Movers & Shakers: Dover & Honeywell collaborate on IIoT ecosystem

Jan. 6, 2017

The larger, consolidated data set that will be formed as a result of this IIoT ecosystem collaboration is expected to allow manufacturers to improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of their operations.

Dover & Honeywell collaborate on IIoT ecosystem

Dover Energy Automation, an operating company within the Dover Energy Segment of Dover Corporation,  and Honeywell  will collaborate as part of the Honeywell INspire program on an Industrial Internet of Things ecosystem (IIoT ecosystem) to help energy industrial customers improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of their operations.

Dover Energy Automation’s deep domain knowledge in condition monitoring and asset optimization, combined with Honeywell’s capabilities in data consolidation, cyber security and software development, will offer a robust IIoT ecosystem designed to help customers solve previously unsolvable problems. The larger, consolidated data set that will be formed as a result of this IIoT ecosystem collaboration is expected to allow manufacturers to apply higher analytics and achieve more detailed insights, scale the data as needed to meet the varied needs of single-site or enterprise-wide operations and leverage a wider pool of data experts for monitoring and analysis.

Awards, milestones & expansions

NIMS wins federal contract to grow apprenticeships in manufacturing

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), the manufacturing industry’s developer of skills standards and credentials, was selected by the U.S. Department of Labor as an industry intermediary to support the expansion of registered apprenticeships within manufacturing. NIMS will work with industry, workforce and education partners to increase access to apprenticeships and assist employers in developing new programs that reach diverse talent pools. As part of this initiative, $500,000 is available to support companies in establishing a registered apprenticeship program with the Department of Labor.

NIMS will focus on providing companies with tools and resources to develop customized registered apprenticeship programs. These programs combine on-the-job training with job- related classroom instruction and meet national standards for registration with the Department of Labor or State Apprenticeship Agencies. Companies interested in building an apprenticeship program or organizations that are interested in partnering with NIMS should go to www.mfgapprenticeship.com or email the NIMS ApprenticeshipUSA team at [email protected].

Rockwell Automation earns top marks in 2017 Corporate Equality Index

Rockwell Automation, the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2017 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Rockwell Automation joins the ranks of 517 major U.S. businesses, which also earned top marks this year.

The 2017 CEI rated 1,043 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including nondiscrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. The efforts of Rockwell Automation in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria resulted in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.

Intelenet Global Services receives IDC Insights Award 2016 for Excellence in Operations

Intelenet Global Services was awarded the IDC Insights Award 2016 for Operational Excellence in the Technology, Media & Telecommunication (TMT) industry.

Technology is disrupting the way various industries operate, creating new revenue generating potential and business opportunities for companies to develop. The awards, held in high regard by CIOs, technology leaders and innovators, reward companies that take the lead in leveraging technology for competitive advantage, revenue growth and profitability. Intelenet® Global Services received the award for using Robotics Process Automation as a tool which could be deployed across multiple systems and sites.

CF Industries completes capacity expansion project

The new ammonia and urea plants at the CF Industries Holdings Inc.’s Port Neal, Iowa, Nitrogen Complex have been successfully commissioned and started-up, marking the completion of the company’s capacity expansion projects.

The ammonia plant, which began production in late November, has operated at approximately its nameplate capacity of 2,425 tons per day. The back end of the plant (ammonia synthesis) was recently taken offline to replace a gasket and is expected to resume production shortly. The front end of the ammonia plant continues to operate and produce carbon dioxide that is used to feed the new urea plant. The urea plant, which was commissioned earlier this month, has produced on specification granular urea. The urea plant was also recently taken offline to replace a relief valve and is also expected to resume production shortly.

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.

MANNA receives $100,000 from NRG Gives program

MANNA is the top recipient for the inaugural NGR Energy’s NGR Gives program. MANNA, a nonprofit that delivers nourishing meals and nutrition therapy education to individuals battling life-threatening illnesses, received the top donation of $100,000.

Two additional nonprofits, Gift of Life Family House and Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, received $10,000 and $5,000 donations, respectively.

The NRG Gives program is the company’s new charitable-giving initiative designed to empower people to help support Pennsylvania nonprofits. Through this program, NRG employees nominate and the public at large votes for the organization of their choice. More than a million votes were cast in all.

NRG completes coal-to-gas projects

NRG Energy Inc., has achieved its fleet optimization strategy, completing coal-to-gas projects at four power plants across NRG’s fleet. The successful introduction of natural gas replacing coal as the primary fuel allows these units to continue meeting customer needs while complying with current environmental standards and supporting NRG’s wider decarbonization efforts. The four plants are located in New Roads, Louisiana; Joliet, Illinois; Shawville, Pennsylvania; and New Castle, Pennsylvania.

Appointments

Tom Marsh begins term as ASTM International Board Chairman

Thomas Marsh, president and CEO of Centrotrade Minerals and Metals Inc., in Chesapeake, Virginia, began his term as 2017 chairman of the ASTM International board of directors.

ASTM International’s board is made up of 25 leaders from a broad variety of companies, associations, and government bodies worldwide, including organizations such as the Copper Development Association Inc., Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. (Japan), BP America Inc., and many others. Several members are based outside the U.S.

An ASTM International member since 1990, Marsh serves as chairman of Committee on Rubber and Rubber-like Materials, and is a member of committees on Sports Equipment, Playing Surfaces, and Facilities, and Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment. He previously served a term on the ASTM International Committee on Technical Committee Operations from 2007 to 2009.

