NEWS

Victaulic purchases Waupaca manufacturing plant

Victaulic has purchased a 220,000-square-foot Waupaca manufacturing plant in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. When operating at full capacity, the facility will increase Victaulic’s foundry production capacity by 70% in the U.S., and allow for future growth as Victaulic’s business demands increase, the manufacturer explained. The facility, including two foundry molding lines, will also enable Victaulic to produce larger-scale products.

“The addition of Waupaca’s Lawrenceville foundry will provide the scale and capacity necessary to continue our growth plans and, most importantly, service our valued North American customers,” Victaulic Chairman John F. Malloy said. “Additionally, Victaulic is doing its part to add vital manufacturing jobs within Pennsylvania. “A major aspect of our business strategy has always been to manufacture products in close proximity to our customers.”

Victaulic anticipates adding new jobs to Tioga County in the near future, it said. It is expected many of the new positions will be filled by local talent from the area’s skilled workforce with new hires joining the current Victaulic team of more than 1,600 Pennsylvania employees and about 4,500 people globally, it added.

The company is also nearing the completion of an additional 400,000-square-foot light assembly operations facility in Lower Nazareth, which is expected to be fully operational in 2021.

Taco Comfort Solutions announces employee arrested for embezzlement

After noticing inventory and financial anomalies, Taco Comfort Solutions conducted an internal investigation and uncovered evidence of misappropriation of company assets from its Cranston, Rhode Island manufacturing facility. The company notified the Cranston Police Department, which initiated a criminal investigation.

Taco said the investigation resulted in the arrest of Dario D. Smith on Feb. 16. Detectives conducted a court-authorized search at Smith’s residence, resulting in the seizure of significant company assets, the company added. Smith has been charged with a felony count of embezzlement, and his employment was immediately terminated by the company, Taco said. Taco Comfort Solutions, and its ownership, is fully cooperating with the investigation, which is ongoing, it added.

A. O. Smith announces management changes

A. O. Smith Corp. announced the retirement of Paul Dana, senior vice president — global operations, effective April 1, and Sam Carver, vice president — North American manufacturing, has been named the successor.

In his new role, Carver will help expand global operations and build on the strong foundation Dana and his team have established, the manufacturer explained. Carver joined A. O. Smith in 2006 as plant manager at the company’s McBee, South Carolina facility, and has served in various roles throughout his tenure. He was promoted to vice president — North American manufacturing in 2011.

“Sam has been a driving force behind the development and launch of the A. O. Smith Operating System across our North America Water Heating business,” said Kevin Wheeler, A. O. Smith chairman, president and CEO. “Additionally, he is a true champion of talent development and believes that investing and developing people can improve overall productivity and provide growth opportunities for our employees within the organization.”

Dana’s career with A. O. Smith began in 1998 when he was hired as plant manager for residential water heater operations in Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas. Over the course of his career, he relocated numerous times, and took on greater roles and responsibilities, including vice president — product engineering, president of APCOM and most recently in 2015, when he was named to his current role.

“Paul has proven to be an invaluable resource to the organization with his vast knowledge of our business, global experience and his passion to make things better,” Wheeler said. “We thank Paul for his dedication, dynamic leadership and unwavering commitment to his team and our organization.”

In other company news, A. O. Smith partnered with more than 35 U. S. wholesale manufacturers representative agencies to honor plant employees with a COVID-compliant luncheon. To thank essential workers and show their appreciation for the employees’ dedication during the pandemic, the agencies organized donation efforts to provide boxed lunches to more than 4,500 employees at five plant locations.

In less than two months, the group, led by Steve Kidwell, president and CEO at ROI Marketing in Millersville, Maryland, raised roughly $60,000.

“A. O. Smith plant employees have dedicated their efforts to supporting our businesses throughout the pandemic. Nationwide, my colleagues and I felt a deep need to show our gratitude,” Kidwell stated. “In a normal year, reps and contractors from across the country visit the A. O. Smith facilities to meet employees and see product production first-hand. That sense of community is core to our industry, and this is a first step to get it back.

“While many businesses saw massive delays due to COVID, the A. O. Smith team kept things moving, so our customers could continue to serve theirs.”

HydroSketch software available with single user license

HydroSketch is a cloud-based software for drawing piping and electrical schematic diagrams to document hydronic heating and cooling systems. It was designed for users who need to make a simple drawing, without the lengthy learning curve associated with most CAD software.

