Industry Watch: People

People making recent headlines in the business of fabricating and metalworking.

THE HARRIS PRODUCTS GROUP (MASON, OH) . . .
recently announced Jeff Crawford as the new director of information technology. A Miami University graduate, he brings more than 30 years of industry experience to the position, providing both information technology services and business development skills to large organizations. “To be joining a company with such a stellar reputation is a thrill,” said Crawford. “I am looking forward to helping them take their global IT and telecommunication systems to the next level.”

Crawford recently served as director of information technology and business development for a $50 million waste company, where he developed the technology department and implemented several new programs without increasing department expenses. In his new role, he will be responsible for integrating technology usage at Harris’ global facilities in Europe, Brazil and the U.S. He will also spearhead several new IT initiatives to give the Harris team the tools to integrate and serve new and existing customers.

David Nangle, the president and CEO of The Harris Products Group, echoes his excitement and is confident Crawford’s background and expertise will be instrumental in helping the organization further develop its IT portfolio to benefit their overall business initiatives. “We are excited to have Jeff join the Harris family,” Nangle said. “He had all of the qualities we were looking for in an IT director and then some. His keen business sense and well-rounded background will help us expand our existing programs as well as introduce new solutions. We are confident he will help us continue to utilize technology efficiently to better serve our customers.”

The Harris Products Group is a Lincoln Electric Company and global leader in the design, development and manufacture of cutting, welding, brazing and soldering equipment and consumables and gas distribution systems. Harris Products Group products are sold and used in more than 85 countries. www.harrisproductsgroup.com

OKUMA AMERICA CORPORATION (CHARLOTTE, NC) . . .
promoted Lisa Rummel from vice president of finance to the position of chief financial officer, responsible for the finance, contract administration, information technology and human resources departments. In commenting about the promotion, president and chief operating officer Jim King stated, “Lisa has been a valuable member of our organization for over 20 years and she brings an amazing level of insight and strategic planning experience to the role. She has already been performing many of the duties this position entails and we are happy to officially have her serve in this capacity.”

Rummel is a certified public accountant and earned an MBA from Appalachian State University. She began her career in public accounting and, after four years, moved into the manufacturing industry with what his now Textron, where she gained her original machine tool experience. She began work at Okuma in 1989 as a cost accountant for what was then the manufacturing division of Okuma America. Her 22 years of experience at Okuma has included cost accounting for manufacturing, accounting and finance for the sales division, corporate finance and tax accounting. She works closely with Okuma Corporation’s headquarters in Japan and manages and evaluates corporate risk by being responsible for cash flow and inventory investment.

She became Okuma’s first female vice president when she was named vice president of finance in April 2007. With the promotion to CFO, she becomes the first female officer within the global corporation. “Okuma has supported me both personally and professionally throughout my career. I have been afforded many opportunities to grow in my field but have also had the flexibility to spend time with my family. I am excited to face the new challenges that this position brings,” stated Rummel, “and I am looking forward to many more years with the company.”

She will continue to work from Okuma America’s headquarters in Charlotte and report to King. www.okuma.com

FASTEMS OY AB (TAMPERE, FINLAND) . . .
formed a new board of directors, with Tomas Hedenborg as the executive chairman and Jöns Danielsson and Heikki Räty as other members. With the new arrangement, the company wants to strengthen its position as the leading system integrator in automation in the manufacturing industry. Fastems is a leading supplier of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) in the world, with 380 employees worldwide and annual turnover for the year 2011 of approximately €86 million. www.fastems.com

SKILLS USA CONFERENCE (KANSAS CITY, MO) . . .
spotlighted 3,000 the nation’s best and brightest students in sheet metal work and building trade categories on the high school and college levels during the 47th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference in June. The International Training Institute (ITI; Alexandria, VA), the education arm of the unionized sheet metal and air conditioning industry, partnered with Skills USA to host the conference.

Olivia Keech, 16, won gold in the high school sheet metal category – the second gold award for Delcastle Technical High School in Newark, DE. For the competition, the high school junior completed a written test and constructed a fitting. “They said because I’m a junior I shouldn’t expect anything,” Olivia said. “You’re supposed to go get the experience (at the competition), go back as a senior and win. But I won, so I can come back next year and try to do it all again.”

As the only girl in her sheet metal class at school, Olivia was aware she was a minority in the competition. Only two females competed in the nationwide sheet metal competition. Olivia credits her teacher, John Fitzgerald, for helping her succeed. “I figured out how special it was when people got excited (when I won),” she added. “I hope more girls come into the sheet metal trade.”

