A trusted full-service company, G.W. Becker boasts a staff of about 70, including the requisite team of skilled and experienced lifting-technology tradespeople. Mechanical and structural engineers, welders, electricians, machine operators, and service technicians round out the team, giving customers the overhead crane-related products that precisely meet their needs.

At G.W. Becker, custom overhead cranes are made to Crane Manufacturers Association of America Inc. (CMAA) specifications (Class A through F), or to the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (ASIT) Technical Report No. 6, covering electrical overhead traveling cranes for steel mill service.

A complete overhead-lifting solutions business, G.W. Becker is much more than a seller of cranes and crane solutions. The company is a passionate manufacturer of its own line of cranes and a distributor of the world’s premier crane brands. It also provides everything its clients need, including parts, service and repairs, inspections, and more.

Self-performing almost all of its work, including crane installation and service, ensures the highest degree of professionalism and safety. This vital aspect of the company’s activities includes a robust health and safety program that is second to none in the industry, bi-weekly Toolbox Talks, and monthly safety committee meetings. Safety here is everyone’s responsibility, and the attitude permeates the entire company.

Staff members are required, as a condition of employment, to actively participate in the company’s safety program and adhere to its policies. According to the company’s stand on the matter, “It is our goal to completely eliminate accidents and injuries. Because of the many different hazards of our industry, we must maintain a constant safety awareness to achieve this goal.”

As a further commitment to safety and quality, G.W. Becker is affiliated with some of the best-known industry associations in America. This includes executive membership in the CMAA.

Founded in 1927, the CMAA is a voluntary independent trade association in the material handling industry and a leading advocate for the safe application and operation of overhead traveling cranes and related activities.

The company is also proud to be part of the Material Handling Industry of America (MHI). Incorporated in 1945, the MHI is America’s biggest logistics, supply chain, and material handling association. Additionally, some G.W. Becker employees hold membership in the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST), a non-profit organization with 22 local member chapters across six continents.

Since building its first pre-engineered packaged overhead crane in 1981 soon after its founding, the company has achieved a plethora of milestones in the industry. In 1989, G.W. Becker saw its first West Coast overhead crane installation. About a decade later, the business purchased a manufacturing facility in Wheatland, Pennsylvania. By 2000, the company was designing and manufacturing custom overhead cranes, and in 2008, it installed 104 cranes in Alabama, a startling achievement in those days. This was followed a few years later by its first crane installation in Canada and installations in Mexico.

Celebrating its 40^th anniversary in 2020, the company soon found it necessary to expand its production facility.

Indeed, in the past year and a half, G. W. Becker has been busy producing jib cranes, workstations, packaged cranes, fully automated cranes, DC-powered cranes, and more, says Sales Manager Ron Piso. Last year, the company installed and commissioned its first fully automated coil handling crane, which is in full service. Then, at the beginning of 2023, it designed and fabricated its second fully automated coil handling crane. Installed and commissioned in late spring, it is also in full service.

“Another automated coil handling crane is currently on the production floor, as well as a high-capacity DC-powered crane with three hoists,” explains Piso. “G.W. Becker continues to develop opportunities with customers that range from 1/8-ton jib cranes to high-capacity customer-built overhead cranes,” he shares.

“Our service department is involved in quite a few control and electrical upgrades, and our fully-staffed engineering department is in the process of multiple crane projects,” Piso continues. “More are coming through the sales department every day.”

The clients served by G.W. Becker come from a wide range of industries. A few of the sectors served include aeronautics, automotive, chemical, concrete, defense, food, heavy machinery, mining, oil and gas, steel—both primary and secondary producers—tool and die, warehousing, and water treatment.

“G.W. Becker, Inc. is quite diversified in our customer base, but if I had to pinpoint industries that are strong, they would be metals, steel, processing, and manufacturing,” says Piso.

Headquartered in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, the company provides overhead crane solutions, fabricating, machining, and other services to customers primarily in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, West Virginia, and New York, with cranes installed and in operation in the Southeast, Southwest, South Central and Midwest United States as well as Canada and Mexico. And although the company has a long list of clients, the team strives to promote the many advantages of working with a full-service, single-source provider of choice for overhead cranes and solutions.

“This is an everyday, every-employee effort to communicate to our customers, both externally and internally, that we’re providing a unique package of offerings,” says Piso.

Clearly, this success is the result of overflowing enthusiasm, years of experience, hard work, dedication, and hiring bright, motivated individuals to the team. Holding to a consistent and clear-minded strategy that comes from being family-owned also makes a difference, says Piso. “G.W. Becker is a family-owned private company that allows its employees to participate in the success each and every day.”

As a family business, G.W. Becker believes in treating its staff with respect and believes in a positive workplace that promotes safety and teamwork while valuing employees for their input and abilities.

“An open door policy is the norm,” says Piso. “Ideas are shared and acknowledged, and success is part of the culture.”

And what of the future? The company’s long-held mission statement will not change: “To become an extension of our customers’ management teams in the area of Cranes/Overhead Material Handling Systems, providing premium products and quality service.”

