September 2012 - Industry Today - Leader in Manufacturing & Industry News

Magazine Issue September 2012

Optimism Reigns In Us Manufacturing

Xtra Congelados Naturales

Freshly Frozen

Focused on quality and low cost, Xtra Congelados Naturales, a Mexico-based company specializing in frozen vegetable products, made its mark in the international arena. Rachel Hartman takes an inside look at this leading company and what makes it a leader.

Karcher

Cleaning Under Pressure

Karcher is the global leader in high pressure washers. Founded in Germany, the company has been cleaning up in Brazil for 37 years, manufacturing the market’s leading solutions in industrial, professional and domestic cleaning. Industrial Director Gustavo Hirsch shows Reuben…

Cambridge Towel

Fashioning Innovation

Canadian owned and operated Cambridge Towel is the largest North American towel maker, supplying the retail, hospitality, healthcare, premium and incentive industries with a complete line of woven and printed terry towels. David Soyka absorbs the details on this textile…

Breaker Technology Inc.

Scaling New Heights in Rock Breaking Technology

Breaker Technology Inc. has mined its market well. It breaks big rocks into little stones. The Canadian-based company is recognized as the world leader when it comes to equipment such as rock breakers and hydraulic scalers. This is one tough…

Parcan Group

Success Under the Belt

With a 40 percent domestic market share, the Parcan Group is Brazil’s leading manufacturer of rollers and pulleys for heavy duty belt conveyor systems. As the force that carries many of the country’s leading commodities, the company is constantly improving…

XPAK USA, LLC

At the Manufacturing Vanguard

XPAK services the major food and beverage companies, such as Pepsico. More importantly, the New Jersey-based company points to the future of manufacturing. Robotics and advanced processes come into play, but the company doesn’t forget the human element, Dan Harvey…

Venturoso, Valentini & Cia

A Full Harvest

One of Brazil’s leading manufacturers of agricultural equipment parts, Venturoso, Valentini & Cia settled into a niche by dominating the market for harvester parts.

Prima Power Laserdyne

Primed for Growth

Minnesota-based Prima Power Laserdyne LLC designs, builds and sells high-quality/performance laser machining systems for complex cutting, drilling and welding applications. The company built its first system 31 years ago. Click here to read the complete illustrated article as originally published…

Madison-Kipp Corporation

A New Video Star

A recent television spot advanced Madison-Kipp Corporation's national exposure. Not that the Wisconsin-headquartered business needs much help. Click here to read the complete illustrated article as originally published or scroll down to read the text article.

Paulo Products Company

Turning Up the Heat

Paulo Products Company – a heat treating, brazing and metal finishing solutions provider – represents an extension of its clients’ production processes. What clients can’t do or don’t want to do, Paulo will do, reports Dan Harvey. Innovation and a…

Derecktor

Shipyard Heaves Away

Derecktor of Florida in Dania Beach, like many other companies, has been impacted by the turbulence of the recent economic recession. However, a long-term outlook, coupled with a shift in the market place towards larger vessels, has prompted a significant…

Grupo Industrial Cuadritos Biotek, S.A. de C.V.

Milk & Soy Specialties

For more than 50 years, Grupo Industrial Cuadritos Biotek, a Mexican company that produces dairy and soy products, has worked toward its goal of providing healthy, nutritious products that promote wellbeing in consumers. Rachel Hartman reports on the company’s vast…

HYDMECH

On the Cutting Edge

Engineer, entrepreneur and visionary Stan Jasinski revolutionized saw technology. Frustration drove his accomplishment: the marketplace didn’t offer what he needed, so he decided to design and build his own machines. Click here to read the complete illustrated article as originally…

Astra

Bathroom Comforts

This year, Astra S/A Indústria e Comércio is celebrating its 55th anniversary. The company, which was the first in the world to manufacture blow molded plastic toilet seats, now has an extensive line of products, which enhance comfort and facilitate…

Bombas Leão

Strength Below the Surface

Maintaining the market lead in submerged water pumps, Brazil’s Bombas Leão SA continues to go from strength to strength. With an uninterrupted flow of success, the company is enjoying the surging local economy. Managing Director Jeferson Plaza explains to Reuben…

Vac-Con

Keeping It Clean & “Green”

With its advanced technology, Florida-based Vac-Con cleans up what's left behind. The company gives new meaning to an old phrase: "A new broom sweeps clean." Click here to read the complete illustrated article as originally published or scroll down to…

Vilbomex

Ceramic Creations

With its innovative products and eco-friendly designs, Vilbomex, a company specializing in the manufacturing of ceramic bathroom fixtures, maintains a leading role in both the Mexican and Latin American market. Rachel Hartman reports on this Mexico-based, German-owned company, and its…

Weir Minerals Brasil

Pumped Up

Weir Minerals is a specialist in delivering and supporting slurry equipment solutions for the mining industry. More than a decade ago, the Scottish company surged into the Brazilian market and is now the country’s leading manufacturer of slurry pumps, hydrocyclones…

