. “We’re
reinforcement product
performs better than zinc. constantly looking at and adjusting
our steel requirements.”
In 2004, a private investment Bills agrees. “The plant never Conex supplies AS wire to manu-
group in Chicago bought Conex, re- should have been in the Bay Area in facturers who produce OPGW cable.
sulting in the firm moving its plant the first place,” he says. “[We’re] in “That market exploded between 1995
from Dublin to DeKalb. Although it a much better situation to serve all and 2000,” Bills says, noting that
required the company to move all segments of the market, particular- Conex had trouble keeping up with it.
of its machinery and wiring, “We ly, the overhead optical ground wire “We were offloading some or-
didn’t have any hiccups, [and] the market (OPGW).” ders to Hitachi in Japan,” he recalls,
transition was seamless,” Produc- Additionally, “We have the ability noting that the market later slowed
tion Manager Brian Starr recalls. to ship quick and get the material down. “But it’s starting back up
“In three months, we were in full there in a timely manner,” he con- again now. It’s pretty active.”
production,” he says, noting that tinues. “We’ll go on overtime [to The company also provides single
the Illinois location allows Conex provide service].” end wire to formed wire companies.
to be more centrally located in the “They take wire and form it into ac-
United States. “We’re a lot closer to On the Lines cessory products,” he says, noting
our largest customers.” Conex serves the electrical utility that these include deadends and guy
industry, which can be broken down grips for wood pole distribution and
into multiple segments, Bills says. telecommunication construction.
Recovering Resources The largest portion consists of the “The process applies severe tor-
Conex Cable utilizes green initiatives in its manu-
facturing, Plant Manager Charles Dobbel says. For high-voltage transmission segment, sion,” Bills says. “We’re [constant-
example, “We have no water dumps,” he says. “All where Conex provides aluminum ly] concerned with flexibility and
our waters are recovered and all our metals are conductor steel reinforcement for the strength of the steel to meet
recycled.”
transmission lines. their requirements.”
Production Manager Brian Starr notes that the
company also uses a Smog-Hog filter system for sol- Although zinc is a less expensive
vent fumes. “It takes out any polluted chemicals,” he option, “Our product is better elec- Conex’s Quality
says. “We’ve improved our air quality substantially. trically,” Bills says. “It’s also better Conex keeps a close eye on manu-
“Safety is another area that is repeatedly empha- corrosion-wise.” facturing quality, Plant Manager
sized both for the concern for the employees as well
as the working environment,” Starr notes.
The company’s portfolio includes Charles Dobbel says. Not only has
work on a 765-kilovolt overhead the company appointed an engineer

Conex Cable LLC Midwest
to manage its quality department, he says. “When I go out with our Bills predicts a strong future for
“We have a quality auditor that does representatives and agents to make Conex Cable. “There’s so much in-
an audit on the overall factory and a call, I tell them that one thing frastructure in the United States
provides feedback to help us achieve we’re really proud of is our service, that needs to be upgraded,” he says.
desired levels,” he says. especially in emergency situations.” “We hope to be part of it.” mt
The company also is implement-
ing Six Sigma techniques and tools,
Dobbel says. “Right now, [Conex]
is 4.4 Sigma,” he says. “I’m certified
as a leader in Six Sigma and I’ve got
two trained inspectors.
“At this time, it’s all under a very
studious situation,” he continues,
noting that Conex is constantly re-
viewing its past to see how it can im-
prove. “We [also] have implement-
ed the 5S program.”
Conex’s close relationships with
all of its suppliers also help. “We
work together jointly to improve
quality at all times,” Dobbel says, re-
calling a case when a client request-
ed more flexibility in its product.
Although flexibility is not the
first thing many associate with
steel, “We joined [together and]
worked on a very much improved
product,” he recalls. “We got full
customer satisfaction.”
The company also hones its work-
ers’ skills with training, Starr says.
“It’s a continuous process,” he as-
serts. “Whenever we come across a
situation where somebody falls be-
hind, we always retrain and review
progress to meet the required cus-
tomer demands.”
Company Environment
Bills, who has been with Conex since
1990, praises the company’s team
of 25 quality employees. “Since day
one, it’s been like a family,” he says,
noting that its modest size ensures
that everyone is focused on the
same goal.
“If we take care of the customer,
everything else will fall into place,”

Beckwood Press Company
www.beckwoodpress.com / HQ: Fenton, Mo. / Employees: 55 / Jeff Debus, president: “You Midwest
have to have a can-do attitude in the industry today, and that’s something our team members have.”
shoulders above the competition.

Through it all, Debus says Beckwood
Press Company has earned a reputa-
tion for taking on projects other press
manufacturers are reluctant to tackle,
and that has been a major component
of its success from year to year.
Can-Do Attitude
At the core of Beckwood Press
Company’s corporate culture is its
ability and willingness to take on
virtually any kind of project, even
if it seems too challenging for most
others. “We tend to compete for the
projects that are higher in complexi-
ty, that require some customization
and tend to push the envelope in
terms of utilizing existing technol-
ogy or developing new technology,”
beckwood press company’s
in-house expertise gives it
Debus says. “Our general attitude is
the skill to solve customers’
difficult projects.
that we like the tough projects and
the challenges.”
Pressing Matter The in-house expertise that Beck-

wood Press Company can put to
work for its customers gives it sub-
innovation and hard work drive beckwood stantial confidence when a custom-
er approaches it with a difficult proj-
press company forward. by chris petersen ect. “Customers are usually picking
up the phone and calling us because
Beckwood Press Company has Today, Beckwood Press Company they have a problem,” Debus says,
become a leader in engineering and is recognized as one of the leaders adding that Beckwood Press Com-
manufacturing hydraulic presses, in hydraulic press technology, with a pany relishes those opportunities
but it didn’t start out with that goal global footprint that spans the Amer- to put its skill to work. “You have to
in mind. President Jeff Debus says icas, Europe and Asia. Its presses have a can-do attitude in the indus-
the company was started in 1976 by can be found in applications such as try today, and that’s something all of
Charles P. Becker Jr. as a supplier of hot forming, compression molding, our team members have.”
other products around the country. sheet hydroforming and punching, Also contributing to the compa-
Because the company’s products in- among others. The company’s cus- ny’s ability to deliver difficult proj-
volved a lot of sheet metal stamping tomers range from major OEMs in ects for its customers is Beckwood
and forming, it started designing its the aerospace and automotive sec- Press Company’s versatility and
own hydraulic presses for its own tors to smaller general job shops. diversity. Debus says the company
internal use. After a while, howev- Debus says the nearly 40 years of serves a diverse mix of companies,
er, word got out to other manufac- success Beckwood Press Company which gives it experience that is
turers about the effectiveness of its has experienced is no accident, and practically unmatched in the mar-
presses and it began designing and comes from the company’s ability to ketplace. “One of our strengths is
selling presses for other companies. serve a wide assortment of markets the ability to handle a lot of differ-
The rest, as they say, is history. with products that stand head and ent industries,” Debus says.

Beckwood Press Company Midwest
One of the key advantages this diver- customers greater value. “What we’re relationships forged with Beckwood,
sity gives Beckwood Press Company is trying to do to offset that volatility and appreciate the expertise we can
the ability to use technology proven in is offer more products and more ser- bring to the table for a diverse set of
one market segment on a product to vices that reach out into our customer applications,” Debus says. “When we
serve another. Debus says being able base,” he says. can satisfy several individual needs
to demonstrate to a customer why an The company recently added a broad for a single customer, our 360-degree
unfamiliar technology or process can product line focused on the aerospace value is best on display.” Beckwood
work by providing examples from oth- market, which includes leading-edge is currently completing manufacture
er industries does a lot to convince and extrusion stretch forming presses, of a seven-press aerospace forming
many of them. “It allows us to put to- hot joggle presses and hydraulic ring package that includes multiple sheet
gether a tailored solution that has a expanders. The company has clearly hydroforming, stretch forming and
basis of proven technology and experi- identified a trend toward packaged hot joggle presses, which is slated for
ence behind it,” he says. solutions. “Our customers value the delivery in early 2015. mt
Branching Out
ESI North America Top tier manufacturers like Beckwood/Triform differentiate themselves by embracing technology
The volatility of many of the markets to meet the pace of customer innovation. For over 40 years, ESI has partnered with industry leaders like Beckwood/Triform
Beckwood Press Company serves has to eliminate costly tooling trial and error with Virtual Prototyping simulation software. ESI’s PAM-STAMP metal forming
solution is a key component in Beckwood/Triform’s rapid prototyping strategy, enabling “idea to part” in hours rather than
only become stronger in the wake of weeks. ESI salutes Beckwood/Triform’s commitment to speed, quality, and leadership in the metal forming industry, and
looks forward to helping Beckwood/Triform grow with simulations for hydroforming, hot forming, stretch forming, compos-
the recession. Debus says the key for ite forming and more. For more information, call 248-381-8040, email info@esi-group.com or visit www.esi-group.com
the company to survive is to offer its

Hoist Liftruck Manufacturing Inc.
www.hoistlift.com / HQ: Bedford Park, Ill. / Employees: 275 / Specialty: High-capacity forklifts Midwest
John Kern, VP of sales: “We have some of the most competitive lead-times in the world.”
are already using our products, and

there are very few competitors. We
utilized a lot of the same compo-
nents that we use to build our con-
ventional forklifts, to create anoth-
er product series that opens up a
whole new industry to us, helping us
meet our goal of sustained, consis-
tent growth.”
Hoist Liftruck manufactures
heavy-duty, high-capacity internal
combustion and electric lift trucks
– ranging in capacity from 15,000
pounds to more than 115,000 pounds
– that are used to move products,
equipment and large cargo that is
heavier than the relatively light loads
that are moved by the lift trucks used
in warehouses. Hoist’s products are
used in industries such as automo-
hoist liftruck manufacturing
inc. supplies a variety of
tive, intermodal, construction, forg-
attachments for its line of
lift trucks.
ing, mining, steel and aluminum.
Kern is seeing an upsurge in U.S.
Need a Lift? manufacturing. “Automotive real-

ly came back strong, and the trick-
le-down effect has reinvigorated a lot
hoist liftruck manufactures 75 percent of each of the first-tier suppliers supporting
the automotive industry,” he reports.
of its products itself. by russ gager
Made in America
When companies – or the feder- es all the latest technology to a new Approximately 75 percent of each
al government – need some heavy product category for Hoist. Capable Hoist lift truck is manufactured in
lifting done, they look to the U.S.- of lifting up to 80,000 pounds, the the company’s 300,000-square-
made products of family owned FR series enables Hoist Liftruck foot plant from raw materials such
Hoist Liftruck Manufacturing Inc. Manufacturing to appeal to a whole as tube stock, plate and slit steel
With origins dating back to 1980, new product niche – companies of a variety of different gauges and
the company now known as Hoist known as riggers and machinery grades. Most of the purchased com-
Liftruck Manufacturing Inc. was movers that move and set up large ponents – such as engines, transmis-
established by Marty Flaska from equipment. With the recent resur- sions, drive axles, hoses, fittings,
his house in the western suburbs of gence of manufacturing since the hydraulic components, tires, rims
Chicago. Hoist Liftruck now manu- 2009 recession, machinery moving and bearings – are sourced within a
factures a complete line of high-ca- and rigging is a growing industry. 150-mile radius of Chicago.
pacity internal combustion and “That’s an industry that we didn’t “We build our own steer axles,
electric forklift trucks for industries realize the true size and potential chassis, masts, carriages, wiring
and governments worldwide. of, and obviously isn’t far from our harnesses and cabs,” Kern says. To
The company’s recently intro- core competency,” Vice President do this, the company uses approxi-
duced FR series of lift trucks took of Sales John Kern points out. “A mately 18 CNC machining centers,
18 months to develop and introduc- lot of machinery movers and riggers automated plasma cutters, an au-

Hoist Liftruck Manufacturing Inc. Midwest
tomated powder-coating booth, an automated wire har-

ness fabricating machine and multiple robotic welders.
“We have additional robotic welders on order, with the
first one arriving here within the next month,” Kern states.
“And we have planned the introduction of more in the next
12 months. When I started with the company in 2005, we
only had one CNC machine. So it’s been a gradual increase
in introducing them over the last nine years.”
Because Hoist’s lift trucks are manufactured in the
United States, they can be received in eight to 10 weeks
from the date of order. “We have some of the most com-
petitive lead-times in the world,” Kern maintains. Rush
orders could be completed in two to three weeks with
overtime labor, he estimates.
Growing Business
Achieving high quality control is a never-ending goal for
Hoist Liftruck Manufacturing. “There’s always some-
thing you’re constantly monitoring and tweaking, but
we’ve got a very rigorous quality-control program that’s
abided by in the factory,” Kern says.
Both employees doing the work and their department
supervisor signs off that all work is free of defects and
meets all necessary tolerances. Finished machines are
inspected against a checklist, load-tested and signed off
on before being released for shipment.
Hoist Liftruck Manufacturing is in the second year
of a five-year, $925 million contract with the U.S. De-
partment of Defense for commercial material-handling
equipment. “We also have received what amounts to
a three-year blanket purchase order from a large auto
manufacturer to supply them with high-capacity fork-
lifts,” Kern adds. “We are the vendor of choice.”
The company is also increasing its international distri-
bution in Latin America, Mexico, Canada and Australia.
“We are trying to get more brand awareness and be one of
the first names that is thought of when somebody needs
to purchase a high-capacity forklift or container-han-
dling equipment, regardless of the country they’re locat-
ed in,” Kern states.
He attributes the company’s success to its entrepre-
neurial spirit and employee loyalty, noting that several
fathers and their sons work together at the company.
“We’re a privately owned company that started very
small and has always been self-sufficient and figured
things out on our own,” Kern says. “A lot of our employ-
ees are long-tenured employees, so we’ve got a lot of loy-
alty. It’s kind of grown as a big-family mindset.” mt

Continental Hydraulics
www.continentalhydraulics.com / HQ: Savage, Minn. / Kevin O’Neill, vice president “We are Midwest
focusing on the right objectives, and we’ve seen many improvements in the operations.”
of its products are custom-ordered

high-mix, low-volume products,
Continental needed its equipment
to handle an ever-changing manufac-
turing schedule efficiently.
“Previously we had equipment in
place, such as large machining cen-
ters and lathes, that were not process
capable and were not flexible enough
to meet the requirements of our
customers and markets,” says David
Zimmer, president of Continental
Hydraulics. “We were trying to keep
up with machining problems instead
of running how we wanted to run.”
Continental got rid of old equip-
ment, all of which were at least 25
years old, and brought in state-
of-the-art pieces. The company
installed medium-sized and large
continental hydraulics
focuses its in-house
machining centers. Both are fitted
operations on producing
low-volume, high-mix parts.
with pallet systems that allow them
to run unmanned at night. It also
A New Day increased its lathe capacity and in-

stalled a new paint booth. Next, the
company will look into adding lap-
continental hydraulics reintroduces itself to ping, grinding and honing machines
to achieve tighter tolerances on its
the marketplace. by jamie morgan parts. Zimmer says the investments
have allowed Continental to bring
Although its roots date back to sitioning in international markets. once purchased critical components
1962, the Continental Hydraulics Duplomatic also sought to revamp back in-house for manufacturing.
that exists today was born just a few Continental’s manufacturing pro- “When we think about our
years ago. The company manufac- cess and company culture, making it strengths, we wanted our manufac-
tures valves, pumps and power units a stronger 21st century competitor. turing to be focused on turning parts
used in heavy industrial machinery “The company has been under new in-house that are critical for us,”
such as food processing or mining ownership for three years now with Zimmer explains. “The new lathes
equipment. In 2011, Continental a new investment plan and focus,” give us the flexibility to focus on
was acquired by Duplomatic Ole- explains Kevin O’Neill, vice presi- our low-volume, high-mix parts and
dinamica, an Italy-based manufac- dent of Continental Hydraulics Op- contract the consistent stock parts
turer specializing in the hydraulics erations. “With the purchase started to outside suppliers. We look at the
market. The new parent company the investment in equipment, people strengths of others in the market to
recognized Continental’s strength and training processes.” see what we can send out and what
in pump design and felt Duplomat- we need to take control of.”
ic’s strength in valve design would Coming Home
make the two a good match – al- Continental has spent more than $2 Seeing the Benefits
lowing both to showcase a broader million in the last two years on capital The new equipment investments
product offering and gain better po- investments. Because a large number have given Continental better con-

Continental Hydraulics Midwest
trol over the quality and lead times of its critical prod-
ucts. It’s also helped the company reduce rework and
Evolving Engineering
As Continental Hydraulics improves its manufacturing operations, it also has
scrap, resulting in cost savings. invested in its engineering capabilities. Its engineering staff has increased 60
“In 2012, our scrap dollars were horrendous,” O’Neill percent in the past two years, and the engineering department has turned its
says. “But we have cut that in half now and we contin- focus to working on new innovations and product development while maintain-
ing its strength in product maintenance and improvements. President David
ue to reduce scrap and make improvements. We’re still
Zimmer says the engineering group is addressing new trends in the market.
not satisfied and have more work to do, but our scrap “We’ve been working closely with our parent company on our new product
has come down incredibly in the last three years and our developments efforts,” Zimmer says. “One trend we continue to see in the
overall productivity and efficiency measures have gone market is the integration of electronics for improved control of the hydraulics
system. We are developing new valves with a faster response and expanding our
up year over year, sometimes 2 to 3 percent and as much
hazardous location valve portfolio which has many applications in the energy
as 8 percent. Some of our equipment is still new enough and marine market segments.”
that we are still fine-tuning them, so we will continue to
see benefits in 2015 from equipment purchased in 2014.”
In addition to equipment improvements, Continental O’Neill explains that the lean tool ensures Continen-
has made improvements to its company culture, as well. tal Hydraulics is focusing on the right objectives. “Just
Duplomatic has carefully introduced new management by doing that we’ve seen cost reductions in how we run
staff since it came into ownership. The management the business and how we make decisions in purchasing,
team has developed a culture of accountability where ex- scheduling and maintenance,” O’Neill says. “We’re find-
pectations are clearly defined and progress is measured. ing that those things are adding up to great returns on
Continental adopted the X-Matrix template as a lean our investment, as well.” mt
tool to help it plan key objectives.
“We’re getting numbers in at the end of the month,
making sure we’re hitting our targets and deciding cor-
rective actions if we are not hitting our targets,” Zimmer
says. “It’s building a fact-driven decision-making culture
for our company.”
continental hydraulics’
recent investments have
given it better control over
the quality of its products.

