Industry Watch: Business

SECONN FABRICATION (WATERFORD, CT) . . .
was awarded the Sustainability Award from Legrand |Ortronics. Nitin Raj Sharma, the director of strategic sourcing at Legrand |Ortronics, presented the award and discussed “his dedication to the continued integration of sustainable practices in order to continue leading the market in the area of environmental responsibility.” Sharma was “pleased to find a supplier (Seconn Fabrication) that took the initiative prior to being asked to develop a solution.” Seconn Fabrication was recognized as their most distinguished supplier contributing to the company’s ceaseless pursuit of energy efficient solutions.

Nitin Raj Sharma said, “The removal of Styrofoam and other similarly non-biodegradable items in packaging will make an immense impact on both the health of our environment and the quality of life for future generations.” Rob Marelli, the owner of Seconn Fabrication, said, “I am both honored and humbled by this recognition. Creating environmentally sustainable solutions is simple fundamentals for 21st century global business, and it is core to our values.” His company has sponsored numerous “Green” initiatives to ensure the optimized use of post-consumer and recycled materials, to collaboratively create solutions with clients and suppliers that are both low-cost and low impact on the environment, and to reduce its ecological footprint. www.seconn.com

IMS BUHRKE-OLSON (ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL) . . .
reported that its operating unit Olson Internacional, S, De R.I., De C.V. (Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico) received the Delphi 2010 Pinnacle Award for Supplier Excellence. Established in 2004, the award recognizes top suppliers for their contribution to Delphi’s Excellence culture and provides annual recognition to a premier group of suppliers for their commitment to and achievement of Quality, Value and Cost performance. The 2010 Pinnacle Award for Supplier Excellence recognized winners that met or exceeded the Delphi quality, delivery, service and competitive cost expectations. “This award recognizes Olson Internacional’s dedication to excellence,” said Sid Johnson, the vice president of Delphi Global Supply Management. “Congratulations to your team, many of whom are working diligently at your facilities. Please extend our appreciation to them for their efforts.”

This year Delphi, a leading global supplier of electronics and technologies for automotive, commercial vehicle and other market segments, recognized 16 suppliers from seven countries with this award. IMS Buhrke-Olson provides precision metal stampings and assemblies to customers in the automotive, appliance and electronics industries and is part of the IMS Companies LLC group of custom metalworking companies. The Olson Internacional operation in Matamoros is one of two in Mexico. The second plant, located in Monterrey, has just undergone an expansion to 140,000 sq ft. The combined manufacturing space of the Arlington Heights, Matamoros and Monterrey plants exceeds 350,000 sq ft. IMS Buhrke-Olson employs over 600 individuals and expects 2011 revenues to exceed $85 million. www.metalstamper.com, www.delphi.com

THE LINCOLN ELECTRIC COMPANY (CLEVELAND, OH) . . .
was recently honored by Cleveland-based Inside Business magazine with the Manny Award in the New Product Development category for its VRTEX^® 360 virtual reality arc welding trainer. Since 1998, the Manny Awards have been committed to recognizing Northeast Ohio companies for their innovation and best practices in areas such as product development, green initiatives and workplace environment.

The VRTEX 360 is a virtual reality arc welding training system that allows students to practice their welding technique in a simulated environment. It promotes the efficient transfer of welding skills to the welding booth, while reducing material waste associated with traditional welding training. The combination of realistic welding puddle simulation and arc welding sound tied to the welder’s movement provides a realistic and exciting, hands-on training experience. Lincoln Electric co-developed the VRTEX 360 with partner company, VRSim Inc. (East Hartford, CT), a leader in the development of training software and graphic simulation for industry and academia. “We are honored to be recognized by Inside Business magazine for the development of a revolutionary tool that is helping to attract new students to an exciting career in the field of welding,” said Chris Bailey, the general manager of the Lincoln Electric Automation Division, who accepted the award for the company. www.lincolnelectric.com

MAZAK OPTONICS CORPORATION (ELGIN, IL) . . .
announced its latest distributor is Action Machinery International (Denver, CO), the leading distributor of metal fabricating equipment and machine tools in the Rocky Mountain Region and Northern California. The company serves manufacturers and job shops in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming, along with Northern California, and represents a select group of world leading machine tool builders. “We are proud to be on board with Action Machinery,” said Bill Citron, the president of Mazak Optonics. “We are confident that the company will provide our U.S. Rocky Mountain and Northern California regional customers with much more than the latest in laser cutting technology – manufacturing partnerships for problem solving and complete turnkey systems geared toward the customer’s specific application requirements and increasing production.”