At the same time, G.W. Becker will continue providing employees with a work environment that’s safe, fair, and diverse, and providing opportunities for personal and professional growth. “With the ever-changing world we live in, staying true to our mission and values is super-critical,” says Piso. “We’ll continue to work to provide our customers quality products and services, while at the same time supporting the livelihood of our employees.”

After more than 40 successful years in business, G.W. Becker looks forward to meeting the overhead crane needs of existing customers and attracting new clients. “G.W. Becker, Inc. has been on an aggressive growth path over the last five-plus years,” concludes Piso, “and we’ll continue that well into the future.”

The post One Company’s Drive to Lift Itself to Success<p class="company">G.W. Becker, Inc.</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Hangcha was founded in China in 1956, and in 1974, its first forklift rolled off the manufacturing line. Since then, the company has become an international leader in the industry. Figures from Modern Material Handling (MMH) magazine place the company eighth worldwide in sales volume. Today, that market leadership continues, with over 80 subsidiaries in countries around the world and industry-leading technology.

Hangcha forklifts have been available in Canada for some time but, in 2019, the company deepened its footprint here. Robert Pitzul, Vice President of Sales for Hangcha Canada, was the catalyst. At the time, Hangcha forklifts were entering Canada’s dealer network through an importer. Pitzul approached the company about putting facilities on the ground in Canada, and with a U.S. expansion just under their belt, Hangcha Group agreed.

Hangcha Forklift Canada was incorporated in 2019—just in time for COVID to put a damper on its plans. The delay was only temporary, and the team picked up the keys to the warehouse in the fall of 2020.

Today, most of the company’s 35 employees are located at the headquarters just outside Montreal, in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec. That first location was only one piece of the puzzle: the company also has a 30,000-square-foot warehouse showroom in Mississauga, Ontario and another 14,000-square-foot warehouse in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Louanne Rioux, Sales and Marketing Director, explains that the locations are strategically chosen, as is the inventory. “We wanted a presence from the West Coast to the East Coast because there are different applications and needs from one region to another. This way, we can provide the units best suited to the market.”

That line of units is broader than most, offering forklifts from Class I to Class VII, all manufactured by Hangcha.

The distribution facilities are a key differentiator between Hangcha and its competitors. The Mississauga warehouse has over 300 units on display for its customers, representing its full line of products. With that volume of inventory on the ground and a robust distribution system in place, Hangcha can offer customers much faster access to needed equipment. “Our lead times are second to none,” Rioux says. “Even if we have a factory order for a unit that isn’t already here, it only takes 16 to 20 weeks to deliver on average. Waiting periods of 12 to 24 months are more typical [in the industry].”

Randy Thistel, Regional Sales Manager for Hangcha in Ontario, points to that investment as an indicator of how Hangcha Group approaches its international expansion. “Hangcha has invested in the warehouse and put product on the floor. They made that commitment to have the units available for the dealer network and the end users. This is essential to what our success is going to be,” he says.

When it comes to forklifts, Thistel has “been there, done that.” He has worked in every corner of the industry for 30 years, from service to operations to sales. The decision to join Hangcha was an easy one for him. “I had known Robert for about 10 years. When he talked to me about Hangcha, how they were investing so many hours in development, taking a top-notch product to market at an affordable cost, I couldn’t say no.”

Rioux may be newer to the forklift industry than Thistel, but for her, Hangcha completes a circle. “Previously, I’ve worked in international shipping and logistics. My role here is closing the loop from ocean freight to logistics on the road to forklifts. It’s an exciting industry; it’s challenging, it moves fast, and it’s necessary.”

Working to establish Hangcha’s presence in Canada has been a whirlwind. “I was employee number three. It’s been an interesting ride. I worked with Robert to develop the structure, the dealer network coast to coast. Then we worked to build the sales team, starting with inside sales first, then the outside sales territories.”

The company has grown quickly in a short period, and it is intentional about the culture it is building. “It took some trial and error over the four years, but we have a dream team now. We’ve got over 100 years of combined industry knowledge and history on our team.”

Both Rioux and Thistel stress that the values of the company are not just words on the wall. The values of integrity, teamwork, responsibility, and sharing are embedded in the way the company does business, and decisions are made collaboratively.

“We’ve got a great foundation with our people,” Thistel says. “Every puzzle piece makes us so much better, and we make key decisions together, as a group. We’re creating things the right way.”

One of the challenges involved in expanding the company’s business and presence in Canada is introducing a technology that is still relatively new to the market: lithium-ion batteries. Traditionally, forklifts have been operated by either diesel, propane, or lead-acid batteries.

“With lead-acid, the more the battery drains, the less power you have,” Thistel says. “Your lift speeds will slow; your drive speeds will slow.” Lithium batteries, on the other hand, deliver full power continuously, and they are designed for what Thistel calls ‘opportunity charging.’

“With lithium technology, the battery wants to be charged all the time. The operator can charge them when they’re on break or at lunch, and you’ll never run out of battery. We have them in 24-hour applications, which would have been impossible for a lead-acid battery.”