Loc Performance Products Inc.
www.locperformance.com / 2014 sales: $46 million / Headquarters: Plymouth, Mich. / Midwest
Employees: 180 / Specialty: Suspension and driveline systems
er, Loc Performance was the first

small business to win a multi-year,
multimillion-dollar contract for
M-1 Abrams final drives.
In 2009, 90 percent of the compa-
ny’s sales were tied to the U.S. Ar-
my’s fleet of combat vehicles. Since
that time, Loc has been diversify-
ing into new commercial markets
while continuing to add capability.
Traditionally a build to print man-
ufacturer, Loc now has full product
development capabilities and can
support products throughout their
entire lifecycle. Loc also has sever-
al dynamometers custom build to
test a variety of gearbox systems de-
signed by Loc Performance.
On the commercial side, “We’ve
loc performance is adding landed customers that include Cater-
to its staff to meet the
growing demand for its pillar and General Electric, which is
latest military project.
mostly for mining and locomotive ap-
High Quality
plications,” Burr says. “We don’t do
anything automotive today.” Today,
sales are split nearly 50/50 between
commercial and defense customers.
loc performance’s diverse clients depend on it
for quality components. by alan dorich Adding Mobility
Loc Performance recently won a
For Loc Performance Products components and assemblies for contract for a large military pro-
Inc., the name of the game has been military and commercial applica- gram valued at $161 million to re-
vertical integration, President Lou tions. Founder Victor Vojcek start- store lost mobility to Bradley Fight-
Burr says. “Over the long term, that ed Loc Performance in 1971, in a ing Vehicles (BFVs). “They will
has been the backbone of the compa- 5,000-square-foot facility. regain mobility lost from added-on
ny’s success,” he declares. “We are There, the company manufactured armor and weapons during the Iraq
routinely adding new capabilities so machined components for automo- and Afghanistan wars,” Burr says.
we can offer our customers more.” tive power trains, including products This contract provides for Engi-
For instance, if there are manu- for NASCAR and private teams in the neering Change Proposal (ECP-1)
facturing processes that Loc Per- drag racing industry. Over time, Loc vehicle modifications, through the
formance does not have but needs Performance grew its customer base installation of Track Kits, Shock
to support a contract, “We’ll bring and built a 265,000-square-foot loca- Absorber Kits, Vehicle Suspension
[them] in-house,” he says. “We do tion in Plymouth. Support System Kits and Heavy
a variety of manufacturing opera- In the 1980s, the company moved Weight Torsion Bar Kits. The proj-
tions, [which are unique] for a com- away from the automotive market ect will “more than double the size
pany of this size.” and began serving the defense in- of the company over the next two
Based in Plymouth, Mich., the dustry, where it became the pre- years,” Burr says.
company is a full-service manu- ferred supplier for tracked vehicle This includes increasing its staff.
facturer of large CNC-machined suspension systems. Five years lat- Loc Performance currently employs

Loc Performance Products Inc. Midwest
180 people, “But we’re in the process start a CNC training program for ma- include Keokuk Steel Castings Co.,
of hiring 50 more,” he says. chinists. “There is a shortage of CNC Loc Performance’s preferred foundry
Typically, Burr says, a project like machinists and we’ve got to train our for castings with military applications.
this is sole-sourced to OEMs. How- people in-house,” he says. “To do that “They definitely are a long-term, stra-
ever, the U.S. government has issued ourselves, we set up this program.” tegic supplier to us as it relates to our
new acquisition guidelines, includ- But the company’s training will not military business,” Burr says.
ing increasing competition and small be limited to CNC machining, Burr “Despite military spending being at
business participation. “We never notes. “Next year, at least two indi- relatively low levels, I anticipate Loc
would have won this new contract if viduals also are going to become black continuing to grow in the military
the Army wasn’t doing things differ- belts in Six Sigma,” he states. market,” he says. “We’ll continue to
ently,” he says. expand and diversify into more com-
Looking to Grow mercial markets as well.” mt
On its Own Burr joined Loc Performance in 2007
The state of Michigan recently award- after working in the automotive and Keokuk Steel Castings Co. Founded in 1934, Keokuk
Steel Castings has been serving our war-fighters for de-
ed Loc Performance a $400,000 grant banking industries. He is proud of the cades by supplying sprocket carriers, drive wheels, trailing
arms and many other configurations of steel castings that
for employee training, Burr says. company and its reputation as “the originate in our foundry. We have a complete laboratory,
“We’ve committed to hiring 95 em- sole source for the Army in terms of with X-Ray and non-destructive testing facilities. These
capabilities combine with our rigorous quality systems
ployees during the next five years as the M1 final drives,” he says. “We’ve to serve our domestic and international customers’ steel
part of that,” he says. been doing it for over 20 years.” castings needs in military and many other industries. Ke-
okuk Steel Castings: Where Integrity Meets Excellence.
The funds, he notes, will be used to He also praises its vendors, which

Denray Machine Inc.
www.denray.com / 2013 sales: $1.6 million / Headquarters: Mount Vernon, Mo. / Employees: 18 Midwest
Specialty: Dust filtration systems
in 1994 that he won a response that

“was almost overwhelming,” ac-
cording to Rayon. “So we just hired
on more help, progressed on and
kept going.”
Today, Denray manufactures
250 to 300 machines annually for a
range of clients, including Gibson,
the Nashville-based guitar manu-
facturer. “We have built them about
15 custom machines,” and over 70
standard machines, Rayon says.
“We also have built for the aero-
space industry.”
Custom Quality
Approximately 50 percent of Den-
ray’s machines are custom products
for its clients. “Some of the other
companies in our industry choose
not to custom manufacture, but it’s
something we specialize in,” Rayon
says. “I don’t mind designing equip-
denray sees itself as a ment for their applications.
problem-solver for its
clients, and takes pride in “We have built some weird appli-
that ability.
cations for clients that nobody else
Problem Solvers would need, whether it be at a dif-

ferent height or a certain amount
of suction in a certain place to do
exactly what they want,” he says.
denray machine makes its clients’ environments “Those are some of the odd things a
cleaner and safer. by alan dorich person runs into.”
Although Denray sells its machines
When working with wood, spac- operating his own woodworking through dealers, the company still
es can get untidy and even unsafe business for 12 years. works closely with its clients. “I’ll
with dust that has been proven to When he started a second business, find out what their needs and expec-
be a carcinogen. For nearly 25 years, a client asked him to build a downdraft tations are,” Rayon says, explaining
Denray Machine Inc. has helped cli- table. After finishing it, “It worked re- that he creates designs using 3D CAD
ents make their workspaces safer ally well,” Rayon recalls. “I was think- software and shares them with the
with equipment that captures par- ing, ‘Wow, I would have loved to have end-user. “I may send them 10 differ-
ticles from wood, plastics and even something like that when I was in the ent views so they can fully see how it
finishing materials. woodworking business.’” will work in their application.”
Based in Mount Vernon, Mo., Rayon then changed the design Denray sees itself as a prob-
Denray manufactures dust filtra- of the table and brought products lem-solver for its clients, Rayon
tion systems, including downdraft to the International Woodworking says. “That’s one of those things we
tables, backdraft tables and booths. Fair in Atlanta in 1992. Although he pride ourselves on,” he adds, noting
President and owner Dennis Rayon enjoyed a boost in business, it was that the company offers technical
started the company in 1991 after not until his appearance at the show support, as well.

Denray Machine Inc. Midwest
CLICK HERE TO SEE DENRAY’S CUSTOM BUILT 3648G WITH
FLEX ARM, ENCLOSED HOOD AND A LIGHT BAR IN ACTION.
“We’ll talk and find out what admits. “There are too many times make some rules and regulations
they’re doing and what they’re not people in the government do not un- that [gave us] some hoops to jump
doing,” he says. “Usually we can di- derstand why people go overseas to through,” he says. “[If ] they’re not
rect them in the direction where the see their equipment manufactured. careful, they’re going to be the de-
problem is no longer a problem.” “Too many bureaucrats tried to mise of all of us.” mt
The company’s hard work has paid
off, since much of its work is for re-
peat clients. “Thirty to 40 percent of
everything we make is for customers
who already have our equipment,”
Rayon says.
Looking Up
Since 1994, Rayon has continued to
attend trade shows and introduce
new equipment. “It’d always be
some piece of equipment that would
be cleaning related,” he recalls.
“Some were successful, some
where not, but I always showed up
until 2009,” he continues. “When
the bottom fell out, you couldn’t de-
velop anything.”
However, things are looking up,
Rayon asserts. “We’ve got some new
designs in the kettle now,” he says,
noting that these include new types
of filtration systems.
Denray also has escalated its
methods of educating dealers about
its products with videos and train-
ing. “We have got to educate the
dealers [to the point where they] see
the potential problem in their cus-
tomer’s facility and provide them
the solution,” he says.
It also will keep working under
tight government regulations. “Try-
ing to maintain business around the
government can be challenging,” he
Environmental Filter II Corp. assists Denray

Machine to meet submicron requirements and works
closely with Denray to establish the minimum require-
ments for all applications in all Denray collectors.
Environmental Filter has the technical support to meet
all customer performance levels that may be required.
Environmental Filter has been honored to provide fil-
ters for Denray Machine over the last 15+ years meeting
their performance requirements

New Concept Technology
www.newconcepttech.com / Headquarters: Emigsville, Pa. / Projected 2014 revenue: $30 Midwest
million / Employees: 300 / Specialty: Design, manufacturing and automation
five years to become a journeyman

tool and die maker.”
New Concept Technology invests
approximately $250,000 per appren-
tice over a five-year-period in wages,
benefits, books and classroom train-
ing. Tool and die apprentices need
10,000 hours of on-the-job training
over those five years and take eve-
ning classes eight months of the year.
Machinist apprentices participate
in a four-year, hands-on, state-ap-
proved 8,000-hour program.
“The thing I’m really proud of is
that one of our apprentices just grad-
uated who’s actually a third-gener-
ation employee here,” Baughman
notes. “His grandfather worked here,
his father still works here, and he just
received journeyman certification
new concept technology
says its apprentice program
with us. So we’re very proud of that.”
is a major component of its
continued success.
That level of skill is required to
reduce labor costs and make in-
Auto Pilot sourced components for similar

prices to outsourced ones. An exam-
ple Baughman cites is the company’s
new concept technology automates processes reduction of manpower through au-
tomation to produce a high-speed
to meet future challenges. by russ gager network connector used on the back
of computers from 42 employees to
The “in-sourcing” trend of mov– also continuing education in spe- three, freeing up valuable skilled re-
ing manufacturing from offshore cialized fields such as robotics, elec- sources for other projects.
companies to a competitive source tronics, pneumatics and hydraulics,”
in North America is fueled by tech- New Concept Technology President Single Source
nology, innovation and automation, Thomas Baughman says. He is also New Concept Technology is a sin-
which rely on a highly skilled work- vice president of the association. gle-source supplier of design, engi-
force. In the York, Pa., area where Additionally, New Concept Tech- neering, process development, fab-
New Concept Technology is located, nology has its own apprentice pro- rication and manufacturing services
the Manufacturers Association of gram. “We started the company in from concept to finished product.
South Central Pennsylvania’s train- 1985, and immediately certified our Among the processes the company
ing center keeps the local workforce apprenticeship program in 1986,” uses in its manufacturing are injec-
prepared. New Concept Technology Baughman recalls. tion molding, high-speed machining,
provides 5,000 square feet at its Em- “That’s how I started – I am a cer- wire and sink EDM, high-speed metal
igsville, Pa., headquarters for the ef- tified toolmaker by trade,” he con- stamping and insert and reel-to-reel
fort as well as additional support. tinues. “It’s a five-year, state-cer- insert molding. It has two manu-
“Not only does this training cen- tified program, and that’s what we facturing locations, one at its head-
ter provide the required education have at New Concept. We put on a quarters in Emigsville that measures
for the tool and die apprentices, but minimum of two apprentices every approximately 200,000 square feet,

New Concept Technology Midwest
and 50,000 square feet at its plant

in Hermosillo, Mexico, which serves
customers in that country.
“Much of the work that we do tran-
scends different industry boundar-
ies,” Baughman explains. “Many of
our products are connector-related.
Our business initially started with
high-speed connectors for the elec-
tronics industry, but as the automo-
bile market is integrating more and
more electronics, we do a lot of con-
nectors for infotainment and safety
systems. The same connector tech-
nology we use in automotive assem-
blies might get used in medical solu-
tions. Predominantly, the products
will have a molding element and some
metal components that could be used
for applying spring pressure or elec- new concept technology
says it understands that
trical contacts or both, and possibly its customers require zero
defects in its components.
terminated as a cable assembly.”
New Concept Technology is a con- bedded technologies. “We’ve been tool before we start cutting the steel
tract manufacturer. “We use the term putting more and more technology for it,” Baughman says.
‘integrated manufacturer,’” Baugh- in the same amount of real estate,” The quality of the resin for plastic
man says. “We do everything from Baughman says. “We’ve been doing parts affects their design and manu-
design and building of the tooling automated insert molding for quite facturing efficiency. Celanese is one
through the production cycle so they some time. Now, we’ve taken it a of New Concept’s resin suppliers.
can work with one contact.” step further, and components that “Of all our plastic resin suppliers,
The company has six design en- used to take up room on the print- they are the most responsive and
gineers, 45 toolmakers and eight ed circuit board we are now putting bring to us much more than just the
apprentices on staff. The tools it right into the device. We’re packing material,” Baughman attests.
manufactures are used in injection more power, speed and technology For the future, Baughman ex-
molding, high-speed metal stamp- into a smaller package.” pects the company’s size to double
ing and automated assembly equip- A trend in medical devices is to in five years due to business from
ment. Millions of parts are produced make them disposable to reduce the medical, automotive and mil-
every month. the risk of infection from reused itary aerospace industries. New
components. “Disposable surgical Concept Technology is working
Embedded Technologies products certainly drive massive hard to meet the brief lead-times
The OEMs for whom New Concept volumes,” Baughman says. Molded required by its customers.
manufactures components require medical solutions are designed for “That puts a lot of pressure to
the highest levels of quality. “It truly manufacturability in New Concept build strong, healthy relationships
is a zero-defect world,” Baughman Technology’s ISO 14644-1 Class 6 with customers,” Baughman says.
says. “The only way to achieve that cleanroom using computer simu- “You have to take care of your cus-
is with automation.” In-process dig- lations of how the plastic resin will tomer and you have to take care of
ital imaging, robotics and 3-D scan- flow for optimum repeatability, per- your associates. We have to put them
ning provide quality control. formance and quality. “We work re- on career paths so they can continue
The company also supplies em- ally hard to design the best possible to train in the new technologies.” mt

Machinewell
www.machinewell.com / Revenue: $7 million / HQ: Grygla, Minn. / Employees: 50 / Ron Palm, Midwest
vice president: “In today’s economy, it is very difficult to find skilled people to work in the shop.”
ly, the company is concentrating on

expanding all areas of its business.
Working out of a 30,000-square-
foot facility, the company’s produc-
tion operation consists of a material
saw department, turn department
and transfer cell department. Ma-
chinewell also has mill, weld and en-
gineering departments.
Machinewell offers an internal re-
search and development lab along
with a tooling department. The
transfer cell department includes
specialty equipment built in its in-
ternal research and development lab.
The tooling department produces
several different types of jigs, fix-
tures, prototyping and specialty ma-
chines for producing quality parts.
machinewell specializes
in machining, welding and
Customer Base
fabricating for leading
manufacturers.
Polaris of Roseau, Minn., and Arctic
Cat of Thief River Falls, Minn., have
Rec Tech been two top customers since the

1980s, of which they account for 42
percent of Machinewell’s sales. “I
job shop machinewell is a top supplier to the started working here in 1987 and we
had just started working with them,”
atv and snowmobile industry. by jeff borgardt Palm recalls. “It has grown since that
time.” Because the three companies
Machinewell Inc. of Grygla, directly to end-users, making it a 3rd are located nearby in small-town
Minn., is a top job shop for ma- tier supplier. communities “where everybody
chined parts. Founded in 1976, it Machinewell works with all types knows everybody,” many employees
specializes in the machining, weld- of metals including steel, stainless, between companies share lifelong
ing and fabricating of components aluminum, brass and copper, as well personal relationships.
and assemblies. It currently serves as plastics. It also sources castings Machinewell also supplies
more than 80 customers. and special extrusions that require high-performance parts for its cus-
These customers include leading added-value machining. tomers. “There are still people out
manufacturers of recreational ve- In the beginning, the company there who want better performance
hicles and additional high perfor- had fewer than a dozen employees in with their ATVs, side-by-sides and
mance parts, playground and exer- the shop, which utilized hand screw snowmobiles,” Palm explains.
cise equipment, military sectors, machine operators. CNC was intro- On the military side, its largest
industrial restaurant assemblies, duced and a team of salespeople then client has been General Dynamics
fire suppression components, ag- generated additional business. Palm Ordnance and Tactical Systems of
ricultural equipment add-ons and says he has attained dramatic suc- St. Petersburg, Fla.
many more. cess with an outside sales campaign Machinewell says its mission is to
Machinewell often sells its parts he launched a decade ago adding be its customers’ preferred supplier
to dealers who in turn provide them more than 80 extra clients. Current- of machined or welded parts, com-

Machinewell Midwest
ponents and assemblies. It provides just-in-time deliv-

ery with high-quality products “in order to develop long-
term, beneficial relationships,” the company says.
Recruitment Accomplishments
One challenge is attracting top talent. “In today’s econ-
omy, it is very difficult to find skilled people to work in
the shop,” Palm says. To overcome that challenge, Ma-
chinewell partners with local high schools offering a
nine-week school-to-work program.
Students spend an hour per day in each company de-
partment over a nine-week period. The company then
finances tuition for a two-year technical degree in ex-
change for a commitment to work at the company for at
least two years.
Enrollment to the program begins with an assessment,
which includes a student’s grade-point-average. Gen-
erally speaking, Palm has found the most successful re-
cruits are the ones with the best grades. “They perform
very well,” he says.
“Some of our employees have gone through that pro-
gram,” Palm says. “It has been very good for us as we are
in competition for people.” mt
several current employees
were recruited to work at
machinewell via a school-
to-work program.

