Movers & Shakers: Ross completes 250,000-square-foot manufacturing facility

GMP’s new facility | Image courtesy of Gundagai Meat Processors

GMP secures future with Futureproofed Facility

Gundagai Meat Processors (GMP) launched a $30 million expansion project which is expected to lead to a 40 percent increase in annual production capacity and create 76 new full-time jobs over the next five years. The project was delivered by Wiley, who the company worked closely with during master planning to ensure the company met its project objectives – increase production, ensure compliance with ongoing customer requirements, and replace aging infrastructure at the facility. This expansion is expected to put GMP at the cutting edge of lamb processing utilizing the latest technology while exceeding the industry compliance demands.

Applied Risk joins the Industrial Internet Consortium to enhance IIoT security

Applied Risk, an established leader in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) security, has joined the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) as a member, highlighting its drive to enhance IIoT security within industrial and manufacturing environments across the globe.

Image courtesy of Applied Risk

The new membership allows Applied Risk to share security best practices with other IIC members to accelerate the growth of the Industrial Internet, while maintaining the highest security standards. This will be imperative in boosting the security of industrial environments and critical infrastructure through increased collaboration.

Endress+Hauser receives IAET accreditation

Endress+Hauser was awarded accreditation status by the International Association for Continuing Education and Traning (IACET). The status allows Endress+Hauser to become an IACET Accredited Provider. These providers are the only organizations approved to offer IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The CEUs are recognized, accepted and required by many state agencies and credentialing organizations.

LiquiGlide accelerates growth of coating technology platform

LiquiGlide Inc. closed $16 million in new financing to grow its existing packaging business while also accelerating the commercialization of new coating applications in the industrial and food manufacturing markets. Key investors include Structure Capital, Valia Investments, Struck Capital and Pilot Grove.

The $16 million investment adds to the $7 million LiquiGlide received from Roadmap Capital in March 2015. That initial investment allowed the company to secure commercial deals in multiple market verticals, build a state-of-the-art laboratory and office space in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and attract top scientists.

As part of the investment, Jillian Manus has been named to LiquiGlide’s board of directors. Manus is managing partner at Structure Capital, a seed and early stage venture fund providing capital and marketing strategy to companies working to eliminate waste.

Siemens delivers power plant unit for combined cycle facility in Hong Kong

Siemens received its first order for power plant components from Hong Kong in two decades with an order from Castle Peak Power Company Limited (CAPCO) for the delivery of a power block for a new combined cycle unit in its Black Point Power Statin in Tuen Mun, in the northwest Hong Kong.

CAPCO is a joint venture of China Southern Power Grid International Limited and CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (CLP Power). The plant will have an installed total capacity of 550 megawatts (MW) to supply approximately a million households with electricity, and is scheduled to be in operation before 2020.

At-speed balancing facility at Sulzer’s offers consistent reliability

The at-speed balancing bunker in Sulzer’s Houston Service Center has achieved 20 years of service offering plant owners and original equipment managers a specialty service that ensures continued reliability.

Over the past two decades, the at-speed facility has balanced more than 2,800 rotors, significantly reducing the need for costly and time-consuming field balancing. By minimizing vibration, equipment runs more smoothly, helping to maintain reliability and reduce serving costs.

Sulzer’s balancing facility celebrates 20 years | Image courtesy of Sulzer

Polymershapes begins operating as independent company

Polymershapes was divested by SABIC in November 2016, with Blackfriar Corporation, and is now operating as a stand-alone company.

With the transaction now complete, Kevin Short, a recent past-president of the International Association of Plastics Distributors, joins Polymershapes as president. The existing Polymershapes leadership team will remain with the business, and the company will operate independently under the Polymershapes name from its headquarters in Huntersville, North Carolina.

Baerlocher’s Cincinnati facility adds third reactor

Baerlocher USA, part of Baerlocher Group, will add a third reactor for the production of calcium, zinc, sodium and other metal soaps at its facility, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. This major capital investment will increase capacity by 50 percent and further position the company to meet steadily accelerating demand from the North American polyolefin and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industries. It will also support the development of advanced Baerlocher innovations such as the company’s Baeropol RST, polyolefin resin stabilization technology and solid calcium-based PVC stabilizers.