What about durability? “We have some units with 4000 hours on them, and the batteries are still running perfectly. We stand behind them. We offer a 10-year warranty on larger units, five-year on the smaller units. It’s a strong warranty, and I believe we’re changing the industry for the better.”

Thistel and Rioux are clear: for Hangcha, the future is lithium. “By the end of 2024,” Thistel says, “we’ll have lithium in every unit, from a 100,000-pound capacity forklift right down to a 2,000-pound walkie. We’ll have lithium technology for it all.”

One reason this technology makes sense is cost savings, and for owners, those savings add up. “We’ve done the research,” Thistel says. “Over the first 10 years, between the purchase of the unit, charging, fuelling, and repairs, the cost savings amount to about $150,000 per truck.”

Although relatively new technology to the forklift market, lithium is catching on. In fact, Hangcha is putting these batteries into service with forklifts from other manufacturers.

“With our universal lithium battery system program, we can put lithium technology into any brand,” Rioux says. “If someone has a forklift with a lead-acid battery that’s no longer useful, we can install a lithium battery to replace it. The owner can keep it running, instead of scrapping the whole machine.”

“We’re even doing that for new trucks from other brands,” Thistel adds. “Dealers are putting our lithium batteries into new forklifts with lead-acid batteries because the technology is just better.”

For Thistel, the support Hangcha Canada receives from the manufacturer is key to the company’s continued growth in Canada. In addition to supporting its dealers and end users through the adoption of lithium battery technology, the engineering team in China also responds directly to input from this market. “We can take something to the manufacturer, and they’ll implement it immediately if it makes sense. We don’t have to wait until a whole new line comes out.”

How can a company respond that nimbly? The scope and scale of the facilities in China are part of the answer. The company has one million square metres of manufacturing space there and is continuing to grow and expand. If you are having trouble imagining that, it is understandable, and Rioux has a helpful parallel. “It’s the equivalent of 633 arenas,” she laughs.

“When we took our dealers there,” Thistel adds, “it helped them understand what Hangcha is doing and how they’re doing it. They saw the quality of the facilities firsthand and the sheer professionalism of the people.”

Hangcha Group’s expansion into Canada is a textbook example of how to do it well, and it is all about commitment: investing in the right spaces, putting quality products on the ground, and hiring and empowering a ‘dream team’ of the right people. This approach is not a one-off, either; in the few short years since its Canadian expansion in 2019, Hangcha has employed the same principles and expanded to Mexico, Brazil, Australia, and the Netherlands.

“Hangcha has committed to be the best at everything we do,” Thistel says. “We want to have the best product, the best availability, the best parts department. We’re continuously improving. We want to be the best, to set the bar for the industry in Canada.”

The post Lifting the Industry Higher<p class="company">Hangcha Forklift Canada</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

“It’s not just about providing a rubber part or an insulation part; it’s also being a trusted advisor with our customer,” says Sales and Marketing Manager Roberto Naccarato.

Elasto Proxy’s custom fabrication skills include waterjet cutting, lamination, bonding, and taping. Lamination is the creation of “insulation sandwiches,” as the company puts it, consisting of layered rubber sheets. Bonding involves joining rubber profile ends to make finished gaskets, while pressure-sensitive adhesive or heat-activated taping temporarily or permanently fastens rubber products. Pure waterjet cutting is intended for rubber, plastic, foils, fabrics, and other softer, thinner, materials, and abrasive waterjet cutting is applied to tougher, thicker substances such as glass, metals, and composites. Warehousing, logistics, kitting, and sourcing are also offered by the company as value-added services.

Most production work is done in Boisbriand, although this might soon change. Elasto is preparing to expand light fabrication operations at a branch it maintains in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Once paperwork is finalized, this facility should be “up and running by 2024,” shares Naccarato.

The company also has a light fabrication plant in Ghent, Belgium and a distribution facility in Newmarket, Ontario. It remains committed to future growth and would love to expand west within North America.

Elasto serves the heavy equipment, defense, food equipment, building, medical and health, and transportation sectors. Transportation includes mass transit, semis, transport trucks, service vehicles, flatbed trucks, aviation, and aerospace. Heavy equipment—a broad category covering agricultural, mining, forestry, construction, emergency vehicles, and ground service vehicles—is the top revenue generator for the firm, followed by military.

The company’s products for the heavy equipment sector range from door seals and window gaskets to acoustic and thermal insulation, silicone hose connectors, bumpers, anti-vibration mounts, rubber grommets, and rubber hose clamps. Products for the defence sector include hatch seals, firewall protection for engine bays, and grip tape to prevent soldiers from slipping off the top of military vehicles.

Despite doing considerable business with the heavy equipment and military markets, the company maintains a diversified workload and avoids focusing too heavily on one sector. That way, if a downturn occurs within a particular market, it will not impact overall business too heavily.

Components are often custom-built “based on what the customer is looking for. We help with the design aspect of it,” says Naccarato. While plenty of other fabricators make similar parts, few offer the kind of comprehensive services and support of which Elasto Proxy is capable. “Most of our customers have a production-line type of business,” he says. “We try to ensure there’s no downtime on their production lines. This is where those value-added services come in, in terms of warehousing or kitting.”