International
90. Eclipse Automation

90. 101. 104. 93. Triangle Fluid Controls Ltd.
98. UPM
101. AirBoss of America Corp.
104. Super Diesel S.A.
106. Virtek Vision International

International
PARTNERSHIP
PROGRESS
with a new agreement, two companies – one in canada, another in the
netherlands – are working together to help chemical producers
offer more sustainable products.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Innovation often is the result of companies working together,

and one Canadian business is demonstrating just that with a recent part-
nership with a company in the Netherlands. In late 2014, Enerkem Inc.,
a waste-to-biofuels and chemicals producer, signed an agreement with
AkzoNobel, a leading global paints and coatings company and a major
producer of specialty chemicals, to develop a project partnership to ex-
plore the development of waste-to-chemicals facilities in Europe.
“Enerkem’s global expansion follows the launch of our Enerkem makes biofuels and renewable chemicals from
waste-to-biofuels and chemicals full-scale commercial waste. With its proprietary technology, Enerkem converts
facility in Edmonton, which sent a strong signal that our non-recyclable municipal solid waste into methanol, etha-
technology is ready to be deployed around the world,” says nol and other widely used chemical intermediates.
Vincent Chornet, president and CEO of Enerkem. “We are “Headquartered in Canada, Enerkem operates both a
pleased to work with AkzoNobel to develop new facilities demonstration plant and a pilot facility in Quebec and is
and products in Europe. With our lower-cost alternative beginning operations at Enerkem Alberta Biofuels, its first
to incineration and landfilling, we help chemical producers full-scale commercial facility,” it says. “Enerkem’s technol-
offer more sustainable products derived from waste and re- ogy and facilities help diversify the energy mix and make ev-
newable sources rather than petroleum and we contribute eryday products greener while offering a sustainable alter-
to the transition to a circular economy.” native to landfilling and incineration.”
In this new project partnership, Enerkem will license its AkzoNobel is a leading global paints and coatings compa-
exclusive breakthrough technology to convert municipal ny and a major producer of specialty chemicals.
and other waste feedstocks into chemicals. “We supply industries and consumers worldwide with
“By making synthesis gas from waste, we will have a sus- innovative products and are passionate about developing
tainable and cost-effective feedstock for the chemical in- sustainable answers for our customers,” the company says.
dustry which would be fully in line with our Planet Possible “Our portfolio includes well-known brands such as Dulux,
approach to sustainable manufacturing,” explains Peter Sikkens, International and Eka. Headquartered in Amster-
Nieuwenhuizen, AkzoNobel’s director of innovation and dam, we are consistently ranked as one of the leaders in the
partnerships. area of sustainability.” mt

Eclipse Automation
www.eclipseautomation.com / HQ: Cambridge, Ontario / Employees: 223 / Specialty: Custom equipment /
International
Steve Mai, president: “Our job is to support our customers so they can get their products to market.”
Surpassing the Rest

extensive capabilities allow eclipse automation to provide custom automated
manufacturing equipment to a diverse portfolio of customers. by eric slack
eclipse uses its end-to-end

integration services to
ensure success at every stage
of an automation program.
Based out of Cambridge, Ontar- The company provides in-house From pre-automation services to
io, Eclipse Automation has become system design, fabrication, system project management and post-in-
a top supplier of custom automated integration and commissioning stallation support, Eclipse can as-
manufacturing equipment. The com- services. Eclipse also has extensive sist customers with project plan-
pany works with partners around the expertise in manufacturing technol- ning, design for manufacturing and
world in the solar, health sciences, ogy, including precision assembly, risk management. It also offers
transportation, consumer, industrial, robot integration, welding and ma- comprehensive post-installation
telecommunications and electronics terial-handling technology. support plans, including training,
industries. Its goal is to assist in the spare parts management, process
creation of efficient and profitable as- Fully Integrated optimization and long-term ser-
sembly and testing operations. Eclipse is focused on creating long- vice agreements.
Its Cambridge headquarters is a term relationships with customers, “As a vertically integrated auto-
vertically integrated, ISO 9001-reg- utilizing its end-to-end integration mation company, we strive to pro-
istered manufacturing facility that services to ensure success at every vide turnkey service and offering as
houses more than 175 employees. stage of an automation program. much in-house service as we can,”

Eclipse Automation International
President Steve Mai says. “We believe in maintaining a

high degree of control, which is why we have a great deal
of technical expertise and know-how internally.”
Serving a diverse array of market segments has bene-
fited Eclipse, as it has managed to find a solid equilibrium
between its markets on a cyclical basis over the past 36
months. The company has built solid internal expertise
for each market, which allows it to best understand its
customers’ needs.
“We have full mechanical, electrical, programming,
machining, wiring and testing capabilities here,” Mai
says. “Our headquarters spans four different side-by-
side facilities where we do everything from engineering,
integration, assembly and testing to machining, sub-as-
sembly, fabrication and painting.”
Evolutionary Steps
Mai says different market segments tend to trend up
or down at different times depending on the prevailing
economic conditions. The company has taken a number
of steps to ensure it isn’t overly reliant on one sector or
another. In the early 2000s, the company was heavily ex-
posed to the automotive market before it diversified into
the electronics and industrial market segments.
From there, Eclipse evolved to serve additional market
segments. An acquisition in 2011 allowed the company to
grow quickly in the medical, energy and electronics mar-
kets. The company has since structured itself so it can
specialize in its wide array of market sectors.
“We have a lot of technology that we’ve either acquired
or created over the last 14 years, and to be able to use it
to its full capability requires rapid communication with
customers,” Mai says. “We must be able to show them
that we have the expertise needed for their specific proj-
ects from start to finish.”
Over time, the company has invested heavily into its
internal software. In fact, Eclipse’s own team wrote its
Festo is a leading global manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical com-

ponents and controls for industrial and process automation, with 61 independent
national companies serving more than 176 countries.
For more than 85 years, Festo has continuously elevated the state of manufac-
turing with innovations and optimized motion control solutions that deliver higher
performance and more profitable automated manufacturing and processing
equipment.
Festo’s dedication to the advancement of automation extends beyond technol-
ogy to the education of current and future automation and robotics designers with
simulation tools, teaching programs, and on-site services.
With a comprehensive line of more than 25,000 automation components, Festo
is capable of solving the most complex automation requirements. Festo’s experi-
enced specialists provide complete support at every stage of your development
process, including: conceptualization, analysis, engineering, design, assembly,
documentation, validation, and production.

International Eclipse Automation
ERP software system. That allowed Eclipse to better

meet the quality standards of its customers and rapidly
adapt to their needs.
“We’ve gained a lot of control and real-time informa-
tion, and we’ve built a foundation that allows us to rapid-
ly adapt to market changes,” Mai says. “That has helped
us get to where we are today. As we’ve grown our pres-
ence in various market segments, we’ve had to expand
our capabilities through innovation, technology and
staff. We’ve been able to convey information rapidly as
the needs of our markets have evolved and we’ve been
able to tie our whole company together by investing in
our ERP and communication systems.”
Eclipse supplies its solutions all around the world.
Although it is based in Canada, about 80 percent of its
North American business comes from the United States.
This is why the company recently opened an addition-
al manufacturing facility in Charlotte, N.C., while also
to streamline its internal
adding a sales and service facility in Fremont, Calif. processes, eclipse is enhancing
internal communication
“We needed to expand our footprint to improve our of- throughout its facilities.
ferings,” Mai says. “We’ve seen a lot of growth because of

our expansion already.”
Over the short term, the biggest focus for Eclipse is
on further leveraging its current expansion effort in the
United States. Essentially, the company will focus on
proving to customers that it can deliver more efficiently,
as its investment into U.S. expansion will allow the com-
pany to further leverage its core assets. This includes its
internal know-how, which allows Eclipse to successfully
execute projects.
At the same time, Eclipse will focus on streamlining
internal processes even more. It is investing in software
that will enhance internal communication throughout
all of its facilities. That way, the company can provide
the same capabilities and attention to detail to custom-
ers no matter where they are located.
“As a custom automation company, we pride ourselves
on being flexible, as well as our ability to adapt to chang-
es within our market segments,” Mai says. “Our job is
to support our customers so they can get their products
to market. We’ve seen substantial growth in the last 14
years, and the end-goal is to always service current and
new customers in the most efficient manner. We believe
we are at a vital point in our journey. We have a strong
footprint and will continue to invest in whatever it takes
to support our current markets and find opportunities in
new ones.” mt

Triangle Fluid Controls Ltd.
www.trianglefluid.com / Headquarters: Belleville, Ontario / Specialty: Gaskets / Mike Boyd, plant manag-
International
er: “There are hundreds and hundreds of combinations we can manufacture and that’s driven by customer orders.”
Sealing the Deal

triangle fluid controls creates new products
to meet industry demands. by janice hoppe
As regulations on the allowable

leakage in fluid or gas systems be-
come more stringent around the
world, Triangle Fluid Controls Ltd.
is working to provide its custom-
ers with tighter sealing and gasket
products to reduce emissions.
“Since 2007 we have been in-
volved in figuring out new gasket
products and sealing products to
put in the marketplace where we see
a need,” Vice President and General
Manager Mike Shorts says. “We have
nearly doubled our product offering
in the past six years to better serve
our markets.”
The Belleville, Ontario-based com-
pany began in 1922 as Durabla Canada
and manufactured gasket products.
The company began to develop new triangle fluid controls
products over time and Triangle Flu- markets to any industry
that handles and processes
id Controls was created from Durabla fluid or gas.
in 2007.
The company took control of the Leakage Protection ones that provide a tighter seal and
global sales, marketing, technical Triangle Fluid Controls markets to meet emission regulations. “We do
support and distribution for its gas- any industry that handles and pro- have some products that do that
ket and sealing products. “We do ev- cesses fluid or gas, including water, already, but we are trying to devel-
erything out of our plant here in Bel- steam and chemicals. The company op more products that can contain
leville for our distribution network mainly services the oil and gas, pulp all applications, with a particular
around the world,” Shorts says. and paper, chemical and petrochem- focus on methane gas emissions,”
Today, Triangle Fluid Controls ical and power industries. “What our Shorts says. “Triangle Fluid Con-
manufactures Durlon polytetra- customers ask for at the end of the trols serves a wide range of end-us-
fluoroethylene (PTFE) sheets and day are sealing solutions,” Shorts ers whose success depends on the
gaskets, water/sanitation gaskets, explains. “Leakage regulations are reliable performance of their equip-
flexible graphite sheet and gaskets, becoming tighter and tighter, so ment and piping systems.”
high-temperature sheet and gas- they are looking for a better solu- Unlike its competitors, Shorts
kets, low seating stress gaskets, tion to what they already have.” says the company does not have a
semi-metallic gaskets and metallic Due to stricter leakage regula- vast inventory of products to offer.
gaskets. The company also distrib- tions, Triangle Fluid Controls is “Our approach to the market is to
utes axial check valves for a major continuously working to modify its only offer what our users require
United States manufacturer. existing products and develop new to seal their applications,” he ex-

International Triangle Fluid Controls Ltd.
‘leakage regulations are

becoming tighter, so they
are looking for a better
solution to what they al-
ready have.’ - Mike Shorts
plains. “Instead of 50 products to

offer, for example, we have 20 prod-
ucts that can maybe do the same
things as those 50 products.”
A benefit to offering fewer prod-
ucts is increased safety because,
Shorts says, it is less likely that the
wrong material will be chosen for an
application it should not be used for.
“What we offer is better service or
what we feel is better than our com-
petitors in terms of our products,
tech support and delivery,” he adds.
Keeping Pace
One of the main focus areas for Tri-
angle Fluid Controls is manufactur-
ing and becoming more efficient to
keep up with increased demand of
tighter sealing and gasket products. the company is focused on
becoming more efficient
“We are looking at processes in the to keep up with increased
demand of its products.
factory to help us stay ahead of the
growth game,” Shorts adds. example, raw materials are sourced a degassing stage for 24 to 48 hours
Manufacturing sealing and gasket from its business partners and then and is then cured. “The curing stage
products is a lengthy process, Plant molded. That entire process can can last 24 hours to four days de-
Manager Mike Boyd says. When take about 19 hours. Once that is pending on the product and what
manufacturing PTFE products, for complete, the product goes through we happen to be manufacturing in
PTFE products,” Boyd notes.
AGC FluoroCompounds Group
Triangle Fluid Controls then ap-
AGC FluoroCompounds Group Meets Global Demand for Custom Compounding plies Durlon to the material through
AGC FluoroCompounds Group focuses solely on the development, production and marketing of fluoropolymer compounds. a printing process and the product
Drawing from an extensive global supply chain of resins and fillers, AGC FluoroCompounds Group can produce any filled PTFE
or melt processable fluoropolymer compound customized to a client’s specific needs anywhere in the world. The group also
is cut into sheets to the customer’s
offers a wide selection of off-the-shelf compounds based on AGC Fluon® resins that can be used for increased chemical, wear specifications. “We have the ability
and creep resistance, toughness, lubricity, and thermal and electrical conductivity.
Through its advanced technology center with specialized resources and equipment for product development, AGC provides
and flexibility to provide sheets in
customers all levels of service, testing and support. Recently, AGC began operation of its pilot compounding plant, which varying lengths,” Boyd says. “That
improves efficiency in generating product samples with properties that match those of materials produced in full-scale produc-
tion. is a manufacturing advantage for
AGC supplies Triangle Fluid Equipment with PTFEs compounded with performance enhancing engineered fillers and pre- us and also helps our customers in
cisely matched pigments. Gaskets composed of these fluorocompounds are able to withstand high and sub-zero temperatures
and corrosive chemical media, while maintaining high pressure or vacuum. terms of their yield, which is pro-
For more information about AGC FluoroCompounds Group, visit www.fluorocompounds.com, which details Fluon products, ductivity and efficiency enhance-
compounding capabilities, testing and customer support services.
ments for them.”

International Triangle Fluid Controls Ltd.
triangle fluid controls’

durtec zero-leakage fire-
safe gaskets help customers
meet tighter regulations.
m a -
terials for
the PTFE line.
we almost “Our experience and resourc-
operate made- es, combined with AGC Fluorocom-
A certain to-order.” pounds Group’s experience and re-
amount of customization takes place To stay efficient, the company im- sources, allows us to continually do
during the manufacturing process. plements lean manufacturing prin- what we do and seek out new oppor-
For example, Triangle Fluid Con- ciples that require fewer moves of tunities for products in the market-
trols manufactures five varieties product and people. One of the big place,” Boyd notes.
in its PTFE product line and each changes it made was to the layout of The company recently purchased
is geared for a specific application. its new plant in 2012, which now op- semiautomatic machines from It-
Within those varieties, the compa- timizes the flow of material through aly for its high-temperature spiral
ny can manufacture in various sizes. the facility. “It is laid out so the ma- gasket products, which allows it
“How we manufacture is driven by terial flows through and we aren’t to shorten turnaround times, per-
orders,” Boyd explains. “There are doing a zigzag-type pattern,” Boyd form quick changeovers and turn
hundreds and hundreds of combina- says. “By flowing from station to sta- out parts overnight – if required.
tions we can manufacture and that’s tion, less movement of people and “The added benefit of that capital
driven by customer orders.” products is required, so we can best purchase was that it also allowed
Triangle Fluid Controls does not utilize the labor resources we have.” us to bring contract manufacturing
stock a lot of inventory because it can from Asia back into our plant at bet-
manufacture products quickly, Boyd Better Partners ter-than landed cost,” Shorts notes.
says. “Our service is much better than Triangle Fluid Controls prides itself “It brings the manufacturing pro-
our competitors because we have on the top-notch relationships it cess closer to our own control.”
the flexibility to make quick change- maintains with its business partners, Moving forward, Triangle Flu-
overs,” he explains. “We don’t sit on including AGC Fluorocompounds id Controls is forecasting signifi-
a lot of finished product and as such, Group, the largest supplier of its raw cant organic growth that it plans to
achieve by continually investing in
its people and processes. “Year over
‘it’s laid out so the material flows through. by year we are looking at 15 to 20 per-
cent growth over the next five to 10
flowing from station to station, less movement of years,” Shorts says. “In our market,
people and product is required, so we can best uti- that certainly outpaces the growth of
lize the labor resources we have.’ - Mike Boyd the industry we serve as a whole.” mt

UPM
www.upm.com / Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland / Employees: 12,300 / Specialty: Graphic, publishing and
International
specialty papers and labels / UPM: “UPM has adopted the concept of ecodesign as a systematic approach.”
capacity of 1.5 million tons of fine

paper and label papers.
Between the two divisions, UPM
produces:
> Sheet-fed offset papers
> Heatset web offset papers
> Rotogravure papers
> Coldset web offset papers
> Digital printing papers
> Office papers
> Postal papers
> Packaging papers
> Label papers
Paper of Valor
The company also continues its
history of innovation by innovat-
ing new paper solutions. After sev-
eral years of development, UPM
launched a new paper grade in No-
between its two geographic
divisions, upm produces
vember, called UPM Valor.
11.7 million tons of paper
products annually.
“UPM Valor combines our exper-
tise and high-quality materials,”
Greater Purpose Product Portfolio Manager Antti

Pokkinen says. “We have taken a mas-
sive leap forward in the development
upm continues to evolve the papermaking of our traditional paper products.
UPM Valor was created by market
industry by perfecting its processes. demand. Customers expect cost effi-
ciency from paper deliveries. Printed
Although some people might con- UPM is the world’s leading pro- publications need to compete with
sider paper an archaic form of com- ducer of graphic papers and a sup- other media products.”
munication, companies such as UPM plier of a wide product range that UPM says the new line was cre-
continue to show that paper isn’t just includes magazine, newsprint, fine ated to address paper producers’
a relevant part of our past, but a vital and specialty papers. Its business is want for paper made from as little
piece of our future, as well. divided into two distinct business material as possible while keeping
“We at UPM believe in a coexis- areas: UPM Paper Europe and North the paper properties consistent.
tence between print and the digital America and UPM Paper Asia. UPM says paper products can be-
media,” the company says. “Both In Europe and North America, come more competitive by saving
paper and digital solutions are need- UPM operates 18 modern paper on mailing and delivery costs by
ed. There will always be people who mills that produce 10.2 million tons using a lighter-weight paper. The
refuse to read long text off a screen, of magazine paper, newsprint and product is ideal for publications and
and those who print out things they fine paper each year and employ printed products that are expected
find online. There will always be ad- 10,600 people. UPM Paper Asia is a to be premium quality. The opacity,
vertisers who insist on the aesthet- smaller operation with three mod- lightness, color reproduction ability
ics of the printed page and those ern paper mills in Asia and Europe and smoothness are as good as those
who know the power of multichan- that employ 1,700 people. The op- of heavier paper grades, according
nel media mix – online and print.” eration has an annual production to UPM. The company also says

International UPM
CH Robinson Use the skills of C.H. Robinson to Accelerate Your Advantage® in the global supply chain. A single that the properties of UPM Valor
instance, global technology platform, operated by logistics professionals, enables shipment optimization and data are similar to medium heavy-coat-
integration for a broad variety of industries, including produce sourcing. Customers obtain visibility to inbound
and outbound freight and details about their global supply chain costs that they may not be able to gather on their ed or lightly coated printing papers,
own. All of this simplifies the complexities of international trade for companies of any size.
depending on the basis weight.
Green Dedication
UPM Valor is part of a greater com-
pany initiative to create sustainable
products using sustainable process-
es. UPM designed a program called
More with Biofore. The concept
centers on creating more with less.
Through better material efficiency,
UPM seeks to create paper prod-
ucts using less water with less ener-
gy and generate less waste, thereby
giving products more economic
and environmental value. UPM’s
commitment to sustainability was
recently recognized by the Glob-
al Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
UPM was listed in the indices for
the third year in a row and this year
was listed as the industry leader in
the Dow Jones European and World
Sustainability indices.
“We have been assessed as the
world’s sustainability leader of our
industry and we can be very proud of
it,” CEO Jussi Pesonen says.
UPM assesses the sustainability
of every one of its processes, includ-
ing the origins of the wood fiber,
emissions from production process-
es, effluent treatment, energy con-
sumption, carbon footprint, water
consumption and chemicals.
“To continually improve the sus-
tainability of our products through-
out the whole lifecycle and value
chain, UPM has adopted the con-
cept of ecodesign as a systematic
approach in product design,” the
company says. “Ecodesign is an ap-
proach that takes environmental
factors into consideration in the de-
sign and development of products,
covering the whole lifecycle.” mt