The new reactor is expected to be fully operational in June 2017, and will create at least six new jobs at Baerlocher USA.

Siemens is supplying nine gas turbines to Argentina

Siemens has received orders from Argentina for a total of seven SGT-800 industrial gas turbines and two Industrial Trent 60 gas turbines. This order marks the 300th SGT-800 machine that the company has sold worldwide. The turbines will provide a combined electrical capacity of approximately 500 megawatts (MW) and help fighting the electricity shortfall in Argentina. The SGT-800 turbines were ordered by the independent Argentine energy producer Albanesi S.A., and the aeroderivative Industrial Trent 60 machines were ordered by the international energy group SoEnergy.

Camfil APC expands laboratory

Camfil Air Pollution Control (APC) doubled the size of its testing laboratory to include a climate-controlled facility with a new full-size dust collection test rig. The new equipment is dedicated to testing in accordance with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 199-2016, Method of Testing the Performance of Industrial Pulse Cleaned Dust Collectors.

Unlike other air filter standards that focus on HVAC systems, the Standard 199-2016 test process analyzes how well filters actually clean and how dust collectors perform as a whole. It is the first standard to provide a methodology for comparing performance results based on true operating conditions. Camfil will use the test rig for both internal product quality testing and to help customers simulate real-world conditions to evaluate the compliance and effectiveness of various filters.

Yaskawa announces ambitious expansion plan in Europe

Japanese technology group Yaskawa will intensify its presence in Europe, with the aim of becoming one of the two leading manufacturers of industrial robots in strategic target markets in the medium term. This investment plan follows a successful first wave of expansion initiated in 2014, which included the acquisition of The Switch, one of the leading manufacturers of advanced drive train technology for the marine, wind energy and industrial sectors. This makes Yaskawa one of the few global companies able to supply components and solutions for almost all industries from a single source.

exida presents United Electric Controls  with Safety Award

United Electric Controls won the 2016 exida Safety Award for its One Series Safety Transmitter — the first SIL 2-certified transmitter designed solely for safety system applications. Selected in the sensor category, the United Electric Safety Transmitter (ST) is the first transmitter to incorporate a logic solver and high capacity safety relay output (SRO) in addition to an industry standard transmitter – all in one explosion-proof enclosure.

United Electric Controls’ winning One Series Safety Transmitter | Image courtesy of United Electric Controls

exida provides companies around the world with guidance in functional safety, alarm management, and automation system design. Each year, the company honors companies that stand out as having made a unique contribution to industrial safety.

Valin Corporation becomes authorized distributor for ASCO Numatics

Valin Corporation is now an authorized distributor for the complete ASCO Numatics line of products.  The development makes Valin the largest stocking distributor of ASCO Numatics in the western United States. ASCO Numatics products offer comprehensive fluid automation solutions for a wide range of industry-focused applications.  The company’s product line includes more than 50,000 solenoid valves and a comprehensive set of position indicators.  ASCO Numatics products and technologies have applications in the life sciences, power generation, biofuels, food and beverage, air ride suspension, petroleum and chemical, water and wastewater, pulp and paper, packaging, commercial appliance and HVAC.

Evonik Corporation launches manufacturing operations in Berkeley County

Evonik Corporation, a German chemical manufacturing company, is launching new operations in Berkeley County, South Carolina. The project will result in at least $120 million of new capital investment and the creation of more than 50 jobs. Construction on the new facility is expected to begin this month with completion expected by mid-2018.

Evonik is one of the world’s leading specialty chemicals companies and employs more than 33,500 people worldwide. With business activities across more than 100 countries, Evonik produces chemicals for a variety of applications, including adhesives, cleaning products, construction materials and more. The new plant will supply the tire industry with high-quality precipitated silica to produce fuel-efficient tires with wet grip properties, which can save up to eight percent in fuel consumption compared to conventional car tires.

Santa Barbara Additive Manufacturing Company focused on reducing plastic waste

Additive manufacturing (AM) company ALT LLC will launch an Indiegogo Campaign in late December. The campaign will raise funds to produce high performance Recycled 3D Printing Filament made from everyday plastic waste.