Kitting refers to an inventory management system in which related parts or products are combined into a single unit. It is a way to enhance efficiency in manufacturing processes that use large numbers of separate pieces and components. The client benefits through faster assembly, reduced overhead, less packaging waste, volume discounts, and fewer errors. For example, Elasto can custom-fabricate and then package latch gaskets, rubber bumpers, mud flaps, door seals, and other service truck parts into a neatly organized kit.

Warehousing, of course, entails storing raw materials and production parts for customers. Clients use this service to stock up and guarantee continuity in case of unforeseen circumstances. Should a client experience water damage at their factory, for example, they can turn to Elasto for a safe and secure supply of parts. In North America, the company maintains warehouses in South Carolina, Newmarket, and Boisbriand.

Sourcing is another popular value-added service. Relying on its own huge raw material supply chain and decades of experience, Elasto Proxy is able to consolidate and simplify the vendor list of its clients. The company can provide one-stop sourcing while ensuring that raw materials for customers meet regulatory requirements and industry standards.

“I’ve seen customers with 20 suppliers in their commodity base. Most of them are single product suppliers. We’re able to consolidate that, so a buyer only has to manage one supplier, with multiple products,” Naccarato explains.

Assembly packaging and acoustic lab testing and metrology are other value-added services offered by Elasto.

The company was launched—under rather humble circumstances—by Doug and Donna Sharpe in 1989. At the time, many fabricators focused on high-volume production, a model that worked well for big automotive companies and the like but was not suitable for companies that required fewer components. Elasto Proxy was founded to fill this gap, with an emphasis on low-volume runs of first-class components.

The company name was created by blending the words ‘elastomer’ and proxy—giving someone authority to vote or speak on your behalf. The concept was that clients could rely on the Elasto team to look out for their interests.

Production work for the young firm was initially performed in the Sharpes’ basement, while the family garage served as a warehouse. The business became a success thanks to a combination of good products, hard work, and the Sharpes’ relationship-building skills. “They forged partnerships with the extruders,” says Naccarato of the company’s early days. “They were able to earn customers and build on that.” As the years went by, “we added suppliers and offered different types of products as well.”

Today, Doug and Donna Sharpe are transitioning out of the company, but this remains a family business. The Sharpes’ son Clyde has taken over as Chief Executive Officer while younger son Kevin works in the accounting department.

At present, 60 people are employed across all branches, up from 50 last year at this time. Interestingly, not only is this company 50 percent female-owned, a majority of its workforce are women, and all personnel are passionate about their jobs.

“The biggest thing that stands out—and it sounds cliché—is the people inside the company. Our passion is to build a community and culture that you can trust; that starts with our staff. Our customers love our service. We are quick to respond to them,” Naccarato states.

There is little turnover among existing staff. As for new hires, “We want someone who is curious. We’re engaged; we’re professional; we’re loyal, and we’re problem-solvers. You have to be curious to be a problem-solver,” he says. Employees also have to be prepared to take on different responsibilities if need be.

The company’s upwards momentum was briefly halted when COVID became a global scourge in March 2020. “We did take a hit; we lost almost 30 to 40 percent of our business that year. We’ve made that up [since and] more.”

Since it supplied products for the military and medical agencies, Elasto was deemed an essential business and production never ceased. To ensure the safety of its employees, health protocols including dividers, social distancing, and extra cleaning were introduced in the production plant while office staff worked from home.

This focus on workforce well-being is matched by an intense effort to ensure consistent quality. Elasto Proxy maintains ISO 9001:2015 certification and a comprehensive quality assurance program. The company has its own quality department, performs internal audits, and holds quarterly meetings to review quality issues and discuss any potential challenges.

“Every time a new part is developed, we have to make sure we understand the critical dimensions,” says Naccarato. “That gets recorded on an inspection form. We have someone that inspects products that go out. We have inspection forms for products that come in. All the raw material that comes in gets inspected.”

The company is keeping an eye out for potential new products and services and employs a research and development engineer whose job is to explore these areas. The firm is also considering ways to expand its presence in the burgeoning electric vehicle market. At the same time, it is enhancing its existing capabilities such as lamination and abrasive waterjet cutting. “We have a standard waterjet machine that can cut rubber and foam parts, but we also have abrasive waterjet capabilities [and can cut materials such as] brass, copper, ballistic metals, and composite materials,” says Naccarato, who adds, “we can cut up to four inch-thick titanium metal.”

Like most industrial/manufacturing businesses in North America, the biggest challenge at present is finding good, skilled workers. “Recently, we hired a digital content creator. One of the objectives we have is to be able to promote what it is to work for Elasto Proxy,” says Naccarato.

As for the future, expansion is definitely on the agenda. “My biggest message moving forward is, we’re a small company but we think big. We’re always looking to grow and continuously improve,” says Naccarato.