AirBoss of America Corp.
www.airbossofamerica.com / 2014 sales: $350 million / Headquarters: Newmarket, Ontario / Employees:
International
800 / Specialty: Rubber compounds / Timothy Toppen, president: “We’re having a pretty good year.”
Success Formula
airboss has cut costs and improved efficiency
under new leadership. by alan dorich
If there is anything that gives

businesses strength, it is the ability
to serve multiple markets. AirBoss
of America Corp. enjoys such diver-
sity with its rubber compound prod-
ucts, President Timothy Toppen
says. “We mix those rubber com-
pounds for various end-users,” he
explains. “They could be for convey-
or belts, off-the-road tires, mining
[or] a whole host of applications.”
Newmarket, Ontario-based Air-
Boss develops, manufactures and
sells the compounds, as well as oth-
er rubber-based products for the
transportation, defense and indus-
trial markets. Chairman and CEO
Gren Schoch and Director Robert
Hagerman founded the company.
Today, AirBoss can supply more airboss is working to be
than 250 million pounds of rubber an- more efficient in its
manufacturing to improve
nually and employs a staff of 800 in its the company’s margins.
facilities across North America. Along

with its headquarters in Newmarket, Driving Efficiency He then appointed Vice President
“We have our large mixing facility in Toppen joined AirBoss this Janu- of Corporate Purchasing Kim Gal-
Kitchener, Ontario,” Toppen says. ary. Previously, he worked 29 years lagher to better manage the depart-
In Acton-Vale, Quebec, a smaller with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber ment. “She is the one that is central-
mixer creates calendar rubber fabric Co., which included work in its Engi- izing the group and driving the value
and manufactures military boots. neered Products business, where he proposition in terms of saving and
“We also have in an R&D center in supervised the manufacture of con- strategic buying,” he says. “I think
Beaumont, Quebec, for defense veyor belts, air springs and military we’re putting the right people in
[products],” he says. “That’s our products. “We used rubber technolo- place to support our future growth.”
footprint in Canada.” gy for different applications and grew Toppen also focused on its manu-
Below the border, AirBoss has a the business to $1.5 billion,” he recalls. facturing operations. “I said, ‘Guys,
manufacturing facility in Auburn Toppen came to AirBoss with what can we do to drive efficiencies
Hills, Mich., and a mixing facility in the intention of driving efficiency. and change our margins?’” he recalls,
Scotland Neck, N.C., which is ide- “Things that were common to my noting that he and AirBoss’ manu-
ally located, Toppen says. “There’s experience weren’t readily applied,” facturing team identified ways to im-
a whole lot of investment going on he recalls. “When I joined the com- prove efficiencies in the facilities.
in the entire Southeast by Michelin pany, I asked, ‘How much do we buy This included centralizing the first
and [other tire firms],” he says. or spend?’ I couldn’t get an answer.” stage of the batching process in

International AirBoss of America Corp.
Kitchener. “By doing that and having the other facilities

do the final stage, they could adjust their workforce and
they could streamline [their operations],” he explains.
With this change, AirBoss took inventory out of a
warehouse in Scotland Neck and closed its doors. Now,
“[We] save $300,000 a year in warehouse costs and drive
those efficiencies and cost savings to our bottom line,”
Toppen says. “We’re having a pretty good year.”
Getting Flexible
AirBoss recently acquired Flexible Products Co., a suppli-
airboss serves the
er of anti-vibration products to the North American auto- transportation, defense and
industrial markets with its
motive market, led by President Doug Reid. Both Schoch rubber-based compounds.
and Hagerman had a long relationship with the company,
which was once AirBoss’ sixth-largest customer. problems quickly,” Toppen says. “When [their clients]
Over the years, Toppen says, Flexible has benefit- get to the final launch and they have a suspension prob-
ed from its location in Auburn Hills. “It’s very close to lem, they’ll contact Doug and say, ‘Can you fix this?’”
where the R&D centers are for the Big Three,” he says. According to Toppen, Reid and Flexible have the ability
The company is also quite skilled at prototyping. to turn around parts in mere days. “He’s very good and has
“Their secret sauce has to do with their ability to solve a lot of ability for solving the problems,” Toppen raves.
By combining with Flexible, AirBoss can take Reid’s ex-
pertise in injection molding and mold finished products
for industrial applications. “It can be seals, railroad com-
ponents or a whole host of things,” Toppen says. “It is [a
matter] of understanding your strengths and leveraging
those strengths to the betterment of your customers.”
In the Business
Rubber compounds continuously evolve in the tire sec-
tor, Toppen says. This is due to the “tradeoff between
traction and rolling resistance,” he explains. “You can
always develop tires that can get 100 miles per gallon,
but they’ll be as hard as a rock. Or, you can have tires that
stick like glue, like Goodyear makes for NASCAR.”
For the average driver, AirBoss has developed a rein-
forcing agent using silica that can optimize the traction
and the resistance. But the process of mixing a trade
compound with it can be very taxing, he admits.
“It’s very aggressive in wearing out your mixers,” Top-
pen says. “Not only is the silica abrasive, but the chemi-
cal compound is very coarse.”
But the company has approached tire manufacturers
with the idea that AirBoss will take the task on itself.
“We’re having strategic conversations with them and
saying, ‘Let us do some of these for you,’” Toppen says.
“’Not only are we upgrading our mixers, you don’t have
to spend all the money to do it.’
“We can take a six-pass mix that a tire company would

AirBoss of America Corp. International
do and we can do it in less stages be- compounds it is bringing to market. coming to him and saying, ‘Doug,
cause we know how to put this to- AirBoss wants global growth. we want to give you more business,’
gether,” he says. “Not only can we “The vehicle that is going to pull us so we are looking at various oppor-
have a value proposition that allows there is the Flexible acquisition,” tunities to add to our automotive
them to free up some capital, we can Toppen says. “Reid’s customers are business.” mt
do it more efficiently and pass on that
efficiency to them.”
Toppen predicts that AirBoss’
clients will focus their growth on
high-performance tires, and de-
mand will increase for ones made
with silica. This will make its facility
in Scotland Lake “more important
going forward,” he states.
Platform for Growth

Toppen developed a plan for growth
with company analysts. “I put to-
gether what we called ‘a platform for
growth’ that was comprised of [sev-
eral] elements,” he recalls. “We’re
working on all of them.”
These include making sure that
AirBoss has a strong leadership
team, which includes Gallagher and
Executive Vice President of Corpo-
rate Affairs Lisa Swartzman. “She
has experience and background [in
acquisitions],” Toppen says.
Other elements include AirBoss’
efficiency initiatives and its prod-
ucts. “[We’re looking at] where we
can leverage our strength to bring
the products to market in high-vol-
ume areas,” he says, noting that the
company has developed oil and gas
Lubricon Industries has been supplying manufac-

turers with maintenance lubes and process oils for more
than twenty years. A family owned and operated compa-
ny, Lubricon prides itself on building long term relation-
ships with customers and suppliers through exceptional
service and communications. AirBoss of America is able
to count on Lubricon for consistent on-time supply for
all of the naphthenic and paraffinic requirements in its
lubrication and rubber compounding.
Custom compounders like AirBoss need a supplier
that can be flexible and is able to provide fast response
to support the company’s production goals. Lubricon
does this by truly making the customer’s needs its top
priority.
For more information, call 1-800-463-LUBE, e-mail
info@lubricon.ca, or visit www.lubricon.ca.

Super Diesel S.A.
www.sudisa.com.mx / Headquarters: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico / Employees: 160 / Revenue: $23
International
million / Specialization: Trailer axles and suspensions
super diesel s.a. was mexico’s first

manufacturer of non-traction
axles for trailers.
Wheels Turning Staying Ahead of the Market

Today, the company is joined by
Quimmco Group and Meritor to
super diesel is mexico’s no. 1 manufacturer of form a joint venture, a corporate
trailer axles. by angela forsyth agreement that has proven to be
a competitive advantage. Human
Resources Manager Gerardo Gon-
Every motor vehicle is made up When Super Diesel opened its zalez, who has been with Super Die-
of hundreds of intrinsic parts that doors in Guadalajara, it mainly sel for 10 years, explains that Super
are unquestionably required for worked on marine motors, but as Diesel focuses solely on the manu-
making it run. Among these parts, time went on, its focus changed to facturing, while Meritor operates
there exists a highly important com- the restoration of diesel motors. the engineering and marketing de-
ponent – the axle – and among the Eventually, Super Diesel became partments. In this way, each compa-
many different types of axles, there Mexico’s first manufacturer of ny is able to concentrate on what it
is an axle specially designed for non-traction axles for trailers. In does best.
trailers as a one-piece non-traction 1977, the company began exporting The partnership with Meritor
axle. This specific part is manufac- its product to several countries, comes in handy, especially in adapt-
tured by Super Diesel S.A – referred and a few years later, it developed ing to an evolving market. “Our
to at times as Sudisa. The company its own technology for making one- product continually changes,” Gon-
has been in business since 1952, and piece axles. For the last four years, zalez notes. “The people in the mar-
is the leading manufacturer of trail- it has been growing its suspension keting division are very attentive.
er axles in Mexico. business with much success, as well. Meritor – which takes care of all of

Super Diesel S.A. International
our merchandising – investigates the market and its ten- rate culture, and the results have been effective. Turn-
dencies.” From there, Super Diesel applies the sugges- over remains low. Some employees have been with the
tions, along with designs from Meritor’s engineers, and company for 40 years. “Every year, we evaluate the ca-
adapts its product to meet new demands. “We have many pabilities of our employees,” Gonzalez says. “Between
different models of axles now,” Gonzalez adds. our employees and laborers, we have almost 160 people.
More than 90 courses have been given this year. It’s one
of our most important steps toward improving the capa-
‘every year, we evaluate the capabilities of our team.”
bilities of our employees. it’s one The extensive training is most assuredly one of the
of our most important steps to- elements Gonzalez is most proud of. Another he feels
ward improving the capabilties of strongly about is Super Diesel’s commitment to keep-
ing the environment as clean as possible. Super Diesel
our team.’ - Gerardo Gonzalez qualifies for Mexico’s “Clean Industry” (Certificación
de Industria Limpia) government certification. The
manufacturing plant contributes to the prevention of
The auto parts market is a competitive one, and Su- global warming by reducing its emissions to a level that
per Diesel constantly feels the squeeze, especially from is below the norm. Care is also taken to not contaminate
Chinese manufacturers. Gonzalez relates that the profit the municipal water. Emissions are reduced by treating
margin for this type of work is extremely tight. “Chinese the water before leaving the factory and reaching the city
companies present very aggressive competitive prices,” drainage systems. mt
he notes. Another economic factor is the price of steel
tube, which fluctuates and also leaves little room for
profit. “There are treated and untreated pipes,” Gonza-
lez explains. “We make a mix of both.” Green or virgin
steel tube can cost $1,600 per ton. Treated material can
cost $2,000, and there is little variation in prices among
different suppliers. “Our primary challenge is that we
are very dependent on the prices of steel tube,” he says.
Responsible Business
Earning more than $26 million in 2014, Super Diesel
splits its business equally between domestic and interna-
tional sales. While it does not sell directly to the custom-
er – Meritor handles all sales – the manufacturer remains
highly conscientious about the quality of its products to
ensure the best vehicle parts for its end-users. Super
Diesel is certified under ISO-TS 16949-2009. Moreover,
every year the company holds “Quality Week,” five days
of conversations, presentations and overall focus on the
importance of product quality.
“Every year we dedicate an entire week to focusing on
quality and another week to safety,” Gonzalez says. Safe-
ty is an important message the company wants to share
with its workers, and he believes that reinforcing the
importance of it throughout the year, as well as show-
ering employees with safety information during “Safety
Week,” helps reduce accidents.
Training is an important part of Super Diesel’s corpo-

Virtek Vision International Inc.
www.gerbertechnology.com / Headquarters: Waterloo, Ontario / Specialty: Laser-based systems / Virtek
International
Vision International Inc.: “For decades, we have worked side-by-side with our customers.”
solutions. Virtek provides laser

templating, quality inspection and
3-D spatial positioning systems for
aerospace carbon fiber composite
part assembly, sheet metal part fab-
rication and construction.
Aerospace and Composites

For the aerospace and composites
market, the Virtek Planner system
enables users to plan and trouble-
shoot the ply layup process by sim-
ulating the process sequence, just
as the Virtek LaserEdge system will
interpret it. Virtek LaserEdge is a
three-dimensional laser templating
system that projects a laser tem-
plate onto molds and parts to guide
operators through the process of
part fabrication, whether it be ply
virtek vision international
serves the aerospace and
layup, paint masking, harness as-
composites market with
laser-based systems.
sembly or component location.
The system worked with oth-
Laser Focus er Gerber Technology systems to

produce components for recon-
naissance and surveillance aircraft.
virtek’s laser projection systems make These components are manufac-
tured with the combination of Ger-
time-consuming procedures obsolete. ber’s automated nesting software
and computer-controlled cutting
Virtek Vision International Inc. used by General Motors for more system and Virtek’s laser ply layup
uses its laser-based templating, in- than 20 years to cut seating materi- system. The combination of these
spection and CNC manufacturing als, is displayed at the Smithsonian automation systems dramatically
solutions to help users produce Institute’s National Museum of improved material utilization as
products faster, with better quality American History. well as the quality and accuracy of
and at a lower cost. The company “For decades, we have worked the ply layup process.
reports delivering integrated laser side-by-side with our customers
solutions to more than 100 of the helping them apply best practic- Quality Inspection
Fortune 500 companies. es to their business,” the company Virtek LaserQC is a rapid inspection
Joseph Gerber, the founder of says. Apparel magazine reportedly system that employs lasers to mea-
Gerber Technology – Virtek’s par- determined that 32 of the top-50 sure the accuracy of two-dimen-
ent company that acquired it in most-profitable U.S. apparel com- sional parts to tolerances of within
2008 – invented the first automat- panies use the product lifecycle 0.002 inches. It is ideal for first-ar-
ed fabric-cutting system in the late management and computer-aided ticle inspection and reverse-engi-
1960s. The system automatically design (CAD) software solutions of neering requirements in aerospace,
cut large amounts of material with a Gerber Technology. oil and gas, transportation and mil-
computer-controlled knife. Virtek Vision’s systems mesh itary components such as gaskets,
The first such GERBERcutter, with other Gerber Technology sheet metal, glass, tool and die, and

Virtek Vision International Inc. International
packaging. Virtek LaserQC compares the finished prod- Iris SPS determines a work piece’s position in 3-D space
uct to a CAD file and produces a detailed report with all and projects a laser outline indicating exact placement lo-
the dimensions and deviations from tolerances. cations for parts – even on the most complex weldments.
Virtek LaserQC Automatic Form Measurement is a “It’s ideal for companies manufacturing heavy machinery
rapid inspection system that employs lasers to measure – earthmoving equipment, locomotives, ships and other
the accuracy of three-dimensional parts to tolerances of large-scale products,” the company says.
within 0.010 inches. It can measure a part’s height and An optional Verification Module uses Iris’ 3-D vision
raised features as well as from edge-to-edge or hole-to- technology to compare the CAD file with the position of
hole. The system can reduce scrap and rework and im- components placed on a weldment. If it determines that
prove profitability by pinpointing errors immediately on the component was placed correctly, a check mark is pro-
the shop floor. jected over the component. If it was placed incorrectly,
With the Virtek LaserQC system, two-dimensional an X is projected.
parts can be reverse-engineered. The LaserQC scans the This system provides instant feedback to the assem-
part in seconds – capturing all the required data – and bler, eliminates the need to check parts manually and
generates a CAD file. The software allows manipulation alerts users to assembly errors before they become cost-
of the scan data and part profile to optimize the quality ly. The module also generates reports that assist with
of the CAD model. The CAD file then is simply exported quality assurance documentation. These are just some
for post-processing or added to a CAD library. of the automation solutions that Virtek Vision Interna-
tional Inc. and Gerber Technology provide to many dis-
Construction Market tinct markets. mt
In construction, the Virtek TrussView system facilitates
truss assembly by projecting data associated with a truss
in production so everyone involved can visualize it and
has the necessary information – including work order,
truss name, quantity and key dimensions – to construct
it correctly.
The Virtek TrussLine system projects a laser template
of the truss to be built onto the work surface, highlight-
ing the position and shape of all truss joints and connec-
tor plates and eliminating the need for measuring, squar-
ing and stringing.
For assembly of wood panels, precast concrete or
steel, the Virtek Laser Template Generator projects a
laser template of the panel members onto the work sur-
face, showing workers how assembly should be done.
The Virtek LaserCNC system projects a laser template
of the finished part onto the CNC table to enable accu-
rate, fast positioning of the fixing components.
Welded Assemblies
The Iris spatial positioning system guides workers
through the assembly process by locating hardware in
3-D space, quickly locking onto CAD datum references
and employing lasers to project exact placement posi-
tions on the work piece. “Finally, parts are manufac-
tured exactly as designed without the expense and delay
caused by using templates, tooling and fixtures,” the
company says.

South
110. Eagle Manufacturing

118. 120. 122. 114. Phoenix Manufacturing
118. Precision Drive Systems
120. Uniroyal Engineered Products
122. East Texas Precast Co.
124. ESCO Marine

South
MILITARY
OUTREACH
the manufacturing industry knows it can benefit from a veteran’s
skills from the military, and hiring events aim to get job seekers and
jobs together.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
It is no secret that the manufacturing industry needs skilled

workers, and members of the military have always been attractive op-
tions to fill open spots in manufacturing. Atlanta-based Bradley-Morris
Inc. (BMI), the largest military recruiting firm in the United States, un-
derstands this, and has set 2015 dates for its ConferenceHire® events.
According to BMI, these opportunities to source military 3/09 Providence, R.I.
job seekers offer an efficient and effective recruiting solu- 3/23 Atlanta
tion for hiring managers and corporate recruiters to address 3/30 Chicago
their civilian job openings. On each of these dates, Fortune
1000 companies will interview JMOs (Junior Military Of- “We see two factors at play heading into the new year.
ficers), technicians and diversity candidates with military First, with some sources reporting the strongest economic
backgrounds for positions in management, engineering, signs in more than a decade, military job seekers are hearing
technical work, supervision, field service, consulting, sales from more employers targeting veterans compared to re-
and business development. cent years,” BMI CEO Sandra (Sandy) Morris says. “Second-
The ConferenceHire events will take place in the follow- ly, new OFCCP veteran hiring mandates for 2015 are making
ing locations in the first quarter: the recruiting market even more crowded. Bradley-Morris
January clients take advantage of access to candidates who have
1/16 Atlanta been in the BMI pipeline for years. These job seekers rely on
1/19 Dallas us as a trusted resource to help them identify the best com-
1/26 Norfolk, Va. panies to work for.”
1/26 Providence, R.I. Fortune 1000 employers seeking to source military job
February seekers attend Bradley-Morris ConferenceHire events to
2/09 San Diego, Calif. recruit for careers in manufacturing and a wide variety of
2/09 Seattle other industries.
2/16 Nashville Employers and job seekers who wish to view the com-
2/23 Houston plete 2015 ConferenceHire schedule and register for Brad-
March ley-Morris’ military recruiting services can go to Brad-
3/09 Norfolk, Va. ley-Morris.com or call 1-800-330-4950. mt

Eagle Manufacturing
www.eagle-mfg.com / Headquarters: Wellsburg, W. Va. / Joe Eddy, president and CEO: “It’s as
South
important to develop new and improved processes as it is to offer new products to the market.”
Staying Ahead
eagle manufacturing has been an innovation
leader for more than a century. by janice hoppe
eagle manufacturing remains

a prime manufacturer of
Eagle Manufacturing has been
more than 1,000 products. successful at manufacturing indus-
trial safety and material-handling
products over the past 120 years
because of its ability to evolve. “It’s
not only that we are able to, it is that
we are willing and eager to change
and make it a part of our footprint
and how we go to market and man-
ufacture,” President and CEO Joe
Eddy says.
The Wellsburg, W. Va.-based com-
pany was innovating products in
safety long before the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration’s
(OSHA) requirements went into ef-
fect in 1970. Eagle Manufacturing
began in 1894 as a decorative glass
factory that evolved into producing
metal lids for glass jars and metal
supply cans for the railroad industry
in 1907. These cans led to its current
safety container line. Eagle Manu-
facturing also became well-known
for its pump oilers.
As the need for products that met
federal OSHA safety regulations
grew, the company expanded pro-
duction to include storage cabinets
for flammables. In the late 1980s,
Eagle Manufacturing diversified its
product line to include a line of Haz-
Mat containment products and in
2000, it added a complete range of
guards and protectors.
Today, Eagle Manufacturing re-
mains a family owned business and
a prime manufacturer of more than
1,000 products, operating in three
plant locations in Wellsburg. The
company takes the product from de-