The company operates a 3D Printing Service, providing design, fabrication, and consultation services. After purchasing roll after roll of plastic filament, ALT realized that, although AM offers many environmental benefits over standard manufacturing, it was still introducing virgin plastic into the waste stream in Santa Barbara, California. The company set out to create a new way to doing business by offering recycled and recyclable products to the 3D printing community. The goal is to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills, waterways and ultimately, the oceans by sourcing the plastic waste used to make their filament from local California waste collection facilities. ALT hopes their initiative inspires other local engineering firms to adopt green practices.

Polyolefins (PP, LDPE, HDPE) account for 48.5 percent of plastics used in the world today | Image courtesy of ALT LLC

ALT’s recycled 3D printing filament is produced in house and made from a class of polymers called Polyolefins. This includes common plastics such as Polypropylene (PP), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), and High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) used to make plastic bags, milk jugs, bottle caps, and other short-lived products that are discarded within a year of manufacture.

Schneider Electric Recognizes customers for operational excellence

Schneider Electric, global specialist in energy management and automation, celebrated customers for innovative mobile workforce enablement strategies that resulted in new levels of efficiency and performance. Awards were presented at the Empowering the Mobile Workforce in Process Industries conference held in Houston, Texas.

Three Schneider Electric software customers won awards:

• Ascend Performance Materials received an Excellence Award for its HERO (Handhelds for Excellence in Reliable Operations) Program; the company saved $500 thousand in materials costs, $1 million in maintenance costs and $2 million in opportunity costs by avoiding unplanned plant shutdowns
• Flint Hill Resources received an Innovation Award in recognition of its maintenance management program for improving asset availability, Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and labor productivity while reducing rework, maintenance backlog and inventory carry costs
• Shell Global received an Innovation Award for launching a proactive mobile monitoring solution on Prelude, the world’s first floating liquefied natural gas plant; Shell is revolutionizing the way natural gas resources are developed by bringing it offshore and has compacted the size of a traditional LNG plant to a quarter of its land size

REXA establishes Canadian subsidiary, adds in-house services

REXA established REXA Canada as a subsidiary for to improving customer service, technical support, and parts availability for Canadian customers in the oil and gas, refining, power generation, metals, and mining industries.

REXA Canada customers will benefit from streamlined importation of the company’s Linear and Rotary Actuators, as well as an extensive parts inventory ready for rapid shipment. In 2017, REXA Canada will add in-house repair capabilities, training, and a local service technician. The subsidiary is located in Red Deer, Alberta.

Appointments

Volkmann appoints new vice president of operations 

Volkmann Inc. named long-term employee Lori Clark to the position of vice president of operations. Clark was the second employee at the U.S. division of Volkmann GmbH and has been instrumental in the establishment and significant growth of the business. Her operational responsibilities include finances, purchasing and shipping. Clark’s appointment recognizes her contribution to the company and sets the scene for future growth at the company.

Lori Clark | Image courtesy of Volkmann Inc.

Gannett Fleming adds two company veterans to top leadership posts

Gannett Fleming named Robert M. Scaer, PE, chairman of the board and chief executive officer; and Paul D. Nowicki, PE, president and chief operating officer.

Robert M. Scaer | Image courtesy of Gannet Flemming

In his new role, Scaer is responsible for formulating and implementing the strategic action plan that guide the direction of the firm and drive the company’s continued growth and expansion into new markets. Previously, Scaer served as president and COO from 2009 through 2016, and as chief information officer from 2004 to 2013.

Paul D. Nowicki | Image courtesy of Gannet Flemming

Nowicki succeeds Scaer in the role of president and COO, and is responsible for establishing Gannett Fleming’s comprehensive goals for performance, leading the day-to-day direction and operations, and overseeing the overall performance of the company. He also oversees the daily operations of more than 60 offices worldwide. Previously, Nowicki served as Gannett Fleming’s Southeast Region director from 2014 to 2016, and as Northeast Region director from 2006 to 2014.