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.

Graeme Bell names VP, Camfil APC Americas

Camfil Air Pollution Control (APC) appointed Graeme Bell to vice president, Camfil APC Americas. Bell will relocate from Europe to Camfil APC corporate headquarters in Jonesboro, Arkansas, where he will hold full responsibility for the manufacturing, technical and training facility as well as North and South American sales operations for the company’s dust, mist and fume collection products. He will report to Christian Debus, global executive vice president of Camfil APC.

Graeme Belle | Image courtesy of Camfil APC

In the four years since Bell joined the company, Camfil APC has promoted him to a succession of sales and general management posts in Europe.  His most recent title was vice president, Camfil APC Europe, where he handled U.K., German and Czech operations including manufacturing sites as well as full strategic growth responsibility for Europe. Bell comes to Camfil APC with 26 years experience in the air pollution control industry. Directly prior to joining the company, he was global market manager for Porvair Filtration Ltd, Fareham, UK, a manufacturer of liquid and gas filtration products. Prior to that, he spent nearly 14 years with Donaldson Filtration IAF, Leicester, U.K., where he started as an area manager and eventually became a country manager for the Industrial Air Filtration Division, which markets dust collectors and aftermarket filters in the U.K..

Four officers elected to The Coca-Cola Company Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of The Coca-Cola Company elected four new officers.  Barry Simpson, who was recently named Chief Information Officer, was elected as a Senior Vice President.  In addition, Robert Long, Global Vice President of Research and Development; Bernard McGuinness, Vice President of Science; and Darlene Nicosia, Vice President of Commercial Product Supply were elected as Vice Presidents of the company.  Each of the elections is effective immediately.

Simpson, 56, became Chief Information Officer earlier this fall, and oversees all of the company’s global information technology strategy, services and operations. A nearly 30-year IT industry veteran, Simpson joined the Coca-Cola system in 2008 as Group CIO of the Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) Group. He joined The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in January 2016.

Long, 59, has served as Global Vice President of Research and Development since June.  In this role, he oversees the development of strategy and supporting capability to deliver technical innovation that supports the global business. He joined the company in 2004 as Vice President of Global Packaging Platforms and played a key role in the development of contour aluminum bottles and new sustainable packaging.  He also has served as head of the company’s Research and Development Center in Tokyo and led the technical functions for Coca-Cola North America.

McGuinness, 50, is a 17-year Coca-Cola veteran who recently was appointed Vice President of Science. In this role he is responsible for leading Flavor Manufacturing, Flavor Ingredient Supply and Ingredient Quality.  Since 2012, he has been responsible for all aspects of quality assurance and the implementation of environmental and safety standards across the company’s global concentrate manufacturing operations, most recently as Director of Process Optimization and Quality for Commercial Product Supply. He joined the company in Ballina, Ireland in 1999 and was named General Manager of the Ballina facility in 2009.

As Vice President of Commercial Product Supply, Nicosia, 48, leads a multi-billion dollar supply chain responsible for the manufacturing and sale of concentrates and beverage bases to Coca-Cola bottlers globally.  Since joining the company in 1993 as an analyst in the Coca-Cola North America Fountain division, Nicosia has held positions of increasing responsibility, including as Distributor Account Executive for the company’s McDonald’s Division, Director of Procurement for the Coca-Cola Europe Group, and as the company’s Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer.

Asaclean hires new national sales manager

Asaclean, manufacturer of the industry-leading commercial purging compound for thermoplastic injection molders, extruders, and blown film providers, hired veteran sales professional Rob Palmisano as national sales manager. In this position, Palmisano will provide coaching, direction, and leadership to a team of technical sales representatives, as well as focus on new business development nationwide.

Rob Palmisano | Image courtesy of Asaclean

Prior to joining Asaclean, Palmisano served as regional sales director for Staples Business Advantage, held a variety of sales and operational leadership positions at Corporate Express, and was sales manager for New Jersey Office Supply.

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.

Ralph D. Heath to head Textron board of directors

Textron Inc. elected Ralph D. Heath to the company’s board of directors, effective January 1, 2017. Heath served as Executive Vice President—Aeronautics of Lockheed Martin Corporation, a global security and aerospace company until his retirement in 2012, following a 37-year career with the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics business area and its heritage companies. During his tenure, Heath led the revitalization of the C-130 program, international expansion of the F-16 program, and the development and delivery of the F-22 and F-35 fighter aircraft.

Ralph H. Heath | Image courtesy of Textron Inc.

Heath served on the board of directors of Hawker Beechcraft from 2013-2014, prior to Textron’s acquisition of the Beechcraft business. Heath is a U.S. Army veteran and qualified Airborne Ranger. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Gannett Fleming welcomes cybersecurity expert 

Immanuel Triea, CISA, CISM, CRISC, CISSP-ISSAP, SSCP, GICSP, GREM, joined Gannett Fleming as senior director of information security. Based out of Atlanta, Georgia, Triea will provide cybersecurity and compliance consulting services for the firm’s hydropower, transit, and utility clients. As the leader of Gannett Fleming’s cybersecurity and compliance group, he also will focus on growing this practice.

Triea brings more than 24 years of information technology and compliance experience, including network design, administration and implementation, regulatory advisement, risk assessment, project management, and strategic planning with outfits ranging in size from small and midsized businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises. He also possesses extensive knowledge in policy development, business unit consulting, technology evaluation, security infrastructure design, and security controls and deployment methodologies, as well as the design and implementation of information systems.

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