Eagle Manufacturing South
sign development through to manufacturing and to mar-

ket. “We outsource as little of that manufacturing and
design process as possible and are a fairly fully integrated
company,” Eddy explains.
Known for Innovation

Throughout its history, Eagle Manufacturing has been
recognized as a leader in providing innovative products
and processes. “We are looked at as a small company, but
one that innovates quite quickly,” Eddy says. “When we
talk about innovation, it is product and process innova-
tion. It’s as important to develop new and improved pro-
cesses as it is to offer new products to the market.”
Eagle Manufacturing recently implemented 3-D print-
ing technology at its facilities, which has increased its
ability to go to market with new design concepts and
helped it redesign existing products. “We have utilized
this technology to help us redesign components within
existing products that can be manufactured more effi-
ciently and improve the product while saving cost and
manufacturing time,” Eddy explains.
Eddy believes that every challenge has an opportunity
attached to it that can improve a product or process. For
example, Eddy asked the company’s engineers four years
ago to look at the safety cabinet line it has been making
for 45 years and improve the quality of the product while
cutting 30 percent of the cost. By reviewing the design and
process, the company’s engineers were able to achieve that
challenge two years later by incorporating more automa-
tion and developing outsourced components in-house.
“Any new product concept or innovation in products
we look to do, we first make sure they mold around our
mission statement of protecting people, property and
the planet,” Eddy says. “Our new products are not going
to be too far off from where our current manufacturing
capacities and technologies are or what our markets are
willing to accept as new products.”
Eagle Manufacturing’s product growth has been brisk
over the past 10 to 15 years, Eddy says. “A lot of our prod-
ucts are required purchases because they are required by
OSHA, EPA or DOT, so it can be hard to differentiate your
product when they all have to be made to the same spec-
ification,” he adds. “We try to differentiate ourselves by
making sure we offer broader product lines and that our
products are all made in the USA.”
The company recently announced new products that in-
clude flexible and metal spill containment products, poly
acid safety and consumer cabinets, additional security

South Eagle Manufacturing
products and wheeled industrial

waste containers.
Manufacturing Marvel
The other point of differentiation
for Eagle Manufacturing products is
that the company can make changes,
redesign or innovate a new product
quickly because everything is man-
aged in-house. “We take the prod-
uct from beginning to end, whereas
many of our competitors outsource the company can make changes,
redesign or innovate new product
their design and/or manufacturing quickly because everything is
manufactured in-house.
processes,” Eddy notes.
Because Eagle Manufacturing has cause we offer good jobs with fair 750,000-square-foot warehouse and
been in business for more than a pay and benefits, and once they start, manufacturing facility. The compa-
century, it uses older manufactur- they plan to retire with the company. ny’s goal is to ship orders within one
ing equipment to its advantage rath- “It’s great to have a lot of senior- to three days because customers de-
er than looking at it as a hindrance. ity, but it also means that about 50 mand the fast turnaround. “We have
“Synergy is the common thread that percent of our staff is 55 years or old- large products and a large inventory of
binds our new business to the old,” er, so we work closely with the mid- more than 1,000 different products,”
Eddy says. “Synergy between ex- dle and high schools, and commu- Eddy notes. “For example, we make 23
isting products and processes and nity and technical colleges to make sizes of safety cabinets in seven colors
new ones allows us to attack from a sure kids are interested in STEM and three door styles, requiring us to
position of strength in technology, education and in manufacturing,” stock up to 4,000 at a time, and that
manufacturing and marketing. In- Eddy adds. “I feel comfortable that takes a lot of warehousing space.”
stead of looking at old stamping or we are helping people understand To prepare for future growth,
deep-draw processes as a liability, that manufacturing has changed. Eagle Manufacturing will increase
we integrated a lot of automation The advanced technologies of to- its plastics manufacturing capacity
and PLC controllers to work in con- day’s manufacturing offer a lot of by 30 percent this year and will add
junction with the old equipment and new opportunities for kids starting 50,000 square feet to its main distri-
it works well. It’s very efficient.” their careers where they can use bution center beginning in January.
Although combining both old computer technology, robotics and Moving forward, Eagle Manufac-
and new processes is efficient, it automation. Manufacturing is not turing plans to double its export
can be a challenge to find laborers the same old dirty job they know business in the next three years. “I
with experience on the old machin- from their grandparents.” think that our strategic plan objec-
ery. “Fortunately, we are in an area tives are being met and we look to
where workers have stamping and Increasing Capacity see up to eight percent sales growth
welding experience from working Eagle Manufacturing acts as a mas- this year. I would like to see our
in the coal and steel industry,” Eddy ter distributor by stocking a sig- business grow 50 to 75 percent in the
says. “We have a very experienced nificant amount of inventory in its next 10 years.” mt
workforce here.”
Eagle Manufacturing has about 25 Pioneer Powder Coatings “It’s the Finish that Counts” has been the motto of Pioneer Powder Coatings for 20
years. As a custom formulator and manufacturer of OEM powder coatings, Pioneer produces the functional and dec-
employees with more than 40 years orative properties demanded across many industries. Personal service, application experience and timing programs
of service who the company can call put the finishing touch on Pioneer’s customer relationships.
With stock products and RALs available for next-day delivery and manufacturing capabilities from 100 to 40,000
upon to work on older machinery pounds, Pioneer satisfies the quality and delivery needs of OEMs, custom fabricators and professional coaters. Con-
or train new hires. Job turnover is sistent product quality proven over many years is the hallmark of Pioneer’s new manufacturing facility with processes
focused on industry-leading contamination control.
almost non-existent, Eddy says, be-

Phoenix Manufacturing
www.phoenixhsv.org / 2014 revenues: $35 million / Headquarters: Huntsville, Ala.
South
Employees: 663 / Specialty: Rehabilitative services
phoenix manufacturing says

it is proud to give employment
opportunities to people with
disabilities.
Career Makers tenance. The company cleans 8 mil-

lion square feet a day and maintains
a total of 4,500 acres of grounds at
phoenix gives people with disabilities a place in Redstone Arsenal, a U.S. Army post
the workforce. by jim harris in Huntsville, Tyler notes.
The U.S. Military is one of Phoe-
nix’s largest customers for manu-
For Phoenix Manufacturing, thing that we are most proud of is facturing, which includes commer-
there’s more to business than just our focus on employment opportu- cial sewing and custom embroidery
profitability or market dominance. nities for the people we serve. That services. The company’s three larg-
“In our society, business has be- is what will always come first here,” est product lines are U.S. interment
come cut-throat,” Vice President Tyler says, noting that 84 percent of flags presented during funeral ser-
of Development and Manufactur- the company’s workforce is made up vices for U. S. Veterans; single-point
ing Wes Tyler says. “We are in the of people with disabilities. “When a release parachute harnesses, of
business of building relationships new job opportunity presents itself, which the company is the sole sup-
and partnerships, not taking busi- the first thing we do is determine plier nationwide; and air cargo de-
ness from another company. We be- how it can be accomplished by a per- livery nets.
lieve in putting people to work and son with a disability.” Phoenix also produces more than
strengthening our business as well The majority of Phoenix’s em- 160 different national stock numbers
as the business of our customers.” ployees are referred by the Alabama for both government and commer-
Providing jobs for people with all Department of Rehabilitation Ser- cial customers such as seat cushions
disabilities is the main mission for vices. The company pays roughly and tote bags. “We take an aggressive
the Huntsville, Ala.-based nonprofit $21 million annually in wages to approach to business opportuni-
organization, incorporated in 1973 employees working in one of three ties and typically don’t say ‘no’ to a
as the Huntsville Rehabilitation business areas: manufacturing, jan- job, and that has enabled us to grow
Foundation. “Without question, the itorial services and grounds main- and diversify our business lines into

Phoenix Manufacturing South
‘we take an aggressive approach to business op- nologies to provide document conver-
sion and electronic storage services.
portunities and typically don’t say no to a job, and Electronic waste recycling services
that has enabled us to grow and diversify.’ - Wes Tyler are provided in conjunction with Cy-
clePoint, a national network estab-
new markets,” Tyler says. “We’re like serve as a drop-off point for electronic lished by SourceAmerica, a national
any other company from a profit/loss recycling. The company will dismantle nonprofit organization. SourceAmer-
standpoint – if we don’t generate reve- and ship to Tier 3 recyclers, who then ica is one of two nonprofit agencies
nue, we will go out of business.” will complete the process. Phoenix established to carry out the federal
Several of the company’s commer- also recently partnered with docu- AbilityOne program, which provides
cial customers look to Phoenix to help ment management firm Doma Tech- jobs to more than 50,000 people
bring back jobs that they previously
outsourced overseas. “One of these Embroidery Solutions Manufacturing LLC The Gaffney Embroidery Division and its parent company, Embroidery
Solutions Manufacturing LLC would like to thank Phoenix Industries for the valued business partnership that our companies
companies – tote bag manufacturer have enjoyed for 20 years. Phoenix Industries Manufacturing Division has long been a quality conscious diversified manufac-
Haul Couture of Huntsville – previ- turer of textile products.
Gaffney Embroidery and Embroidery Solutions offer a full range of fully vertical Schiffli embroidery manufacturing
ously outsourced its sewing out to a capabilities. From the production of embroidered star fields for US flags for government and commercial end users, to the
intricate designs required for fashion industries such as home furnishings, decorative fabrics, intimate apparel and many
factory in Guatemala,” he adds. other embroidered fabric uses.
Phoenix Manufacturing recently We would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to Phoenix Industries for all they do in the pursuit of employ-
ment opportunities to the handicapped and disadvantaged in their community. We salute their business model and their
added to its capabilities. The compa- loyalty to the employees and trade partners that help contribute to their continued success.
ny’s manufacturing facility will soon

South Phoenix Manufacturing
phoenix produces more

than 85,000 u.s. military
interment flags annually.
with significant disabilities nationwide. The program

was established after the 1973 passage of the Javits Wag-
ner O’Day Act, which enables the federal government to
dedicate some of its purchasing power to organizations
that employ people with disabilities. SourceAmerica
helps Phoenix and other like-minded organizations se-
cure government contracts, Tyler adds.
Quality Operations
All of Phoenix’s business offerings have one thing in
common. “Our biggest strength is our superior quality,”
Tyler says. “Whether it’s in janitorial services, ground
maintenance or our sewing plant, our quality is as good
as anyone else in the country.”
Products are inspected during production as well as
when they are completed. The company also tracks daily
productivity for each of its manufacturing operations. “We
try to continually improve our efficiency on a daily, weekly,
monthly and yearly basis,” he adds. “We are very hands-on
in our operations.”
Phoenix alone produces more than 85,000 inter-
ment flags annually. The sewing plant includes au-
tomatic single or double-needle sewing machines as
well as programmable machines capable of heavy or
light-duty sewing. Employees are placed on manufac-
turing lines based on their skill levels, and machines
can be modified if necessary. “Through job carving we
will find a way for the majority of our employees to ex-
cel within our workforce,” Tyler says, noting that em-
ployees are also cross-trained to fill in for others in the
event of an absence.
Phoenix employees take pride in their final products.
“We exceed our customers’ expectations,” he adds. “If
you were to ask the folks in our plant, that would be the
thing that they are most proud of.” mt

Precision Drive Systems
www.pdsspindles.com / Headquarters: Bessemer City, N.C. / Global employees: 45
South
Specialty: Machine tool spindle repair, sales and manufacturing
work on wood, plastic, composites,

non-ferrous materials and metal.
“We repair or enhance spindles at a
level better than most factory spec-
ifications and warranty them as new
when they leave here.”
Spindles repaired, sold or manufac-
tured by PDS are used in a variety of
markets including the marine, aero-
space, energy, furniture, appliance
and automotive sectors. The compa-
ny provides repaired new or custom
designed spindles to machine build-
ers, robotic integrators, retrofitters
and end-users. “The products and ap-
plications requiring material removal
that can be performed using our spin-
dles are nearly endless,” he adds.
In addition to their traditional
spindle use on three- and five-axis
all of pds’s products
undergo a number of CNC machines, spindles repaired,
stringent quality tests.
sold or manufactured by PDS are
Machine Hearts
also commonly used as end-of-arm
tooling on robotic manufacturing
equipment. This particular appli-
cation of PDS’s products will be
precision drive systems keeps its customers’ emphasized by the company during
machining operations running. by jim harris its planned appearance at the Auto-
mate 2015 show in March in Chicago,
When it comes to machine tools, ing Bob Jewell says. “Typically when where they will display their spindle
the importance of the spindle – the someone calls us, it’s not because ev- product line. The company may also
rotating axis used in drilling, cut- erything is going great, but because partner with the integrators who
ting, milling, contouring, deburr- their machine needs repair. I’m hap- use its products on demonstrations
ing and polishing – is difficult to py that we’re able to do that for them at the Automate show, Jewell says.
overstate. A broken or inoperable and get them back up and running.”
spindle is a significant setback for The international company, head- Providing The ‘Right Tool’
its users, who lose productivity and quartered in Bessemer City, N.C. PDS can perform routine repairs
income during downtime. – located just outside of Charlotte, such as bearing changes and balance
For more than 18 years, Precision N.C. – provides repair and manufac- to spindles within three to five busi-
Drive Systems (PDS) has helped its turing services from both the North ness days. Although more complex
customers keep their machining op- Carolina facility as well as a PDS fa- repairs such as replacing electrical
erations running smoothly by repair- cility near Hanover, Germany, which windings or reverse engineering ma-
ing, selling and manufacturing spin- serves European customers. “One jor components can take longer, the
dles. “I’m most proud of the length of the most unique qualities of our company still typically provides its
of the relationships we have with company is that we have the ability customers with a better turnaround
our customers, many of whom we’ve to repair all makes and models of ma- than its competitors, Jewell notes.
worked with for our entire history,” chining spindles,” Jewell says, noting The company’s new spindle sales
Vice President of Sales and Market- that this includes spindles used to business includes offering a wide

Precision Drive Systems South
range of spindles designed and produced to its specifica-

tions either in house or by a number of partners world-
wide. The company is also a longstanding authorized
distributor and repair provider of products for Italian
manufacturer Giordano Colombo, which they stock in
their NC facility.
Every product that goes through PDS’s facilities un-
dergoes a number of stringent quality tests. The company
maintains advanced equipment, clean rooms, and instru-
mentation within both of its facilities, where it tests spin-
dles for vibration, run out levels and balance, among oth-
er functional checks. PDS’s spindles range from 0.4 to 40
horsepower with speeds up to 60,000 RPM.
Product assembly is the main manufacturing opera-
tion in both of PDS’s facilities. The company acquires
many components from its many global partners and
maintains a large inventory of finished components and
spindles ready to ship to customers.
PDS has five main platforms of spindles, any of which
can be tailored to customer requirements. PDS’s abili-
ty to custom-manufacture spindles offers customers a
number of advantages including increased productivity
and overall product life.
“There are very few companies who can manufacture
a complete high-speed machining spindle from concep-
tion,” Jewell says. “One of our biggest advantages is the
depth of our application engineering. If you come to PDS
and tell us you need a spindle to machine a countertop,
automotive component, or mold as examples, PDS will
help identify exactly what spindle you should use and
why, will help calculate the feeds and speeds as well as
torque, RPM, spindle protections, tool holder type, bear-
ing configuration and more to achieve the cycle time and
spindle life you are looking for. Our depth of application
engineering and spindle options ensures you will get the
right spindle for the right job.” mt
pds’s spindles are commonly
used on CNC machines as
well as on robotic arms.

Uniroyal Engineered Products
www.naugahyde.com / Annual revenue: $105 million / Headquarters: Sarasota, Fla. /
South
Specialty: Cast vinyl coated fabrics / Howard Curd, president: “Our technologies solve problems.”
Engineered Products, the producer

of Naugahyde, which was the last
remaining independent piece of the
former Uniroyal, Inc. Curd saw a
great company and brand that could
be re-focused and expanded in the
coated fabrics industry. The Nauga-
hyde brand had always been a small
piece of large corporations and as an
independent standalone, Curd felt
the company could flourish.
Today, Uniroyal Engineered Prod-
ucts reaches the industrial and auto-
motive markets via the Uniroyal En-
gineered Products name and to the
consumer market under the Nauga-
hyde name. It is headquartered in
Sarasota, Fla., and runs a manufac-
turing plant in Stoughton, Wis.
“Our success is driven by techni-
known for high-quality cast
vinyl coated fabrics, uniroyal
cal sales and support,” Curd says.
provides performance-coated
fabric solutions.
“Our technologies solve problems
for customers. That technical and
On the Move manufacturing ability helps in-

crease penetration with existing
customers and gets our name out to
uniroyal engineered products seeks growth new prospects.”
through international expansion. by eric slack Expansion Effort
One important recent undertaking
Uniroyal Engineered Products mostly sell to the Tier 1 suppliers to for Uniroyal Engineered Products
has become a top producer of cast the major OEMs. We’ve worked hard came in March 2013 when the com-
vinyl coated fabrics. Its assets in- to earn a reputation for high-quality pany combined with Wardle Storeys
clude the iconic Naugahyde brand, products, intense customer service (Group) Ltd. of Earby, England, an-
a leading choice for many types of and technical support.” other major producer of vinyl-coat-
vinyl fabrics. Uniroyal Engineered ed fabrics. Both firms serve a diverse
Products is focused on providing Storied History array of market segments in coated
performance coated fabric solutions The Uniroyal name traces its lega- fabrics, including the automotive,
for the automotive, healthcare, hos- cy back to the United States Rubber industrial and healthcare sectors.
pitality, marine, recreational, furni- Co., which was founded in 1892 and Wardle Storeys’ business is about
ture and transportation markets. changed its name to Uniroyal, Inc. 80 percent automotive focused.
“We have a well-known brand and in 1961. Uniroyal created the Nau- Among its brands are the Ambla vi-
are seen as providers of high-quali- gahyde brand coated fabrics in 1936. nyl-coated fabric for contract up-
ty products at competitive pricing,” Over time, Uniroyal, Inc. was holstery and Velbex calendered vinyl
President Howard Curd says. “In the broken up and sold in pieces in a sheet for medical, industrial, barrier,
U.S., we are about 50 percent auto- series of transactions over multiple pond liner, decorative laminates and
motive and 50 percent non-automo- years. In 2003, Curd and his inves- other markets. In addition, its com-
tive. In the automotive industry, we tor partners purchased Uniroyal ponents division focuses on vacuum

Uniroyal Engineered Products South
forming, injection molding and ure- marily global manufacturers and are systems,” Executive Vice President
thane foam molding for automotive moving more to global platforms,” of Global Operations George Sanchez
and other markets. Curd says. “We’ve been able to leverage says. “We’ve made investments at our
The acquisition was important be- our customer bases and find new op- Wisconsin plant and our U.K. facility.
cause it allowed the combined company portunities to bid on projects through These investments have improved our
to establish a global footprint, servicing our global expansion.” cost of production and allow us to be
key customers in the U.S., Europe and Uniroyal’s other key investments more competitive in the marketplace.”
Asia. Currently, each company operates have focused on R&D and technology, Wherever it operates, the company
under existing brand names because of and it has also been investing heavily understands that it must get to know
the brand equity and customer loyalty in its plants to upgrade capabilities its customers’ businesses intimately.
within current markets. Although each and increase productivity. The compa- By understanding its customers’ man-
firm is heavily involved in the auto ny recently invested $2.2 million into ufacturing needs, Uniroyal can adapt
business, there is not a lot of overlap the Wardle Storeys plant to upgrade its formulas to best serve the custom-
in customers. Both companies have its facility and equipment. Increasing ers’ manufacturing processes.
extensive design and development productivity, decreasing costs, im- “Service, reliability and on-time de-
capabilities, and exchanging technol- proving services and staying competi- livery are important, and we commu-
ogy and sharing resources will allow tive are all critical for Uniroyal. nicate regularly with customers to be
the companies to develop and launch “We’ve upgraded and expanded our sure we understand their supply chain
more exciting product offerings. coaters with higher speed and effi- and production issues and can help
“Our automotive customers are pri- ciency and state-of-the-art control solve their challenges,” Curd says. mt

East Texas Precast Co.
www.easttexasprecast.net / Employees: 250 / Specialty: Parking garages / Chris Romani,
South
sales manager: “We bring an exceptionally experienced team with an array of precast knowledge.”
east texas takes pride in

precast’s durability as well
as the company’s ability to
meet tight schedules.
Priority Parking to work with tight project construc-

tion schedules. “While the gener-
al contractor and other trades are
east texas precast succeeds because of its high- working on the site, we are manufac-
performance product and people. by jeff borgardt turing the building,” Romani says.
According to the Precast Concrete
Institute, building with precast can
With its experienced staff and clients select precast parking garages shave one to four months off the
large production capacity, East Tex- over other options for several reasons. overall construction schedule.
as Precast Co. says it can meet any First, “precast is very versatile both Romani also stated that precast is
project schedule. The precast manu- during and after construction,” he a very durable and resilient material.
facturer and full-service subcontrac- says. Color, aggregate and finish can He stated, “one of the great things
tor oversees the erection of parking easily be varied, for example. After it about precast is that is can with-
structures. is used, precast can then be recycled or stand the test of time, even under
Since the plant was founded in 1982 repurposed instead of demolished and the harshest conditions.” He further
as a structural precaster, the company wasted. In fact, Romani says, “Given stated that precast has natural re-
has grown in size, capacity and capa- precast’s ability to create large spans, sistances to fire, blast, seismic, and
bilities. During that time, its parking spaces in total precast structures can wind condition. Insulated precast
garage expertise grew, as well. be repurposed rather easily.” walls, he added, can create continu-
Sales Manager Chris Romani says East Texas Precast Co. also is able ous vapor barrier around buildings.