PAS appoints cybersecurity veteran to executive team

PAS Inc. named Jason Haward-Grau to its executive leadership team as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Haward-Grau is a veteran technology leader with more than 22 years of cybersecurity and advisory experience within both operational and information technologies. Prior to joining PAS, Haward-Grau was the CISO at MOL Group, an integrated oil and gas company with operations in more than 30 countries, where he owned and developed the company’s cybersecurity strategy. With PAS, Haward-Grau will support the company’s strong domestic and international growth.

Hapman welcomes new director of marketing

Keith Rouse has been named director of marketing for Hapman’s global operations. Rouse is a graduate of Michigan State University and has years of experience in print, digital, social, mobile, and content marketing; along with brand management, ROI analysis, analytics, and market research.

Starco Chemical hires new vice president of business development

Starco Chemical, a division of Diamond Chemical Company Inc., hired of Jack Sides as vice president of business development. Sides has more than three decades of sales and management experience as well as knowledge of brand and marketing development. Sides will work Starco’s sales force, Manufacturer’s Agent Representatives, distributors, and national accounts to develop and grow their chemical business.

Jack Sides | Image courtesy of Starco Chemical

Vantage Consulting Group hires pharmaceutical industry veteran

Vantage Consulting Group hired John Capants as a portfolio director. Capants will be responsible for the development of sales and implementation activities for Vantage clients in the packaging, serialization and automation services business.

John Capants comes to Vantage Consulting Group from Teva Pharmaceuticals where for the past six years he served as executive director of engineering technology and qualification.

Michael Glavin joins Conval as vice president of engineering

Conval appointed Michael Glavin as vice president of engineering. In this role, he will be responsible for new product development and technology to meet the markets linked to Conval’s strategic plan.

Glavin brings more than 25 years of engineering experience in the fluid handling industry, recently serving as director of engineering at Engineered Controls International.  He previously held leadership positions in engineering and auality with Cameron, Tyco Valves and Controls, and Worcester Controls. He holds an engineering degree from the University of Lowell and is a graduate of the School of Industrial Management at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Luca Savi named chief operating officer of ITT

ITT Inc. named Luca Savi as chief operating officer. In this new role, Savi will focus on driving business performance by expanding and strengthening ITT’s comprehensive management system and processes, while continuing to grow world-class operational capabilities across the company. In addition, unrelated to the structural change, Industrial Process President Aris Chicles announced he will leave the company.

Mike Witowicz joins Romaco North America

Romaco North America, a supplier of Processing and Packaging equipment, hired Mike Witowicz as packaging sales manager. Witowicz focus on U.S. market growth, sales performance, and capturing an increasing share of business in the packaging equipment sector. He will implement sales strategies aligned with corporate objectives, and work closely with management and marketing to support strategic campaigns.

Witowicz has extensive experience within the packaging machinery industry serving the pharmaceutical market, and has both sales and technical expertise. Prior to joining Romaco, Witowicz was the Midwest regional sales manager for Shibuya Hoppmann, and held high level positions with LDS Assembly Systems, Service Industries, DT-Industries and Stokes-Merrill.

Huffman Engineering hires two engineers

Huffman Engineering, Inc., a leader in control systems integration, hired control systems engineer Craig Torgerson and mechanical engineer Tanner Grieve to support the company in its development and execution of turnkey automation projects for manufacturing and utility customers.

Torgerson most recently served as mechanical associate at Union Pacific where he worked with diesel-electric power systems and data center infrastructure.  At Union Pacific he managed a Locomotive Servicing Facility and oversaw mechanical and electrical service of EMD and GE locomotives.  A graduate of University of Nebraska, Torgerson gained professional experience during internships at Geist and Elkhorn Automotive.

Grieve is a recent graduate of Illinois Institute of Technology and holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering.  While studying at IIT, he participated in a number of engineering projects, including co-leading an interdisciplinary team that created an interactive scientific exhibit at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium in order to increase public interest in STEM subjects.

Kemutec expands operations team

Barbara Lawlor was appointed operations administrative assistant at Kemutec. Lawlor was hired as part of the business growth and expansion of its U.S.-based operations and manufacturing activities. She will oversee daily expediting of sales orders and procurement.  Her position will continue to expand as the operations department responds to increasing requirements.

Barbara Lawlor | Image courtesy of Kemutec