The post Family-Owned Fabricator Finds Its Niche<p class="company">Elasto Proxy</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Selling original equipment manufacturing (OEM) products, the company grew, bringing on additional staff to fill key roles in sales, service, engineering, and programming. Bringing on others and creating a solid leadership team saw LPS build a solid client base. Looking for a new name that sounded rugged and would fit in manufacturing, the pair came up with ‘Viking’. And Viking it was, after clearing the new name with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, appliance maker Viking, and Viking Trailers. In just a few years, the company changed its name to Viking Packaging Technologies, Inc.

In 2006, the brothers partnered with internationally known packaging equipment giant Masek based in Vlasim, Czech Republic, and their company is today known as Viking Masek Packaging Technologies.

Vision and dedication
Today, the company that began as a two-man operation has expanded to encompass hundreds of staff spread across Viking Masek’s worldwide locations including its North American headquarters in Oostburg, Wisconsin, Viking Masek Robotics and Automation headquarters in New Berlin, Wisconsin, and the European sites, including Viking Masek’s Czech facility.

Along the way, the business built and expanded its Oostburg facility, premiered innovations on the Discovery Channel, was named Sheboygan County Manufacturer of the Year in 2017, 2019, and 2020, and was awarded Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Top Workplace in 2020, 2021, 2022.

For the company and the Leonhard family, 2021 was full of highs and lows. That year saw Viking Masek make a 33,000-square-foot facility expansion and welcome the formation of Viking Masek Robotics and Automation. Sadly, it also saw the passing of Robb’s older brother Rick in July after a brief, bravely fought battle with cancer.

Serving as Executive Vice President until that time, Robb was the logical choice to take over as company President, continuing to fulfill Rick’s vision for the future, passion for the industry, and commitment to Viking Masek’s staff and customers.

“Looking back to when we started this journey 19 years ago, we were in a much different position and facing different issues, but the spirit was the same,” said Leonhard when his presidency was announced on August 21, 2021. “We were a small, driven team on a mission to bring simple, automated tote-to-pallet packaging solutions to customers around the world. Today, automation has become so crucial, but our mission remains the same.”

For Leonhard and the entire team at Viking Masek, it was crucial to carry on Rick’s legacy, keep advancing the business, and strengthen the company’s involvement in the community.

“One of the things Rick and I were passionate about was giving back, being really involved and a crucial part of the community,” says Leonhard. This included re-inventing the company’s café-themed lunchroom as a European pub, naming it in Rick’s honor, and using it as a venue for a free Thanksgiving meal for the less fortunate. “Rick was very passionate about that, and it’s something we continue to do.”

Diverse clients
Offering packaging solutions for virtually any industry, Viking Masek works with customers every step of the way to ensure success. If products are dusty, wet, heavy, or even sticky, the experienced team at Viking Masek is there to offer machines, service, and solutions custom-made to the needs of every client in food and beverage, health and medical, and non-food product sectors.

Just some of the products packaged with the company’s cutting-edge equipment include coffee, cheese, candy, individual quick frozen (IQF) items, cereals, nuts and snacks, pasta, beans and rice, pet food and treats, cannabis, pills and capsules, medical testing kits, and more. The California-based Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is one valued customer, and as Leonhard describes, “That’s a market we’ve focused on since day one. We provide a lot of automated machinery lines to regional coffee roasters, from very small to very large, for packaging ground coffee, whole bean coffee, flavored coffee, and more. We love the coffee industry.”

Able to pivot quickly to meet market demands, “During COVID, our machines were used very heavily to package COVID test kits, along with other test kits,” he explains. “We sold a lot of machines for packing COVID test kits.”

Highly knowledgeable about the packaging industry, Viking Masek advises its customers on the best equipment for their needs. Coffee and tea, for example, can be packaged through Vertical Form Fill Seal (VFFS) machines, Flat Bottom, Quad Seal, Premade Bags, Stick Pack Equipment, or Bag-in-Bag VFFS Machines.

For cheese packaging, the company’s breadth of machines includes the Viking-8SD-235, the VFFS Solitaire, the VFFS Velocity, and more. Packing cheese through intermittent and continuous motion, Viking Masek’s line of VFFS Machines can package everything from small, consumer-sized, three-side seal bags with zippers to large pillow bags intended for restaurants and food service customers.

For the first-timer
As packaging industry experts, the Viking Masek team works with both longstanding customers and new ones looking to buy their first automated lines. Realizing that purchasing automated packaging machines is a big decision and a big investment, the company maintains an informative “First-Time Buyer” FAQ section on its website. “To help customers with the buying process, Viking Masek has developed an extensive library of resources for first time buyers including downloadable PDFs: vikingmasek.com/packaging-machine-resources/first-time-buyers.

In the past decade, the company has partnered with clients embarking on their automation journey much earlier in the process than was the case previously, often in the pre-construction stages. Years ago, companies would call up asking for a vertical bagger; today, Viking Masek is doing much more full-line automation and becoming involved in the early stages of everything from plant design to room layout.