East Texas Precast Co. South
Lifting Power ‘there is less chance for human error.

East Texas Precast Co. operates six gantry cranes during
its daily manufacturing process. Its 38-acre production fa-
this process allows us to make a stron-
cility in Hempstead, Texas, 30 miles northwest of Houston, ger structure while reducing erector
includes a wood shop, batch plant and steel shop. The com- safety risks.’ - Chris Romani
pany is constantly improving the plant with more efficient
and safer processes. For example, it recently began utiliz- for the university, we were able to manufacture substantial
ing an NMB splice sleeve to make connections between pieces and thus were able to utilize two cranes during the
two members without welding. “There is less chance for erection process, allowing [construction crews] to spend
human error,” Romani explains. “This process allows us minimal time on campus, which made everyone happy.”
to make a stronger structure while reducing erector safety Another advantage is the company’s experienced team.
risks. Overall, it’s a more efficient process.” This step in the “We bring to the table an exceptionally experienced team
manufacturing process is now quicker and performed with with a vast array of precast knowledge,” Romani says.
better quality. Also, its relationship with sister company Gulf Coast
East Texas Precast Co. continues to win business in the Precast Erectors “allows for great coordination between
Houston market as well as in greater Texas and western manufacturer and erector,” he says. The company also
Louisiana. The company held up well during the Great offers high engineering quality and very competitive pric-
Recession. “Houston has been one of the first markets to ing, Romani adds. In all, it is the company’s outstanding
boom after the recession,” Romani relates. The oil and gas process and quality that has made it a success – and the
business has been strong and many global corporations best is yet to come. mt
have relocated their headquarters to Houston, moving
from California and other locales. With much land avail-
able, many companies have also created corporate campus-
es in suburban areas. These often include 10 or more build-
ings with parking garages from East Texas Precast.
Student Parking
Recent projects for East Texas Precast Co. include the
West Gate Parking Garages in Katy, Texas, the Memorial
Hermann Parking Garage in The Woodlands, Texas and the
University of Houston Stadium parking garage.
The university sought a parking garage that would allow
it to maximize campus space for education and research
facilities. The structure also afforded the university an
opportunity to earn parking revenue. As the precast was
produced offsite, East Texas Precast Co. minimized con-
struction distractions to students and staff. “This garage
matches the campus and was given some final highlights
with additional signage,” the company says. “Its design was
optimized using precast to maximize parking spaces so that
it can provide parking not only for college classes but also
for sporting events.”
Why do clients such as the University of Houston choose
East Texas Precast Co. rather than others? “We have a large
production capacity and can meet their needs on the sched-
ule,” Romani explains. “So when they have a project that
needs to be done, we can meet and beat the schedule start-
ing on time and finishing either on time or early. Specifically,

ESCO Marine
www.escomarine.com / HQ: Brownsville, Texas / Employees: Up to 400 / Specialty: Disman-
South
tling vessels / Richard Jaross, president: “We are not limited in the type of vessels we can handle.”
Break it
Down
esco marine uses its
expertise to give old
vessels a new purpose.
by jamie morgan
From the outside looking in,

shipbreaking seems like a tough,
dirty business, but it’s actually one
of the greenest industries around.
That’s because when it comes to
shipbreaking, the breaking isn’t the
end goal. Recycling is. Rather than
the majority of tons upon tons of
retired marine vessels ending up on
the beaches of third world countries
with little to no environmental and
safety regulations, companies such
as ESCO Marine recycle large quan-
tities of vessels following strict U.S.
safety and environmental laws.
Sitting on 103 acres in Browns-
esco marine can handle up
ville, Texas, ESCO Marine is a to eight ships at one time
depending on the sizes of
full-service marine yard and recy- each vessel.
cling operation. The company spe-
cializes in recyclable metals and the tugs, barges, jack-up rigs, semi-sub- “So far we have cleaned a good
proper disposal of obsolete mari- mersibles, production platforms part of the top part of the ship and
time vessels. It employs 300 to 400 and crew and supply boats. In ad- have removed a lot of weight on the
people depending on the amount of dition to dismantling two nuclear port side of the overhang,” Presi-
work at hand and processes about a repair ships, ESCO Marine is cur- dent of ESCO Marine Richard Ja-
dozen vessels a year. Depending on rently working on one of the historic ross says. “We have also started on
the size of the vessels, the company aircraft carrier, the USS Saratoga. the back of the ship so we are mak-
is capable of handling eight ships ing good progress. The ship weighs
simultaneously. Piece of History 58,000 tons and ESCO will recover
If the ships are on the larger end, The Saratoga made its final voyage multiple ferrous scrap, non-ferrous
however, such as an aircraft carrier, in late August from the Newport and other materials and reusables.
the ships at ESCO Marine’s facility Navy Base in Rhode Island to ESCO All this material will be returned to
may number just two or three. The Marine’s site in Brownsville for the the economy to be reused.”
company also has a car shredder to purpose of dismantling and repur- On all of its projects, Jaross says
process road vehicles, but the ma- posing of its hull and board materi- safety is a chief concern at ESCO
jority of its work is in processing als. The project will take 18 months Marine. The company acknowledg-
marine vessels of all types – ships, to complete. es that although accidents happen,

ESCO Marine South
esco has been investing in its

facility to take on larger
projects more efficiently, such
as whole aircraft carriers.
it is in the employer’s best interest to educate and equip we get awarded a lot of ships so that tells me we run a
employees with proper safety knowledge and resources. good program at ESCO,” Jaross says. “We follow techni-
“When you have a company of 400 people you obvi- cal programs very carefully and most important there’s
ously have things that happen,” Jaross says. “But we have a good esprit de corps with ESCO’s personnel, which is
regular safety meetings and various safety programs in important to have in any business.” mt
place here to minimize injuries. All workers wear proper
PPE and take safety training for their particular job re-
quirements. You can teach people everything you know
about safety but the real responsibility lies on them, so
we help keep them aware of all the dangers involved and
we try to protect them in every way we can.
‘we only have five competitors

in the united states and each one
thinks they’re better than the
others, but i know that we get
awarded a lot of ships.’ - Richard Jaross
Jaross says the safety efforts have paid off. ESCO is a

government contractor that receives enough work to
keep its hundreds of employees busy. Now the company
is investing in its facility to take in larger projects more
efficiently. ESCO Marine is enlarging one of its three
slips so that it can take in whole aircraft carriers, larger
vessels and oil rigs directly into its dismantling slip for
increasing production and overall capacity.
Jaross says “we are not limited in the type of vessels we
can handle, but this investment will make it more eco-
nomical,” thereby making ESCO more competitive.
“We only have five competitors in the U.S. and each
one thinks they’re better than the others, but I know that

Northeast
128. Houghton International

128. 134. 136. 132. Conical Cutting Tools
134. Moduline Modular Aluminum
Cabinets
136. Force Robots LLC

Northeast
THE
RIGHT PATHS
the national institute for metalworking skills is supporting the high-
growth machining and metalworking industry by helping workers
improve their skills.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The National Institute for Metalworking Skills’ (NIMS) admin-

istration recently expanded its apprenticeships through an $100 million
competitive grant program to launch apprenticeship models in high-
growth fields. It also plans to align apprenticeships to career pathways
and scale effective apprenticeship models.
NIMS has developed more than a dozen competency-based NIMS’ Competency-Based Apprenticeship System, de-
apprenticeship models in the machining and metalworking veloped in partnership with the United States Department
industry. These monitor progress based on performance, in of Labor and more than 300 companies, integrates NIMS
lieu of rigid hours, allowing individuals and companies to national standards and skill credentials into measuring re-
customize the apprenticeship model based on needs. quired competencies for multiple occupations.
“There are an estimated 99,500 projected job openings for NIMS has developed the skills standards in 24 operational
machinists and 117,100 projected job openings for industri- areas ranging from entry-level to master-level that cover the
al maintenance technicians nationally through 2020,” says breadth of metalworking operations, including metalform-
Jim Wall, executive director of NIMS. “We stand ready to ing and machining. All NIMS standards are industry-written
partner with applicants across the country to help prepare and industry-validated, and are subject to regular, periodic
more people for these growing careers by ensuring the high- reviews under the procedures accredited and audited by the
est quality training that is directly aligned to the core skills American National Standards Institute (ANSI). NIMS cer-
and competencies needed by employers.” tifies individuals’ skills against these national standards via
The NIMS team is equipped with the subject matter ex- 52 distinct credentials that companies can use to recruit,
pertise to launch a successful competency-based appren- hire, place, and promote individual workers. Training pro-
ticeship training program with industry leaders through: grams incorporate the credentials as performance or com-
> Customizing competency-based apprenticeship models; pletion measures of academic coursework in metalforming
> Supporting the implementation and sustainability of or machining programs. The credentials are often the basis
competency-based apprenticeships through various av- for articulation among training programs. In 2013, NIMS is-
enues including project management and technical as- sued 13,888 industry-recognized credentials, representing a
sistance; and, 59 percent increase from 2012.
> Providing workshops and training support with employ- The National Institute for Metalworking Skills was
ers and training partners. formed in 1995 by metalworking trade associations. mt

Houghton International
www.houghtonintl.com / Headquarters: Valley Forge, Pa. / Employees: 2,000 + / Specialty:
Northeast
Specialty chemicals / Paul DeVivo, CEO: “We focus on helping our customers be successful.”
Formula of Success
houghton international serves customers with specialty metalworking
fluids and services created specifically for their needs. by chris petersen
houghton international has As a trusted supplier of special-

provided specialty chemicals
to various industries for ty chemicals to customers in met-
more than 150 years.
alworking, automotive, aerospace,
steel, aluminum, offshore and oth-
er industries, for nearly 150 years,
Houghton International knows the
most important formula it has is the
combination of internal elements
that go into making it a market lead-
er. CEO Paul DeVivo says there are
many crucial components of Hough-
ton’s winning formula, but the most
important catalyst is the company’s
devotion to serving its custom-
ers with the solutions they need.
“Houghton International continues
to focus on serving its customers,”
DeVivo says. “The long historic en-
gagement of focusing on customers
goes back many, many years.”
Houghton has been in business
since 1865, providing first its Cos-
moline® rust preventive products
but soon branching out into other
product lines. Today, the compa-
ny is a leading provider of specialty
chemicals used in metal removal,
heat treatment and quenching, met-
al cleaning, rust prevention, metal
forging and steel mill applications,
to name a few. The company also
specializes in developing hydraulic
fluids, friction modifiers, and alumi-
num anodizing and paint pre-treat-
ment products.
In addition to the physical prod-
ucts it supplies, Houghton also
provides value to its customers
through the process application
and technical expertise it can offer.
The company’s numerous chemists,

Houghton International Northeast
metallurgists, microbiologists and A key component of the company’s processes. For example, Bijlani says,
engineers give Houghton the know- process when working with custom- the company can help its customers
how it needs to work hand-in-hand ers to develop optimum solutions is identify and resolve areas of inef-
with customers to create high-per- Houghton’s emphasis on identify- ficiency from a metalworking fluid
forming solutions to meet their ing “pain points” within customers’ consumption point of view and de-
product, process, environmental,
health and safety requirements.
With all of these components in
place, Houghton remains solidly at
the top of the industry, and DeVi-
vo says its formula for success will
remain as consistent as it has been
throughout its history.
“The strong fundamental focus
on high-technology products, the
excellent commitment to serving
customers’ needs and expanding
globally to serve their needs … we’ve
done that for a long part of our his-
tory,” DeVivo says.
Value Proposition
Houghton has become a major force
in the specialty metalworking fluids
market because it supplies its cus-
tomers with a level of service that
many of its competitors can’t match,
according to Vice President of Glob-
al Business Development, Marketing
and Strategy Jeewat Bijlani.
“I think our first big strength and
differentiator is our ability to create
value for our customers,” according
to Bijlani. This ability to create value
comes in many forms, ranging from
improved part quality, to increased
productivity, to reduced tooling
costs; all leading to reduced custom-
er total cost of ownership.
Sasol Performance Chemicals has locations
in Germany, Italy, Slovakia, the UK, France, Belgium,
Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Russia, the US,
Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, Dubai, China, Singapore
and Japan, including its corporate headquarters in
Hamburg, Germany. Our business consists of four
key business divisions: Organics, Inorganics, Wax and
PCASG (Phenolics, Carbon, Ammonia and Speciality
Gases). We market a broad portfolio of organic and
inorganic commodity and speciality chemicals as well
as high quality wax products and speciality gases, for a
wide range of applications in the industry.

Northeast Houghton International
velop lubricants or other specialty

additives that can make equipment
function more efficiently.
Nevertheless, this can be a chal-
lenge when considering the fact that
many of Houghton’s customers have
global footprints, with differing
conditions and equipment from site
to site. That’s where Houghton’s ap-
plication / technical expertise plays
perhaps its most important role in
the company’s formula because it
allows the company to customize
its solutions for virtually any condi-
tion. “We’re able to provide custom-
ers with a solution that’s consistent
on a global scale,” Bijlani says. “Our
role is to make those solutions suc-
cessful for them in every situation
and every circumstance. We’re side-
by-side with them in their globaliza-
tion process.”
Bijlani says the expertise Hough-
ton has in-house also gives it a bet-
ter foundation from which it can
respond to major changes in the mar-
ketplace. He says this is important
because in some areas, such as met-
alworking fluids, the ability to react
and change course quickly is essen-
tial. “It gives us the nimbleness and
the flexibility to adapt to the needs of
the customer,” Bijlani says.
houghton’s chemical products
are found in metalworking
applications as well as
Working Together other industries.
The close partnerships Houghton
has with its customers is another search group that are out with our helping clients as they make the
key element in its formula for suc- customers in their locations on a transition from ferrous metals to
cess, according to Vice President of day-to-day basis,” he says. aluminum and higher-strength
Research and Development David One current example of Hough- steels. The manufacturing processes
Slinkman. “Our strength is the fact ton’s commitment to working with for different metals come with their
that we have members of our re- customers is how the company is own set of unique requirements. At
the same time, environmental and
“We’re able to provide customers with a solution occupational safety and health regu-
lations continue to become stricter.
that’s consistent on a global scale. Our role is to Slinkman says Houghton is working
make those solutions successful for them in every to develop fluids that are more en-
situation and every circumstance.” - Jeewat Bijlani vironmentally and worker friendly

Houghton International Northeast
houghton international
says it always strives to
help its customers be as
successful as possible.
while living up to the higher performance expectations

on the production floor, as well as helping customers
meet their waste discharge limits. “I don’t think you’ll
find that expertise at many of our competitors,” Slink-
man says.
Mike Shannon, Executive Vice President Global Op-
erations and Supply Chain, adds that the ever-chang-
ing regulatory landscape makes it more important than
ever for Houghton’s customers to know exactly what’s
in every container of specialty chemicals. Houghton is
developing a new global system that will provide on-line
access of safety data sheets to its customers. This will
be introduced in 2015. Slinkman says Houghton has pro-
actively taken steps to ensure timely compliance with
the U.N. Standard for the Globally Harmonized System
(GHS) for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. This
system will feature standardized formats for safety data
sheets and product labels including hazard statements
and pictograms which will provide greater understand-
ing for customers working with such chemicals. DeVivo
says this is one of the many ways Houghton works to cre-
ate the safest working environment possible.
Customers’ needs continue to evolve, and Houghton’s
formula for success is allowing it to evolve right along
with them. “We focus on helping our customers be suc-
cessful, and they believe that we have the capability to do
that in so many ways,” DeVivo says. mt

Conical Cutting Tools
www.conicalendmills.com / HQ: Grand Rapids, Mich. / Specialty: Carbide end mills and tapered
Northeast
end mills / Robert Shindorf, president: “We don’t use recycled-grade carbide. Many do.”
Cutting-Edge
revamped conical cutting tools is emerging as a market leader following a
production, sales and marketing overhaul. by jeff borgardt
by manufacturing higher-
performance tools, conical
cutting tools saves money for
customers and adds value.
Conical Cutting Tools has not of the best approach to discuss prod- way so he systematically devised a
only been a leading manufacturer and uct benefits and features, he says. sales procedure that reduces un-
provider of carbide and high-speed When he acquired Conical Cut- needed communication clutter in
steel end mills to customers through- ting Tools, selling through distribu- the quoting and ordering process.
out the United States, but also one of tors remained a challenging process Improvements were also made to
the chief innovators and a trusted re- with much back-and-forth among marketing materials. Some manu-
source to the metalworking industry the customer, distributor and man- facturers provide sales literature or
since its founding in 1944. ufacturer, Shindorf relates. For ex- technical information but not both.
Management consultant Robert ample, oftentimes a customer would “We provide both and do it proper-
Shindorf purchased the business place an order through a distributor ly,” Shindorf says. Its 300-page cat-
in 2012 amid a slump in sales. He only providing the dimensions of alog features more than 3,000 tools.
reformed the sales process and im- the product. “That would not be With a better sales process in
proved the sales literature, techni- enough information, so the back and place and with the marketing tools
cal information and catalog. Sales forth would start,” Shindorf says. to support it, Shindorf then fol-
personnel are now properly advised He knew there had to be a better lowed up with a huge marketing