Jaraguá Equipamentos

Fully Equipped

Leading the Brazilian market in the design, logistics, manufacturing, assembling, construction and maintenance of industrial projects, Jaraguá Equipamentos offers clients the fully engineered package, working on EPC/turnkey basis. Specialists in production and implementaton of equipment for the petrochemical industry, the…

Kuhn do Brasil

Customer is King

Although the adage “the customer is king,” has been around for a long time, Kuhn do Brasil has given it a new lease on life. In doing so, this leading Brazilian manufacturer of agricultural equipment has seen its growth rates…

LSM Brasil

Testing its Metal

LSM Brasil is a 100-year-old company located in one of the oldest mining regions of Brazil. It also belongs to AMG, a Vanguard Dutch group dedicated to sustainable and innovative metallurgical solutions. President Itamar Dutra Pereira Resende talks to Michael…

Nor-Cal Beverage Company

Energized Enterprise: You Go Girl!!

Nor-Cal Beverage Company has been in business for three-quarters of a century. Longevity comes from pursuing opportunities arising from industry trends – the right product at the right cost at the right time. The California-based enterprise also places the right…

Prolec GE

Transforming Energy

As Mexico’s leading manufacturer of power transformers, Prolec GE, a company with headquarters near Monterrey, focuses on delivering highly reliable products that meet the current needs of its clients. Rachel Harman reports on this productive firm and the values it…

Bay Shipbuilding Company

Standing the Test of Time

Bay Shipbuilding Company’s range of activities – and accomplishments – are as enormous as the body of water upon which it resides. Click here to read the complete illustrated article as originally published or scroll down to read the text…

Construtora Ernesto Woebcke

Concrete Results

Construtora Ernesto Woebcke may be the oldest construction company still in operation in Rio Grande do Sul, but the medium-sized, family-owned business is firmly focused on building a lasting future. Michael Sommers discovers how recent investments in infrastructure, technology, and…

Hawker Pacific Aerospace

New Flight Path

Hawker Pacific Aerospace – a North American-based operation has always provided the aviation industry with the most reliable overhauling and repair. Flying ever forward, this “lean” enterprise combines innovation, improved service and increased efficiency.

Standex Electronics

Sizeable Impact

Standex-Meder Electronics provides engineered solutions for electro-magnetic components and assemblies. As the size of its products shrink, its impact on industries grows ever larger. Click here to read the complete illustrated article as originally published or scroll down to read…

ACTIVE Exhaust Corporation

Mapping the Future of Exhaust System Design

As its name implies, ACTIVE Exhaust Corporation manufactures complete vehicle exhaust solutions. This high-tier enterprise is on the forefront in the off-road vehicle sector. Since its inception, ACTIVE has revolutionized the industry by bringing knowledge and innovation throughout all of…

US Manufacturing

Optimism Reigns in US Manufacturing Sector

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) latest manufacturing barometer reveals that industrial manufacturing managers are optimistic about the US economy – as well as about their companies’ prospects. This optimism, though measured, results in continued investment and a strong focus on new product introductions.

The American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA)

AGMA: Gearing Members for Success

In today’s industry environment, gear manufacturers have many questions: What’s going on in the market? How does my company stack up? Where do I find effective employee training programs? How can I make my company more competitive? The American Gear…

Open Innovation (OI)

Innovation: Getting Back to the Basics

Attention to innovation strategy fundamentals can transform a reasonably successful manufacturer into a pioneering powerhouse. Kevin Stark, PhD, explains why. More importantly, he describes how.

Cambrian Innovation

Collaboration: Turbo-Charging the Economic Engine

It's not enough that companies such as Cambrian Innovation produce revolutionary technology. Impact will only be realized throught commercialization - if markets can't use it, they'll lose it. Since commercialization is not always a core competency, partnership with the collaborative…

Eberspaecher North America

Exhaustive Technology

Eberspaecher North America’s portfolio indicates a tireless effort to advance the auto industry’s present and future. Forget about the past: Eberspaecher’s increasingly important role as a supplier of next-generation exhaust systems represents good news for its state (Michigan) and its…

National Association of Manufacturers

Uncertainty Looms for Manufacturers

Uncertainty can be a positive force that causes Americans to hold account political leadership. But it can also be a negative that compels manufacturers to pull in the reins on investment – and, in turn, economic development and job creation.…

Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development

International Companies Run For Kentucky’s Roses

Kentucky has made itself a prime location for foreign direct investment, thanks to efforts by Governor Steve Beshear and his political forebears. This “Bluegrass State,” which has a rich horseracing heritage, isn’t attracting $2 parlay players. International companies bet big…

Comau

Shaping the Future of Global Manufacturing

Comau Inc. represents the USA arm of the wide encompassing Comau Group, a Turin, Italy-based global supplier of lean manufacturing systems that impacts many markets and industries. Click here to read the complete illustrated article as originally published or scroll…

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