Becoming a one-stop shop was both intentional and driven by market demand. Building on years of combined experience, Viking Masek has the talent, technology, and skills needed to latch onto the process at the start and make valuable contributions through to the very end.

This approach includes not only engineering, design, programming, and automation, but also service, parts, and preventative maintenance packages. All pre-owned equipment sold through Viking Masek undergoes a minimum 25-point maintenance and safety check. Thoroughly inspected by the company’s certified technicians, all used equipment “is certified to perform to Viking Masek’s exacting standards.” And just like new pieces, pre-owned equipment can be modified to suit specific customer needs.

Automation for all
In the future, Viking Masek will continue its quality work with clients of all sizes—from those who need multiple lines running to those who need just one. And of course, the company will continue to develop new innovations. Its fast Twin Velocity VFFS machine is a unique offering, rated at over 500 bags per minute. First unveiled at the Pack Expo show last year, this September saw the company bring the popular machine back for this year’s show in Las Vegas.

“The businesses we deal with all require automation, automation, automation,” Leonhard emphasizes. “That’s been good for us because we’ve been ahead of the curve. We can do the whole thing—supplying that tote-to-pallet, fully automated line instead of just little pieces—so we’re a one-stop shop for customers who need automation,” he says. “Right now in the industry, automation is king. Everyone needs to automate because employees are getting harder and harder to find.”

At present, the company’s Robotics and Automation Division is exploring other areas, such as food preparation machines. And even though the company keeps growing, it continues to uphold its foundational values.

“We have been very fortunate and blessed. We started as a family organization, and we’re still a family organization. We view our employees and teammates as family, and we invest in them. Some people just say that, but It’s important to us and we do it. Our machinery is only going to be as good as the people who design it, maintain it, train on it. Our machinery has come a long way since the beginning, and that’s a testament to the talent, determination, and drive for excellence of our people.”

The post Proof That Top-Class Automated Packaging Takes Top-Class People<p class="company">Viking Masek</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

According to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the U.S. dairy sector has grown considerably over the past two years. Responsible for over a million direct jobs, the industry added approximately 60,000 new jobs, saw average wages rise by 11 percent, and increased its overall impact on the American economy by an impressive $41 billion.

Responsible for three percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), the dairy sector is growing as per capita consumption increases—and BouMatic is growing to meet the needs of producers worldwide.

BouMatic means business
The history of BouMatic is one of ongoing innovation and determination. Founded as BouMatic Milkers, Inc. in Ontario, California in 1939, the company relocated to Madison, Wisconsin 22 years later when the Dairy Equipment Company acquired it.

With annual sales reaching approximately US$80 million in 1997—60 percent from outside the United States—the company is growing to this day. Known for its automated milking systems, parlor stalls, animal and equipment hygiene products, integrated computerized management systems, and more, BouMatic continues serving the needs of both domestic and international clients.

Over the decades, BouMatic has led the way with a number of innovations benefiting customers large and small in the dairy industry. These include the electric pulsator, the can milk cooler, bulk cooling tanks, and the Opti-Stor® Heat Recovery System (aka Thermastor).

The Opti-Stor story
“Our Opti-Stor heat recovery system was pioneered by BouMatic for use in the dairy industry over four decades ago,” says a company representative. Helping customers by re-purposing heat energy and reducing utility costs, this innovative system also helps reduce carbon footprints as it transforms waste heat from cooling systems into profits. To achieve this, the double-walled heat exchanger in the Opti-Stor cools hot gas from compressors. This means they run more efficiently and provide free hot water, stored in the system until needed.

One of the advantages of the Opti-Stor Heat Recovery System is that operations of any size can use the product and realize cost savings. “Any business or organization that has a refrigeration system of scale and a need for hot water can benefit from an Opti-Stor system,” says the company. “We have units that accept anywhere from one to six circuits, so even a small convenience store or restaurant can see the benefit. Some customers have experienced up to a 65 percent decrease in water heating costs, with a return on investment in less than two years.”

Along with the Opti-Stor, BouMatic manufactures other state-of-the-art cooling and heat recovery systems. These include the Opti-Kool™ Milk Cooler, Glacier Guard™, ChillGuard™, OptiFlo™ CF, and GlacierChill™, along with BouMatic Plate Coolers and Dari-Kool® Falling Film Chillers.

On the heat recovery side, BouMatic offers the Glacier Opti-Stor heat recovery in a variety of models, which are used in combination with each other to fit the scale of the installation.

The company’s main model—the original Opti-Stor TSII—doesn’t use any electricity. A true heat recovery unit, it operates by running hot refrigerant lines from a cooling system through the plates of the Opti-Stor tank. This, in turn, transfers the heat energy to the tank of water, heating the water for free.

“This reduces the heat load of the refrigeration cooling system as well, saving the business both energy and wear and tear on the refrigeration equipment,” says the company. It also reduces the time and energy it will take to fully heat the water in a water heater if desired.

“We also offer a line of Opti-Stor TS-III tanks, which include a supplemental electric heating element. These units will also continue to heat water to the desired use temperature in addition to the heat recovery capacity,” says the company.