Conical Cutting Tools Northeast
push. “We fully developed and tested all our products,” tia. It also has an interest in the Methodology Group, a
he states. “Each of our products has been designed to management consulting firm, and AxioDesik Strategies,
compete against all the major manufacturers. They sup- a mergers and acquisition service.
port tool lines but not high-performance tools. We de-
velop from scratch all high-performance tools with the Market Leader
latest and greatest geometries.” Conical Cutting Tools is best known in the market for its
Conical Cutting Tools’ new product lines feature thou- end mills, tapered end mills and specialty cutting tools.
sands of new tools, and premium end mills with high- “It has always been our mission to provide superi-
speed steel and micro-grain carbide. With a fresh, new or-performing products which solve complex machining
product line, Conical Cutting Tools leapfrogged ahead challenges for the metalworking industry,” the com-
of the competition that Shindorf says is still selling out- pany says. “We are dedicated to our customers and the
dated inventory they’ve stockpiled from past years. industry as a whole and combine ongoing, continuous
“We monitor stock on a daily basis,” Shindorf says. In- improvement processes with thousands of hours of new
ternal systems trigger appropriate inventory levels. “We tool development per year.” Conical Cutting Tools says
project three months of stock based on existing product.” its senior staff members have more than 250 years of
combined industry experience. “This lead-by-example
Best Price culture has allowed us to provide exceptional customer
Price is a top consideration among Conical Cutting service, build long-lasting customer relationships and
Tools’ customers. “Everyone is very, very concerned manufacture the highest-performing end mills and cut-
about price,” Shindorf says. “There is a price-to-perfor- ting tools in the industry.” mt
mance ratio you have to hit. We use all premium materi-
als and we are in that sweet spot. We have been able to
really streamline our internal operations so our price
point can compete with anyone out there. We are manu-
facturing higher-performance tools, getting more value
and saving price.”
Conical Cutting Tools saves money for customers
with its high-performance products. For example, if a
customer needs a 5/8-inch tool, it can often supply a 1/2-
inch tool to do the job. “We have a different approach,”
Shindorf says. “Everyone claims their product is the
best. People don’t believe it. We can save them money on
carbide with smaller lengths.”
Conical Cutting Tools also differentiates itself in its
production process. “We don’t use recycled-grade car-
bide,” Shindorf says. “Many do.” Conical Cutting Tools’
customers include Grainger Industrial Supply, gun man-
ufacturer Sturm, Ruger and Co. and NASA, he says.
“We are basically providing tooling to all the indus-
tries out there,” Shindorf explains.
In addition to being president of Conical Cutting
Tools, Shindorf is a managing member of Stone Fox Ven-
tures, a venture capital and private equity firm. The in-
vestment firm acquires, structures, manages and grows
underperforming and troubled middle-market manu-
facturing, distribution and service companies. Its other
interests include Lehigh Valley Abrasives of Lebanon,
N.J., and Allied Industrial Supplies of Halifax, Nova Sco-

Moduline Modular Aluminum Cabinets
www.modulinecabinets.com / Headquarters: Brockton, Mass. / Employees: 30 / Specialty:
Northeast
Modular aluminum cabinets / Paul Gill, owner: “We are problem-solvers for our customers.”
tomers, on time and within budget.

The company has become well known
for excellence in workmanship and
top-notch service. Its innovative
spirit is what allowed it to become the
home for manufacturing the Mod-
uline Aluminum Cabinet line.
The company manufactures the
high-quality and high-style Mod-
uline garage storage cabinets, trailer
cabinets and industrial storage cabi-
nets, as well as aluminum and stain-
less steel countertops. Moduline
products include aluminum storage
cabinets, drawer unit tool cabinets,
countertops and accessories.
“Moduline cabinets were initially
focused on car racing applications
and garages. Then we started adver-
initially focused on car tising and selling more of the prod-
racing applications and
garages, Moduline now uct line into more market sectors,”
serves many market sectors.
Gill says. “We’ve grown to service
Special Storage
military contracts, NASA, various
government agencies and munic-
ipalities. We still do a lot of work
for car enthusiasts, dealerships and
moduline modular aluminum cabinets can be specialty vehicles.”
utilized in many industries. by eric slack Gill and his team have established
a strong marketplace for Moduline
A story that began in rented space Quality and Innovation products by doing everything from
in Whitman, Mass., nearly 30 years Now based in 25,000 square feet in attending trade shows to engaging
ago eventually led to the creation of Brockton, Mass., GMF has grown in outbound sales efforts. At the
Moduline Modular Aluminum Cabi- into a multi-million-dollar sheet same time, the Internet age has sent
nets. Moduline grew out of the foun- metal shop that employs 30 people. many customers in Moduline’s di-
dation laid down by Gill Metal Fab GMF also provides engineering, rection. Repeat customers and word
(GMF), a complete precision sheet programming, design and precision of mouth are also responsible for
metal fabrication and manufactur- welding services, and it has high-vol- Moduline’s continued growth.
ing company founded in 1988. ume production capabilities, pro- “We’ve grown the brand a lot
“We pretty much started with totype and small-run expertise. Its over the last 10 years or so, and
nothing, doing various work, acquir- machinery is state-of-the-art CNC many people now know the prod-
ing some accounts and adding dif- manufacturing equipment, and the uct,” Gill says. “We work with cus-
ferent pieces of machinery,” owner company supplies precision sheet tomers to understand what they
Paul Gill says. “We basically did any metal and welded parts to many in- need. We have a standard product
type of work, from frame fabrication dustries including electronics, com- line, but we can also produce many
to precision sheet metal. The alu- munications, computer, lighting, different custom configurations,
minum cabinetry that is Moduline semiconductor and vacuum. especially in the specialty vehicle
first came out about 15 years ago and GMF’s goal is to manufacture and specialty cabinetry spaces to
grew from there.” high-quality components for its cus- suit a specific application.”

Moduline Modular Aluminum Cabinets Northeast
Continued Adaptation tion ensures that it is built to last and coming too saturated in one market.
Moduline regularly invests in its prod- operate effortlessly. The company always has opportuni-
uct line and manufacturing capabili- In addition, Gill says the company ties in the pipeline and looks to stay
ties. In 2013, the company introduced has invested in top-of-the-line CNC true to its commitment to Ameri-
the Moduline QuikDraw single-action equipment and automation solutions. can-made innovation.
latch system. It is designed to be so “Our vision is to become even more “We are always adding new features
easy to use that it can be opened with automated through software and and products,” Gill says. “We believe
one finger, even if the user’s hands are state-of-the-art machinery,” he says. in taking a very consultative approach.
full. When closed, the drawers stay se- As necessary, the company will We make products that we believe in,
curely latched with no worry of them consider everything from investing and we are problem-solvers for our
coming open accidentally, even when in a larger facility to bringing in new customers.” mt
they are used in mobile applications. equipment. However, Gill says the big-
The QuikDraw latch has a host of gest focus must be on people. Industrial Hardware Distributors family owned
and operated since 1978, has been serving the Truck Trailer,
key features such as the dual, inde- “Our people are the key asset we can Work Trucks, Trucks on and off-road, Sheet Metal Fabrica-
pendent latch mechanisms on both build,” he says. “We will train anyone tors, Agriculture, RV, Medical, Marine, Military, Construc-
tion, Enclosures and for a number of different industries
ends of the anodized handle. This fea- who has a willingness to learn.” for over 36 years. Today, we offer an extensive selection
of locks, latches, handles, hinges, bear claw latches, rotary
ture is unique because it doesn’t take Moduline will continue to succeed latches, drawer slides, draw pull latches, hold down clamps,
up valuable drawer space, leaving all as a product line because the compa- nema hardware, work truck hardware, key cylinders and
other products made from several high quality manufac-
that extra capacity for tools, parts and ny is versatile. By working in multiple turers that we represent.
equipment. Its high-impact construc- market sectors, Moduline avoids be-

Force Robots LLC
www.forcerobots.com / HQ: Cleveland / Specialty: Robotics / Steve Somes, owner: “We make Northeast
our robots accessible and useful to small- and medium-sized manufacturers.”
force robots’ products use force

to sense and perform their work,
allowing manufacturers to
automate some processes.
Robot Revolution
work with its complex, high-per-
formance parts and sophisticated
processes. Human labor is more
difficult to control and a single mis-
force robots continues to develop cutting-edge take could scrap parts worth thou-
robots for manufacturing. by jeff borgardt sands of dollars, Somes explains.
“There is a very high cost for error,”
A National Science Foundation ufacturing market. Now, “We are he says. Humans, unlike robots, are
award gave Force Robots its start talking to other manufacturers in also prone to repetitive-motion
eight years ago, and the startup aerospace and the industrial sector stress injuries.
continues today with its mission about robots that do finishing work The company’s robots arrive at
to develop better robots for indus- on castings and machine parts,” the customer’s facility fully assem-
try. “Winning the National Science Somes says. bled and simply need to be placed
Foundation award enabled us to de- onsite. Installation takes less than
velop our prototype,” owner Steve New Frontier of Automation five minutes. Another advantage
Somes says. “We got it up and run- Force Robots’ products represent of this type of robot is that it can
ning and into a manufacturing facil- a new age of manufacturing robots work side-by-side with humans and
ity to show what it can do.” that use force to sense and perform doesn’t need to be cordoned off.
Its success finishing turbine their work. The technology allows “Conventional robots work in
blades for aircraft jet engines and manufacturers to automate pro- cells which must have everything
ground-based turbine engines drove cesses not possible with conven- built around [the robot] to con-
the development of a second-gen- tional systems. form and arrange to it,’ Somes ex-
eration robot for the broader man- The robots excel in aerospace plains. “This makes them inflexible

Force Robots LLC Northeast
and a very large investment [that is] out of reach for

many manufacturers.
“Our robots are portable and don’t require additional
integration, so they can be placed where most needed in
the plant. They require a lower investment and technical
skill level to implement.”
Force Robots designs, manufactures and assembles all
of its robots in-house at its Cleveland location. “Gener-
ally, the robotics industry is under the domain of Japa-
nese and European Union companies with China coming
on strong,” Somes notes. “There is not much of a robot-
ics industry in the United States.”
However, Cleveland has a strong tradition of manu- offering internships, force
robots takes pride in the
facturing and machine building. The state of Ohio has cleveland area’s strong
tradition of manufacturing.
even supported Force Robots with a grant to help com-
mercialize its innovation in support of the state’s large improve. The scanners will help robots locate flaws, giv-
aerospace industry. ing them “eyesight.”
“We are anxious to get started on that,” Somes ex-
‘our robots are portable and plains. “But first, there is a lot of need we can meet with
our initial system.” mt
don’t require additional integra-
tion, so they can be placed where
most needed. they require a lower
investment and technical skill.’
Capable, Affordable and Safe

Force Robots makes robots that are more capable than
its competitors, as well as affordable and safe to work
with, the company says. “Our products are developed
around the core belief that working by force is required
if robots are to break out of their current narrow range of
applications,” Somes says.
Working by force relieves the positioning require-
ments of precision and repeatability. Application of
force accomplishes the work, with tool-to-part mating
geometry determining the motion path. The resultant
motion path tells the robot precisely where the work-
piece is located, the shape of its surface and how the ap-
plied work is progressing. This permits closed-loop task
performance, which is much more robust than the open-
loop operation of conventional robots, which merely do
the exact thing over and over.
Despite the success as a robotics innovator that it has
achieved in a few short years, Force Robots is not stop-
ping yet. Its plans include developing robots that use 3-D
scanners. This is made possible by the declining price of
3-D scanners, even as their performance continues to

West
140. Tesla Motors

140. 143. 146. 143. The Clorox Company
146. GCX Corp.
150. Gruber Industries

West
NEARING ZERO
the construction of the first high-speed rail system in the united
states is not only historic, but also important for its used of highly
advanced, low-emissions equipment.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The California High Speed Rail Authority broke ground in early

January on the nation’s first high-speed rail system, but additional atten-
tion also is focused on the fact that some of the world’s most advanced and
cleanest diesel equipment will be used to construct the historic project.
“While there is a debate on the merits of the high speed > Reducing particle matter emissions by 90 percent
rail project in general, one thing that is not in debate is the > Reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by 99.7 percent
readiness of the most advanced construction machines and
equipment to build the project,” says Allen Schaeffer, exec- The 14-year, $31 billion high speed rail project will ulti-
utive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. mately span more than 800 miles and link Los Angeles and
“It is fitting that a project of this size will be built with the San Francisco, contribute to economic development and a
latest generation of advanced clean diesel technology. This cleaner environment, create jobs and preserve agricultural
massive project is being done with the most advanced and and protected lands. Construction on parts of the system
sustainable green construction practices, which is why the are already underway along a 29 mile route from Madera to
latest clean diesel engines and equipment that meet the na- Fresno, with clean diesel powered equipment conducting
tion’s most stringent environmental standards - known as demolition, drilling and viaduct work as well as water, sew-
‘Tier 4’ - are the technology of choice. No other fuel or tech- er and storm drain relocation and general excavation. Die-
nology can match the combination of power, efficiency, per- sel engines power more than two-thirds of all construction
formance and now near-zero emissions of these machines. equipment, and power all of the heavy cranes, crawlers and
“The standards, established by both the California Air excavators that will be the workhorses.
Resources Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection In November 2014, the High Speed Rail Alliance and the
Agency, have been in effect since 2014 and will deliver sig- U.S. EPA recognized clean diesel technology as a key part of
nificant air quality benefits to the communities surround- the Green Construction partnership.
ing the project and result in a 90 percent reduction in par- “Tier 4 equipment will not only deliver clean air benefits
ticulate matter and oxides of nitrogen, an ozone forming to local communities, but also the potential for significant
compound,” Schaeffer adds. fuel savings for contractors that translates into greenhouse
The new generation Tier 4 clean diesel technology achieves gas emission reductions,” Schaeffer says. “The Tier 4 rules
a substantial reduction in emissions of particulate matter and are the latest milestone on the clean diesel pathway estab-
oxides of nitrogen (NOx) from engines deployed on off-road lished by the Air Resources Board and the U.S. Environmen-
equipment including construction equipment manufactured tal Protection Agency.
beginning in 2014. According to U.S. EPA estimates, by 2030 “We are proud to represent the leaders in manufacturing
the national benefits of Tier 4 engines will include: of clean diesel construction engines, machines and equip-
> Reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 1 million ment including Caterpillar, Cummins, CNH Industrial,
tons or 82 percent Deere, Isuzu, MTU America, Volvo and Yanmar.” mt

Tesla Motors
www.teslamotors.com / Headquarters: Palo Alto, Calif. / Specialty: Electric vehicles / Elon
West
Musk, co-founder and CEO: “Our long-term plan is to build a wide range of models.”
It’s Electric!
tesla motors pursues its plan to transform the economy
starting with high-efficiency, electric vehicles.
tesla motors continues

to gain market share with
its line of highly efficient
electric cars.
Tesla Motors is steadily on the ily cars. This is because the overar- pany so R&D could go full steam into
track to achieving its not-so-secret ching purpose of Tesla Motors (and the second piece of the secret plan,
secret plan. In 2006, three years the reason I am funding the com- which was to build a luxury sedan
after the company was founded, pany) is to help expedite the move at a lower price point than the Tes-
Co-founder and CEO Elon Musk from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon la Roadster. The result was the Tes-
divulged Tesla Motors’ true inten- economy towards a solar electric la Model S, which hit the market in
tions in a blog titled “The Secret economy, which I believe to be the 2012 and has received numerous ac-
Tesla Motors Master Plan ( just be- primary, but not exclusive sustain- colades. Now the company is prepar-
tween you and me).” It turns out able solution.” ing to enter volume production of its
that producing ultra-cool electric In 2008, two years after Musk Model X. Tesla Motors describes the
sports cars is not the plan but rather wrote those words, Tesla Motors Model X as “a crossover utility ve-
a byproduct of the plan. stepped onto the scene with the hicle that blends the best of an SUV
“The initial product of Tesla Mo- Tesla Roadster, which was step 1 in with the benefits of a minivan. As
tors is a high-performance electric achieving its secret plan – to design a stylish as it is functional, Model X is
sports car called the Tesla Road- high-end electric sports vehicle that a vehicle above category.”
ster,” Musk says in a blog post. can outshine gasoline sports cars
“However, some readers may not be like Porsche and Ferrari with twice Plan Upgrades
aware of the fact that our long-term the energy-efficiency of a Prius. As Tesla Motors continues to hop
plan is to build a wide range of mod- The cash flow from those sales were each stepping stone in its secret
els, including affordably priced fam- promptly reinvested into the com- plan, consumer demand for its

West Tesla Motors
growing family of vehicles is on

the rise. In 2013, Tesla Motors pro-
duced more than 22,000 cars, and
approximately 35,000 cars in 2014.
By the end of 2015, Tesla Motors ex-
pects to have increased production
by another 50 percent. The growth
prompted the company to tempo-
rarily pause production last year
at the Tesla Motors Factory in Fre-
mont, Calif., so it could expand the
tesla motors has made
facility’s capacity. major upgrades to its
manufacturing capabilities
“During the pause in production, in recent years.
we upgraded the assembly line, added
capacity to the body shop, enhanced Another highlight is the re- Aesthetically Speaking
powertrain assembly and revamped vamped floor plan. The cars now In addition to purchasing new
facilities for our employees,” the move down the assembly line as equipment, Tesla Motors also made
company says. “The result of this re- associates work on them, enabling significant upgrades to the manu-
tooling phase, which complemented a streamlined and more consistent facturing environment. The facility
ongoing upgrade work, is a much-ex- workflow. Tesla Motors says the is now brighter with skylights, en-
panded operation that allows us to line is now running at about 1,000 ergy-saving LED lamps to replace
produce more cars faster, while in- cars per week and has potential to fluorescent lights, and bright white
creasing automation and providing a run more with slight tweaks. floors and walls as opposed to the
more inviting work environment.” Tesla Motors is also building a previous grays that adorned the
The most striking changes to its new section of the factory for pro- building. There are also a few nov-
Fremont facility are found in gen- duction of the Dual Motor Model S. el touches. For instance, climbing
eral assembly. The company has The drive units for this model will plants wrap around several pillars,
eliminated a lot of overhead steel be produced on a highly automat- adding some greenery to the atmo-
and mechanical structures in favor ed line that is laid out with room to sphere. Also, Tesla Motors commis-
of advanced robots that can lift and grow so future capacity increases sioned a comic artist to depict the
maneuver entire cars with precision can take place with minimal disrup- manufacturing process in a series of
while taking up less space. The next tion to existing operations. illustrations, which are printed on
step is to design robots that can in- Another critical investment Tesla the glass walls enclosing some of the
stall battery packs in the cars, “re- Motors made was to add conveyors robots. For added artwork, a wall of
lieving humans of the most labor-in- and advanced robots in the power- framed photos detail the building’s
tensive operation in the factory and train department, giving it the ca- evolution over the years.
reducing installation time from four pacity to process 1 million battery “The photo wall serves as homage
to two minutes,” Tesla Motors says. cells per day, up from 800,000. The to the evolving auto industry and
company added welding equipment a reminder of the factory’s past,”
and improved production up-time Tesla Motors says. “For 26 years be-
Hope Global has been manufacturing high-quality products
and components through innovative manufacturing solutions from 5 to 10 percent, “thanks in fore Tesla moved in, the factory was
since 1883. Our quality certifications are proof positive that we
never lose sight of the exacting standards we are held to by our
part to a 13-car buffer that guards home to General Motors and Toyo-
customers and end users of our products. A testament to that is against bottlenecks,” Tesla Motors ta’s New United Motor Manufactur-
Hope Global’s relationship with Tesla Motors, who we have been
manufacturing custom solutions for since 2012. We currently says. “We’ve also added 24 new tire ing Inc., which produced 500,000
supply an engineered fabric wind deflector which can be found and export docks to the perimeter cars a year. GM had built up the fac-
in Tesla’s sunroof assembly, from our “Cut, Sew, & Assembly”
division. We are proud to be a partner to Tesla and are committed of the main building, increasing the tory two decades prior to that. Our
to being the industry leader in customer satisfaction. No matter speed with which we can deliver work in Fremont builds on those
what it takes, Hope Global is driven to get it done.
cars overseas.” foundations.” mt