Action Machinery’s 10,000 sq ft technology center is equipped with a broad range of new and used machinery under power, giving prospective customers the opportunity to review equipment and gain hands-on knowledge before making a purchase decision. There are also on-going technology seminars to keep customers informed of the latest industry trends and technologies. “We are excited to be representing this line,” said Randy Breitenbach, the owner of Action Machinery. “This line of machines will complete our range of product offerings and allow us access to the breadth of products from them. With this wide range of products, we can offer customers machines that are exactly matched to their specific manufacturing needs, and do so through a complete one-stop-source. Laser cutting is critical to the many shops in our regions doing high-mix, low-volume work, and we look forward to providing them the process flexibility achieved with laser cutting technology and automated systems.” www.mazaklaser.com, www.action-machinery.com

NORTH AMERICAN TOOL CORPORATION (SOUTH BELOIT, IL) . . .
celebrates its 25^th anniversary by sponsoring the City of Beloit, WI fireworks on the Fourth of July. The manufacturer will host a company picnic at The Rotary River Center in Beloit’s Riverside Park on July 4th, inviting associates and their families, retirees and others who have played key roles in the growth and success of the company. “This is an ideal way to give back to a great community while we celebrate a milestone event,” stated company president and CEO Curt Lansbery. “We are truly excited for our customers, our associates, and our community to be celebrating our 25^th year in the industrial tooling business.”

The company was founded in 1986 in South Beloit by the father and son team of Kenyon Y. Taylor, a leading industrialist and his son Roger K. Taylor, a recognized marketing strategist. Working in an area of the country known for its strong industrial roots in the manufacturing and metalworking industries, these men had a vision that recognized a need for a special tooling company to service a growing U.S. market. The company was founded on three simple principles and ideals:
• Outstanding Customer Service
• Quality Products
• On Time Shipments

“What started as a small, specialty tool producer with an emphasis on threading tools and a goal of 24-hr delivery has grown into an internationally recognized manufacturer selling products and providing services in 56 countries”, said Bernie Bowersock, a senior vice president. Today the company is an integral part of Global Specialty Solutions Inc. (South Beloit, IL), which also includes Gaylee Saws (Sterling Heights, MI), Bitner Tooling Technologies (Sterling Heights, MI), Allen Benjamin, Inc. (Mesa, AZ), and Group United Corporation (South Beloit IL). Global Specialty Solutions Inc. is a privately held corporation with a diverse range of industrial business interests serving the needs of industrial distributors and manufacturers on a global scale. www.globalspecialtysolutions.com

WIDIA PRODUCTS GROUP (LATROBE, PA) . . .
and manufacturer’s representative Ron Wallace & Associates received the ISA 2011 American Eagle Value-Added Partner Award from the Industrial Supply Association (Pittsburgh, PA) for showing “exceptional documented cost savings or productivity improvements to an end user.” They received the award at the 2011 ISA Product Show and Conference in May to join a select group of companies that have this prestigious award. The award recognizes how Widia, Ron Wallace & Associates and distributor Cornerstone Supply helped a Florida medical manufacturer save significant time and money. Through coordinated effort and information-gathering, they developed custom Widia-Hanita™ end mills that halved the cycle time and doubled the tool life to produce more parts faster with longer tool life and save the customer more than $353,000 in annual tooling costs.

“In these challenging economic times, it is imperative to understand that manufacturer, distributor, and end-user drive each other’s businesses,” says Suzanne King, the manager, distribution development for the Americas for Widia. “Building on an already strong relationship, this group delivered increased productivity and significant cost savings to our customer by working together to provide an innovative solution specific to their needs.” Accepting the award, Paul Chen, the director of sales for Widia, stated, “The relationships and trust that our people have earned in the market allow us to start each day with a winning attitude.  We’re very pleased to be recognized by the Industrial Supply Association for what we do every day and will continue doing.” www.widia.com

CTM CORPORATION (FRANKFORT, NY) . . .
has become ITAR certified, meaning its product information and materials pertaining to defense and military related technologies will be manufactured in a secure environment that meets ITAR regulations. ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) is a set of U.S. government regulations that control the export and import of defense related articles and services on the U.S. Munitions List. ITAR is overseen and regulated by the U.S. Department of State.

The addition of this registration, along with a Federal Firearms License, ISO and AS9100 certifications continues CTM’s tradition as one of the most trusted leaders in aerospace and military specific manufacturing. CTM president and CEO Steven Naegele said, “ITAR certification is further evidence that we are committed to delivering the highest quality of services and products to our customers. We are pleased to have met the rigid criteria to become registered.” www.ctm-corp.com