Although BouMatic sells dairy equipment through a dealer network, Glacier Opti-Stor products can be purchased directly from the company. Interested parties can also be connected via BouMatic to one of its Opti-Stor distributors who sell, design systems, and install Opti-Stor products. The company handles a line of over 12 specific tanks, as well as repair parts and accessories.

Originally designed for dairy use, heat transfer technology came about with the need to relocate excess heat from large milk cooling refrigeration systems, and it was repurposed to heat water in a heat recovery tank, which looks like a “big blue water heater.” Dairies could then use this partially heated, free hot water for cleaning tasks. Alternatively, they could continue to heat the partially heated water to the required temperature in a water heater for equipment cleaning, showers, and laundry purposes and still realize cost savings.

“The resulting heat transfer subsequently reduces run-times, wear and tear, and energy consumption on the cooling system hardware, reducing operational expenses,” says BouMatic. “Since this dairy innovation decades ago, our heat recovery base has expanded to restaurants, hospitality, manufacturing, big-box stores, and other large industries worldwide.”

Built to last
All BouMatic equipment is designed, engineered, and manufactured to provide years of worry-free, reliable operation. “We put the components and sub-assemblies through vigorous pressure and quality tests at several stages of production to ensure optimal quality of the final product,” says a spokesperson. “Tanks carry a five-year warranty, and we have very few warranty claims made on our tanks. We find most tanks last over 10 years in the field. As with any water heater, soft water will prolong the life of an Opti-Stor as well.”

Like other sectors today, ongoing research and development is vital to the success of the many dairy operators worldwide. In the case of BouMatic’s Opti-Stor heat recovery system, the company has built upon the same tried-and-trusted design and manufacturing process it has used for decades.

Tanks are manufactured in-house by experienced BouMatic employees, and individually produced at the company’s factory in Madison, Wisconsin. Equipment and many components are sourced from long-time American suppliers. “Many staff are the same people who have manufactured these tanks in Madison for years, making Opti-Stor very much a ‘Made in the USA’ product,” says the company.

Shaping the industry
Although BouMatic has been one of the world’s best-known manufacturers in the dairy industry sector for nearly 85 years, the company still vigorously participates in several trade shows per year. On the dairy side, BouMatic is active in World Dairy Expo, held in Madison, Wisconsin every October. The company also participates in World Ag Expo in Tulare, California each February, and several other events with its dairy dealers each year.

On the Glacier Opti-Stor side, BouMatic takes part in the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago, Illinois in the spring, and has attended the National Grocers Association show in Las Vegas, Nevada as well.

“We are always looking for additional markets and opportunities to showcase Glacier Opti-Stor,” says the company. “Our quality product continues to thrive in a more cost-conscious, energy-conscious, and technology-aware world than ever before. Our goal is that through awareness of Opti-Stor heat recovery, we can explore additional markets and companies who can benefit from our Opti-Stor product.”

The post Helping Dairy Producers Do More<p class="company">BouMatic</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Cadman Power Equipment is one of those businesses. Today, Cadman is a global company, with distribution facilities overseas and more than 25 percent of its sales outside North America. But it is a company with a rich history. That history begins with helping people deal with serious challenges, and that is a goal that continues to this day.

Craig Cadman is the President and CEO of this third-generation family enterprise based in Courtland, Ontario. The company was founded 71 years ago by Craig’s grandfather.

“My grandfather was working for my great grandfather, who had a jewelry manufacturing business,” he explains. “My grandfather wanted to do something other than making rings and tie tacks.”

Craig’s grandfather saw his entrepreneurial future taking him in a very different direction: farm equipment. He started Cadman Power Equipment in 1952, selling lawn mowers, rototillers, and similar machines. Just one year later, Ontario farmers would face a challenging growing season.

“There was a really hard drought in 1953,” Craig shares. “My grandfather got into the irrigation business, selling pipes and sprinklers and pumps, and that was when the company started to flourish.”

Several years after the drought, things changed once again. “It rained in 1956—a lot. Irrigation wasn’t so hot,” Craig says. “So my grandfather took on the Ford tractor line, while maintaining irrigation as the main work we did.”

The business then began passing to the hands of the next generations of Cadmans. “My grandfather sold Cadman Power Equipment to my dad in 1969. At 21 years old, he became the owner and president of the company, and the youngest Dealer Principal for Ford tractors.” The company continued to sell tractors until the financial crisis of the 1980s. When interest rates skyrocketed, Cadman’s tractor business suffered, borrowing rates for that equipment being out of reach as they were for most farmers.

As a young man growing up in a successful family business in farm country, Craig’s childhood was inextricably linked with the business.

“I went full-time with the company in 1997, but I’ve been here since I can remember,” he says. “Some days my mom would come looking for me, when I wasn’t waiting for the school bus. I was hiding in my dad’s car, because I wanted to go to work, not school!”

He continued to work in the business part-time through the school year and full-time in the summers. “I’ve worked in every area of the company. It was my dad’s idea—he knew that if I worked in every department, I’d know what I was doing when I started running the business.”