The Clorox Company
www.thecloroxcompany.com / Revenues: $5.6 billion / Headquarters: Oakland, Calif. /
West
Employees: 7,700 / Specialty: Consumer products /
A Stronger Chain
the clorox company’s supply chain strategy and
leadership forum helps build its talent. by jim harris
The Clorox Company maintains
a dominant position in a number
of consumer product categories
such as cleaning and laundry prod-
ucts and is focused on accelerating
growth. For Clorox, an important
part of enabling growth is to contin-
ue attracting and retaining supply
chain leaders.
“The demand for top supply chain
talent continues to grow exponen-
tially, and demand is far exceeding
available supply,” says Mark Hersh,
the company’s director of supply
chain strategy. “We’re competing
with a lot of organizations for the
best people, so we need to keep de-
veloping our own people internally
so we have that talent.”
The company’s internal focus on clorox aims to attract leaders
in its supply chain who are
driving growth and increasing its broad-thinking and will help
the company grow.
market share even further also re-
quires supply chain employees to bring in new business, create new is offered annually to 40 senior sup-
have an expanded skillset. This fo- products and make changes to our ply chain managers on the univer-
cus is at the heart of the company’s portfolio, and we need people who sity’s campus. Clorox and Georgia
2020 Strategy, a major goal of which can do well in that environment. Tech jointly developed content for
is expansion into new categories, We’re creating supply chain ‘gen- the program.
channels and countries. eral managers’ who are people that “Georgia Tech is a prominent uni-
Clorox’s use of a value chain seg- have a strong understanding of key versity. Its supply chain curriculum
mentation approach also requires a industry trends, understand the was most recently ranked in the
broad skillset. The approach tailors market place and can apply this ex- top five by Gartner for overall pro-
supply chain design and capabili- ternal view into their daily work and gram and program scope categories
ties to meet the needs of individual thought processes.” across U.S. supply chain graduate
products and markets. These needs programs at major universities,”
include not only sourcing materials A Forum For Growth Hersh says. “Clorox also has a sup-
at a low cost, but also service, speed Clorox in 2011 began to seriously ply chain hub with a high number
to market, greater agility and over- address the challenge of developing of managers across multiple dis-
all responsiveness. supply chain talent when it devel- ciplines located in Atlanta; so it’s
“We need leaders in our supply oped its Supply Chain Strategy and great that we have Georgia Tech as a
chain who can think more broadly Leadership Forum (SLF) program. local resource.”
than in just one area,” Hersh says. The program, developed in partner- The first class was offered in 2012.
“Our plan for growth requires us to ship with Georgia Tech University, Classes are offered in two five-day

West The Clorox Company
periods, one in late January and offered to junior supply chain em- ence and strategic persuasion and
the other in mid-March. Students ployees beginning in 2015. It will managing across boundaries.
work on assigned projects in teams cover many of the same topics, only The applied knowledge segment
between sessions. Although many within a single-week structure, involves dividing each class into
supply chain employees are based in Hersh says. seven project teams to work on ac-
Atlanta, at least 20 percent of each tual company projects. Each team
class’ attendees are from interna- Delivering Value has 16 weeks to complete a proj-
tional Clorox locations. The program’s curriculum focuses ect and then present a proposal to
Clorox ultimately plans to train on four elements: strategic think- Clorox’s Product Supply Executive
many more senior supply chain ing, operational excellence, lead- Committee, which includes all of
managers through the program, a ership development and applied the product supply organization’s
process that is anticipated to take knowledge. Within the strategic vice presidents and directors.
five years to complete. Two classes thinking area, students develop ca- “The immediate application of
of nearly 100 people have already pabilities in areas used to develop learning is what makes this program
graduated from the program. supply chains including value chain unique,” Hersh says. “Students
Although the SLF program is segmentation, collaboration and work on real-life business issues
intended mainly for supply chain network design. for Clorox applying the skills they
leaders, Clorox reserves seven or The operational excellence area learned in class. We take these rec-
eight seats for sales, marketing, re- focuses on operating areas including ommendations and turn them into
search and development, finance, inventory planning, manufactur- projects that drive value.”
IT and HR personnel. “This enables ing, process design, transportation The program’s goal is to be
cross-functional learning and pro- and distribution center operations. self-funded based on the value gen-
vides a forum to discuss concepts In the leadership development erated by the projects. One team’s
and issues through different lens- section, employees develop skills recent suggestions enabled the com-
es,” he adds. including change management, pany to put a more effective supply
Graduates of the program receive critical thinking, effective commu- chain in place for one of its product
continuous education opportuni- nications with executives, influ- lines, while another team worked on
ties monthly in the form of webi- a route-to-market options to more
nars, articles and other Web- effectively supply Clorox’s e-com-
based content. merce channel, Hersh adds. mt
A “lite” version of
the program will be
clorox’s growth plan involves

bringing in new business,
creating new products and
making changes to its portfolio.

GCX Corp.
www.gcx.com / Revenue: $97 million / Headquarters: Petaluma, Calif. / Rich Dodele, manufac-
West
turing manager: “We feel the detail and quality that goes into a GCX product is unmatched.”
also offers an array of internation-

ally recognized off-the-shelf prod-
ucts, customer service and support.
GCX has been a leader in the in-
dustry for four decades, but is con-
tinuously working to stay ahead
of its competition. “It seems like
every day we wake up to someone
new who is dying to do what we do,”
Dodele says. “Ten to 15 years ago
there weren’t as many competitors.
I think what has got more people in-
volved is the movement of IT into
the healthcare sector. If someone
is making mounting hardware for
computers in an office setting, they
think they can apply the same prod-
uct in a healthcare environment. Of
course, it’s not that simple.”
gcx’s 100,000-square-foot
facility in el paso, texas, is
Customer Satisfaction
designed for greater efficiency
and responsiveness.
GCX has two main sets of custom-
ers: medical device OEMs and hos-
Built Better pitals. The company sells to more

than 400 OEMs that use the GCX
product as a component in their de-
gcx opens a new facility to increase efficiency vices or as an accessory to them. The
company also sells its branded prod-
and responsiveness. by janice hoppe ucts directly to hospitals. “We do
both and have a strength in both be-
As new competitors appear daily wall-mounting needs of its health- cause we have a direct understand-
in the mounting solutions industry, care clients, gaining a reputation ing of the medical device, user inter-
GCX Corp. plans to remain the lead- for producing high-quality, sturdy action with that technology and the
er and stay competitive by opening products that were CNC machined environment where it is used,” Vice
a state-of-the-art facility in El Paso, from aluminum extrusions. President of Sales and Development
Texas. “We have been in El Paso for As medical devices and comput- Cris Daugbjerg says.
11 years,” says Rich Dodele, manu- ers became smaller and more in- Maintaining long-term relation-
facturing manager. “We just opened teractive, the company branched ships with its customers is vital to
a 100,000-square-foot facility we out into mobile carts, stands and GCX’s success, Dodele says. “We
have been working on for the past wall-mounting systems with greater have been working with some of
six months.” ergonomic adjustability. them since the early 1980s and that
Gary Gilbert founded the Peta- By dedicating itself to the health- helps us to stay in front of what is
luma, Calif.-based company in 1971 care industry, GCX has developed coming out,” he explains. “Having
by developing a novel vertical wall a unique understanding of the in- relationships with OEM customers
track system that allowed hospi- teraction between medical devices, allows us to see what’s coming, plan
tal room TVs to be safely lowered, users and healthcare environments. equipment purchases proactively,
serviced and returned to their po- The company engineers and cus- develop products and train people.
sitions. It continued to serve the tomizes products for OEMs, but We work with the leaders in patient

GCX Corp. West
monitoring, companies that include very high-quality product and reputa- totypes to engineers or products to a
GE, Philips, Drager and Medtronic.” tion,” he adds. “In some cases, a sale customer within hours of receiving a
GCX sets itself apart by caring about is as simple as us showing up because request. Its 30,000-square-foot facili-
its end users, and ultimately, the pa- the customer knows who we are, but ty in Taiwan handles assembly and dis-
tient, Dodele notes. “We feel the de- doesn’t know how to get our products.” tribution for the Asia and Europe mar-
tail and quality that goes into a GCX kets. All GCX facilities are equipped
product is unmatched,” he adds. “That Manufacturing Mounts with state-of-the-art quality control
culture starts at the top and is expect- GCX’s Petaluma, Calif.-based facili- labs that include Zeiss CMM equip-
ed throughout the company. The fact ty houses 120 people in two buildings ment for fast and accurate inspection
that we will take ownership and re- where the company performs the bulk of tight tolerance components.
sponsibility of the way our product is of its product design work, rapid re- The company is continuously devel-
performing 10 years after it leaves our search and development, machining, oping new products so it can keep up
doors says a lot to our customer.” and new product assembly. “This fa- with the market, but its products are
The company has a strong reputa- cility is key to getting our product to also designed so that similar platforms
tion in North America and is working market quickly,” Dodele says. can be utilized for several different
to grow its presence rapidly in Asia and The company’s El Paso, Texas facil- configurations. “GCX is constantly
Europe. Over the past several years, ity works on the bulk of its long-run looking for ways to improve, either by
GCX has invested heavily in its sales- production and reconfiguration en- enhancing its manufacturing capabil-
force and logistical support in those gineering. Its machinery is tooled for ity with new technology or by listen-
locations, Daugbjerg says. “We have a quick turnaround and can deliver pro- ing to its customers’ needs, which is

West GCX Corp.
why we chose to be ISO 13485-certified,” Dodele says.

“It makes a difference to our medical device customers
and helps in getting both our product and our customers’
products to market faster.”
Before making any decisions that will affect the en-
tire manufacturing process, GCX always starts with the
customer and works its way backwards. “We really focus
on what is best for our customer, the end-user and align
the best manufacturing/distribution model to meet that
need,” Vice President of Operations Del France says.
Because GCX sells to OEMs and directly to hospitals,
the company often has to implement different manufac-
turing and supply chain models based on customers’ dif-
fering needs. As a result, GCX performs a lot of work on
speculation and internal forecasting.
Increasing Efficiency
GCX recently opened a 100,000-square-foot facility in El
Paso, Texas where it performs final assembly of its prod-
ucts. “The facility is very lean and designed to be fast and
responsive to a customers’ needs,” Daugbjerg says. “The
place is designed around speed and reducing waste, not
around trying to reduce the number of labor minutes
that go into assembling a particular product.”
Dodele agrees that the layout of the facility is notewor-
thy because the company really focused on the manufac-
turing flow to make it highly efficient. “When you have
a big shell you can take a fresh look at all the different
things you do,” he adds. “We now have a full-scale ma-
chine shop with a total of 140 employees on the produc-
tion staff. As we continue to grow, we continue to exceed
our 99 percent on-time shipment objective.”
The El Paso facility includes state-of-the-art technol-
ogy that allows GCX to access information in real-time
and drive it throughout the organization, France ex-
plains. “We need that level of information system and
visibility so people on the line can make informed deci-
sions,” he says. “That’s a cornerstone for the building in
El Paso and our manufacturing organization.”
GCX plans to install solar panels at the El Paso facili-
ty to reduce operating cost and increase efficiency. The
company also has the space to expand, if the need arises.
“We have excess capacity in El Paso and a skilled work-
force there,” Daugbjerg says. “We have some amazing
people who are very empowered and passionate about
what they are doing. They are believers in American man-
ufacturing and we believe we can do better there than
anywhere else in the world.” mt

Gruber Industries
www.gruber.com / www.gruberpowerservices.com / www.grubertechnical.com
West
Revenues: $25 million / Headquarters: Phoenix / Employees: 200
is applied. Our units leave our depot

in like-new condition.”
‘A Service Organization’
Quality and reliability have been
main focuses of Gruber Industries
for more than 30 years. “Since 1984,
Gruber Industries has provided un-
paralleled customer service and qual-
ity,” Korda says. “We strive every
day to manufacture or supply to our
customers the best products and ser-
vices available in today’s global mar-
ketplace. We consider ourselves first
and foremost a service organization
that sells solutions, not just products;
it’s the services we provide that drive
the products we produce and sell.”
Each of Gruber’s divisions spe-
cializes in a different aspect of the
focusing on quality and reliability,
each of gruber’s divisions specializes
critical power and data center in-
in a different aspect of the critical
power and data center industries.
dustries. In addition to its UPS re-
furbishing work, the Gruber Power
Critical Thinkers Services division also sells and ser-

vices all makes, models and sizes of
critical power equipment including
gruber industries provides products that keep battery cabinets, maintenance by-
pass equipment and generators.
its customers running at all times. by jim harris Gruber Power Services also man-
ufactures high-performance batter-
Product quality and reliability and life support equipment on at data ies for stationary applications. “Our
are absolute necessities for Gruber centers, hospitals and small busi- maintenance-free, valve-regulated
Industries’ customers. “We cater to nesses in the event of a power outage. lead-acid (VRLA) absorbed glass
the critical backup power and data Gruber Power Services – one of Gru- material batteries are specifically
center industries, where failure is ber Industries’ three operating divi- designed for UPS applications and
not an option and time is not free,” sions – is the largest UPS refurbish- engineered to out-perform all of our
says Eric Korda, director of manu- ing company in the United States. competitors, which is why we back
facturing operations for the Phoe- “We use state-of-the-art equip- them up with an industry-best four-
nix-based company. “The products ment, load banks and processes to year limited warranty,” Korda notes.
that we manufacture, refurbish and ensure that every unit that leaves The Gruber Communication
sell are typically critical to the per- our facility is 100 percent function- Products division manufactures
formance and/or protection of our al and capable of supporting its rat- data cabling and networking prod-
customer’s networks and facilities.” ed load,” Korda says. “We also send ucts as well as a full line of metal
Thousands of uninterruptable every refurbished unit through full products for the telecommunica-
power supply (UPS) systems refur- cosmetic treatment, where units are tions industry including server/
bished and sold by the company are thoroughly cleaned inside and out, equipment racks, shelves, panels
used around the world to keep com- every nut and bolt is checked, and a and other wire management prod-
puter services, emergency lighting fresh coat of factory-matched paint ucts. Products are manufactured in

Gruber Industries West
Gruber’s 35,000-square-foot manu- ber Technical Services, specializes in jobs we had in the pipeline, and Gruber
facturing facility in Phoenix. the design and construction of data Communication Products was born.”
Most of the company’s products are centers including cooling, critical pow- The company has plans to introduce
assembled by hand, with automation er equipment, access floor, structured new products, including an expansion
used only on processes that do not af- cabling and consulting and design. of its GPS Elite line of batteries, ini-
fect the form of the end-product. “For tially launched in 2010. “We are active-
example, we use an automated process Future Opportunities ly working on expanding the line to in-
to measure, strip, cut and otherwise Gruber Industries has a history of clude batteries for solar applications,”
process raw wire and fiber, which is growth within its product and service Korda says. “We also hope to someday
then hand terminated and pneumati- lines, which it continues to build on. be the first battery manufacturer to
cally crimped,” he adds. “This strategy “Many years ago, Gruber was primari- bring lithium ion and copper fusion
allows us to be extremely flexible in our ly an installer of data center structured technology into batteries and cables
manufacturing process while maintain- cabling and networking equipment,” for critical power applications.” mt
ing a reasonable degree of efficiency.” Korda says. “We suddenly lost a key
All of Gruber Communication Prod- supplier and found ourselves unable Leoch Battery Corporation has a full line of UPS
Critical High Rate Batteries. All of our UPS batteries have
ucts’ cables and other products are to meet our commitments. Instead of a 10-15 year design life and are IEC, UL and ISO certified.
custom-made. “Although many of our losing our contracts or scrambling to Leoch has sales offices on both the East and West coasts
in order to serve all of our customers with their battery
products are closely related, few are find new suppliers, we began manu- needs. Leoch is rapidly expanding and is now publically
identical,” Korda says. facturing the cables and patch panels traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with a value in
excess of $1 Billion.
The company’s third division, Gru- needed to complete the installation

LAST PAGE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
Ongoing Education
new concept technology is a single-source supplier of design, engineering,
process, fabrication and manufacturing services, but it also supports a
training center to keep the local workforce skilled. see page 84 for more.
F U N D E M E N TA LS
I MPROVEMENT
B UY AMERICAN
A CCOUNTING
M ARKETING
A LFAB INC.
C ONTENTS
L AST PAGE
E CONOMY
D IALOGUE
N EWS

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mt

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 manufacturing-today.com 1

Last Page On The Cover >

2 manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

Sections > 32. 60.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 manufacturing-today.com 3

21. Birk Manufacturing

24. Superior Tube Co.

27. Lockheed Martin

4 manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

45. Modine Manufacturing

52. Desert Aire

54. MKT Metal Manufacturing

62. Spartan Light Metal Products

66. Pony Tools

71. Conex Cable LLC

74. Beckwood Press Company

76. Hoist Liftruck Manufacturing Inc.

78. Continental Hydraulics

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 manufacturing-today.com 5

84. New Concept Technology 98. UPM South

6 manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 manufacturing-today.com 7

TRICOR SYSTEMS INC.

manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

TRICOR SYSTEMS INC.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 manufacturing-today.com 9

makes clear what is final agency ac-

10 manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

The Right Leverage

With manufacturing in the U.S. pre-

TRICOR SYSTEMS INC.

are striving to take their business to

ments. For mid-size manufacturers,

growing to the next level without

cial to their success. To continue to

12 manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 manufacturing-today.com 13

TRICOR SYSTEMS INC.

Let Go of the Past

14 manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

TRICOR SYSTEMS INC.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 manufacturing-today.com 15

More Parts is cooled in the preshape, it makes a

16 manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

zodiac aerospace has

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 manufacturing-today.com 19

them. “If they’re set up for just-in-time and that’s how

Thermwood Corporation, located in Southern Indiana and established in

20 manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

throughout its operation,

Culture Factor “The company’s first employee

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 manufacturing-today.com 21

we are doing it,” Mattox says. “We

22 manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

the majority of superior

Truly Superior having a market share of zero in this

24 manufacturing-today.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

“They bring a different expectation for the business than