Its intuitive interface uses the concept of “drag and drop” to add components from several “toolboxes” to a drawing canvas. These components are then joined into piping or electrical systems using intelligent connectors.

HydroSketch is now available in single user licenses for $99 and lasts 3 years. This allows contractors, installers, wholesalers, engineers and technical service representatives to generate unlimited numbers of drawings for just $33 dollars per year.

A free 30-day trial version of HydroSketch is available at www.hydrosketch.com.

AIM/R announces new educational platform

The Association of Independent Manufacturers’ Representatives new AIM/R on Tap educational and networking opportunities run virtually the third Thursday of each month at Noon (Eastern)/11 a.m. (Central).

Immediate upcoming sessions include: PPP and Tax Laws for Businesses (April 15), Diversity in the Workplace (May 20), PPP Loan and Tax Update (June 17), Marketing for a Rep Agency — Rebranding —Part 1 (July 15) and Marketing for a Rep Agency — Digital Marketing Part 2 (Aug. 18). Jeff Blair, president of Barclay Sales, will host the July 15 marketing session, while Jeff Davis, CPMR, vice president of sales at DSC Pacific, and Charlie Parham, CPMR, CEO of Pepco Sales & Marketing, will host the Aug. 19 session.

For more information and registration details, visit the AIM/R website at www.aimr.net.

Obituary: Helmut Wagner

REHAU mourns the loss of company founder and honorary president Helmut Wagner, who died recently at the age of 95 in Switzerland. REHAU noted the news of the death of the popular founding father, who was highly committed to the end, has moved company employees around the globe.

"The great sympathy for the passing of our father comes from many regions of the world. We are very touched by this as a family," said Jobst Wagner, president of the REHAU supervisory board. “It shows the great the legacy that Helmut Wagner has left behind as one of the pioneers of modern industry, a courageous creator and unwavering visionary. We will honor the memory of Helmut Wagner by resolutely continuing his impressive work. His entrepreneurial spirit will continue to guide us.”

Wagner has been shaping the world of plastics since 1948, and has thus given important stimuli to an entire industry, REHAU explained. His founding of the company in the city of Rehau, Upper Franconia, Germany, marked the beginning of polymer product manufacturing and the success story of a family-owned company that is still strongly characterized by the pioneering spirit of its founder, the company added.

After five decades of successful development, Wagner handed over the management of the corporation to his sons in 2000. Jobst Wagner became chairman of the supervisory board and Dr. Veit Wagner became vice chairman. The third generation is already active in shaping the family business, REHAU explained. In 2015, Rehau city council paid a special tribute to the founder of REHAU with Helmut Wagner appointed the first honorary citizen since the end of the World War II.

Terracon Foundation awards $82,254 in university and community grants

The Terracon Foundation announced the awarding of $82,254 in grants and scholarships. The Terracon Foundation was established as the community investment arm of Terracon with a goal to reach out and become a real part of the lives of company employees and the communities where they live and work.

“We are pleased to award grants to eight universities to allow students to complete their degrees, participate in research and further their professional relationships,” said Laura Campa, P.E., chair of the Terracon Foundation and manager of the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, office. “We are also excited to award 10 additional grants to community organizations across the nation that are doing crucial work to educate and mentor children, increase health, and more in their communities. Each grant was championed by a Terracon employee who is actively involved in the organization or university.”

As part of an ongoing effort to support higher education, the Terracon Foundation presents university grants for scholarships, fellowships and programs in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The Terracon Foundation has presented a total of $53,500 to eight universities, including:

• Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama;
• Cloud County Community College, Concordia, Kansas;
• Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee;
• Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas;
• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas;
• University of Kansas School of Engineering, Lawrence, Kansans;
• University of Washington, Seattle; and
• Virginia Tech Foundation, Blacksburg, Virginia.

The Terracon Foundation has awarded $28,754 in community grants to 10 nonprofit organizations, including:

• ACE Mentor Program of America, Des Moines, Iowa;
• Archbishop Chapelle High School, Metairie, Louisiana;
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley, Columbus, Georgia;
• Caterpillar Ministries, Huntersville, North Carolina;
• EveryoneOn, Washington, D.C.;
• Girls on the Run International, Charlotte, North Carolina;
• Latinx Education Collaborative, Kansas City, Missouri;
• Museum of Arts & Sciences, Macon, Georgia
• Rutherford Outdoor Coalition, Rutherford, North Carolina; and
• The ALS Association, Mission, Kansas.

For more information about the Terracon Foundation, visit terracon.com/foundation.