Barbara Keech sees how far the impact of her daughter’s win can reach in the community and the industry. Watching her 5 ft 6 in blonde daughter stand next to large bearded men in the competition was a proud visual, she said. “I am so excited for her,” Barbara added. “She’s always liked to help my dad in his workshop, so it was right up her ally. I totally supported her. I’m so glad she found something she loves doing. It helps if you like what you do.”

This year marked the first time ITI co-sponsored the welding competition in order to educate students about secondary education and career training ITI can provide. The partnership between Skills USA and ITI allows for the exchange of information, so schools with Skills USA programs can reach out to the professional community for mentorship, expertise and guidance, while ITI can recruit from a talent pool that already understands and practices leadership skills. ITI has contacts at each of the students’ respective schools. The partnership also will eventually allow Skills USA to track their graduates through the sheet metal industry and check on their progress.

“We were impressed with the sheer amount of talent displayed at this year’s competition, especially in the sheet metal, HVAC and welding categories,” said Larry Lawrence, instructional development specialist with ITI. “With this caliber of young talent, and the partnership between Skills USA and ITI, the future of our industry is a bright one.” In the high school sheet metal category, aside from Olivia’s gold win, Hunter Crook of Monroe, NC, earned the silver and Alec Higgins of Jefferson, IA, took home the bronze.

In the college/post-secondary group, John Halwix of Elgin, IL, received the gold award; Allen Travelstead of Fitzgerald, GA, earned the silver; and Derek Daufeldt of Bettendorf, IA, took the bronze. In the HVAC high school category, Jeffrey Nelson of Palmer, MA, earned the gold award; Christopher Kuhn of Oberlin, OH, took the silver; and Bradley Higdon of Hollywood, AL, won the bronze.

In the college/post-secondary group, Connor Stidham of Henderson, NV, earned the gold award; Robert Scott of Elizabethtown, KY, won the silver; and Andrew Beckman of Norfolk, NE, took the bronze. In the high school team welding fabrication category, Jared Martinez, Brennan Clelland and Joshua Ellrod of Farmington, NM, earned the gold award; Skeeter Judd, Aaron Jamerman and Joe Lake of Douglas, WY, took the silver; and Kyle Alexander, Mason Hart and John Stratz of Cottonwood, AZ, earned the bronze.

In the college/post-secondary group, Austin Welch, Mike Montoya and Joseph Fournier of Price, UT, earned the gold award; Boaz Millar, Stephen Millar and Ricky Lovell of Sallisaw, OK, took the silver; and Ryan Dauel, Brandon Versnon and Lucas Boshart of Lincoln, NE, won the bronze. In the high school welding category, Tim Saxton of Cambridge, MN, earned the gold award; Kaleb Parsch of Attica, MI, won the silver; and Evan Vogler of Petersburg, IN, took the bronze.

In the college/post-secondary group, Spartak Matvyeyenko of Sacramento, CA, earned the gold award; Blake Parks of Torrington, WY, took the silver; and Micah Hoover of Williamsport, PA, received the bronze.

More than 15,000 apprentices are registered at training facilities in the U.S. and Canada. The ITI is jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (SMWIA; Washington, DC) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA; Chantilly, VA). ITI supports apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout the U.S. and Canada. ITI produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to sheet metal apprentices and journeymen. www.sheetmetal-iti.org, www.skillsusa.org

TEST EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTORS, LLC (TED; TROY, MI) . . .
named Clarence Wyland to the new position of national sales manager to oversee national sales efforts, with particular emphasis on capital equipment and service. He reports to Mike Hamel, the president of TED. He joins TED from Fuji Film, where he was an account manager for NDT Systems for the past 14 years. Wyland, 49, is a 27-year veteran of the nondestructive testing industry, having also worked in sales at American NDT Products (Bluffdale, UT) and Met Chem Testing Laboratories (South Salt Lake, UT). He is a member of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (Columbus, OH). He and his wife, Elizabeth Sohl, reside in Uniontown, OH.

TED and its affiliated companies, X-Ray Industries and X-R-I Testing, have served the nondestructive testing and inspection needs of a wide range of industries since 1941. With six regional warehouses and over $1 million in inventory, TED provides prompt delivery of recognized brand name and private labeled nondestructive testing equipment and supplies. www.tedndt.com