A key advantage of family businesses is their ability to pivot and make decisions quickly, and Cadman Power Equipment has continuously shifted to meet its customers’ needs, adapting its product lines in response. Irrigation, however, has always remained its primary focus. In the 1980s, Cadman doubled down and began manufacturing its own line of irrigation equipment, producing its first three machines in 1982 and 12 more the following year.

By 1992, Cadman was the largest manufacturer of hard hose reel irrigation systems in North America, and was expanding its manufacturing and distribution facilities while also looking further afield for new business.

“In the late 1980s, we decided to spread our wings geographically, and started selling into the United States,” says Craig. “We started with nearby states, but by 1993, we had sales people pushing as far as California.”

Adapting its product lines again, this time to include manure management, was an easy decision. “We had always been partially in manure management, selling pumps and fittings. We saw an opportunity to move away from the guns; nobody wanted the spray in the air. We developed the hard hose drag machine and the top spread boom, and added some bigger pumps to do that kind of work.”

The Great Recession of the late 2000s brought more hardship for the industry, and a new opportunity for Cadman. Record-high oil prices drove a corresponding expansion in fracking exploration.

“We didn’t target the fracking industry, but there was a need to get water to frack sites,” Craig explains. “It’s the same thing we’ve always been doing, just bigger. Instead of selling a 150 horsepower engine to a farmer, we’re selling a 600 horsepower machine. Instead of a six-inch hose, we’re selling a 10- or 12-inch hose.”

As the approach to environmental sustainability has changed, Cadman’s products have also evolved. Today, its agricultural irrigation equipment helps conserve water by making sure more of it gets to the soil and plants that need it. “We started manufacturing low-pressure irrigation booms for farmers,” Craig says. “Typical irrigation reels are like a giant sprinkler; they’re about 70 to 74 percent efficient. Our irrigation booms are 90 to 93 percent efficient—as efficient as drip irrigation, with the benefit of washing and cooling the crops.”

This kind of innovation can only happen when a business is committed to listening to what its customers need and want.

“We’re really good at listening to our customers,” Craig says. “Someone might come in here, thinking they need the largest irrigation equipment we build. We talk it out to figure out what he or she really needs. That way, they don’t spend more money than they need to or conversely, buy a piece of equipment that’s too small for their situation.”

To build this level of credibility, a company needs great people, and Cadman’s team is a strong one. “I’m proud to say that the vast majority of our team has been with us over 10 years,” Craig shares. “A good number of them have been with us over 15, even 20 years. Our core group is dedicated, they’re loyal.”

That loyalty has been reciprocated through some challenging times. In the onset of the COVID pandemic, Craig was anxious about the impact that a shutdown could have on the business and on the members of his team and their families. The announcement that agriculture would be considered essential meant the business could remain in operation, keeping its people working.

And Cadman’s commitment to its people extends to its customers, too. “This company has always stood by one thing: no matter what, no matter when, we’ll get you fixed up. There’s nothing worse than downtime when it comes to irrigation, because of the stress to the crop.”

That kind of customer commitment runs deep in the family business. Craig recalls many instances as a child when customers would call at odd hours in need of parts or service. His father would jump in to help however he could. Today, his service team does the same, even as shifting weather patterns in recent years have made it more challenging for Cadman and its customers alike.

“As the weather pattern shifts, it’s really hard for us to know where to put our focus, geographically,” Craig explains. “The unpredictability is harder for the farmers, too.”

Nonetheless, he has remained steadfast in his vision for the future of the business and its ability to help customers facing unique challenges. Cadman excels at helping its customers overcome adversity with innovation, and its equipment is now being used to battle forest fires in a remarkable new way. Typically, water bombers draw water from lakes and drop it on the fire zone itself. This is very expensive. “It can cost upwards of $120,000 per dip, operating one of those big tanker planes,” and the traditional approach comes with other problems as well. It puts human lives at greater risk, and it’s not as efficient. Cadman’s equipment, in contrast, is not only less costly, but it keeps people and property safer, too.

“Using our equipment, they create a giant wall of water,” Craig explains. “For all intents and purposes, they’re changing the atmosphere around the fire. Because the fire draws in oxygen, it draws in the cooler, damp air. That allows the fire fighters to move in more safely, plus there’s a barrier between the fire and wherever it’s headed.” Cadman’s success with this equipment in Alberta has led to interest in California, where, tragically, the need is so acute.

In Craig’s eyes, the future of the business is bright. The team isn’t resting on its laurels; instead, it is building on its success and innovating even further. One challenge is finding the right balance when it comes to technology. Like most other products, Cadman’s equipment has become far more technologically advanced, offering the ability to control an incredible range of functions from smartphones.

“We want to offer technology that’s sustainable, and that takes balance: giving our customers the tools they need without overcomplicating things.”

Like the two generations before him, Craig is up to the challenge. He’ll do it like Cadman Power Equipment always has: listening to its customers, understanding their problems and how to solve them, and providing second-to-none support for the products it provides.

The post A Leader in the Field<p class="company">Cadman Power Equipment</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.