Volume 19 | Issue 3
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Established in 1946, Ushers, a subsidiary of Aalberts Industries N.V., provides original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with parts and services for industrial gas turbines. With a long history of exceptional customer service, employee excellence and utilization of leading-edge technologies for industrial applications, Ushers has experienced impressive growth leading to the expansion of facilities, equipment and team member growth.
After the age of sixty, some things just slow down but for Ushers Machine & Tool Co. Inc., now surpassing its 60th year in business, the simplicity of providing a “one-stop” shop for gas turbine components and services has resulted in significant year over year growth with a diverse product and service portfolio.
Ushers, under the direction of President and CEO Don Lincoln, has enhanced its proven track record of success, making next-generation tools and systems for the industrial and energy markets with an emphasis on turbomachinery equipment.
Lincoln, a hands-on business leader and entrepreneur, with nearly 30 years of experience in manufacturing, is motivated and driven to lead Ushers to meet and exceed customer expectations on a global scale.
Ushers is an industry leader in providing precision machining of high temperature super alloy material, metal fabrication in accordance with industry GD&T practices, system level assemblies, non-destructive testing including hydrostatic and pneumatic testing along with gas air liquid flow metering testing.
Acquiring Ushers Machine & Tool Co Inc. in 2008, Lincoln doubled the company’s size and revenue in that first year leading GE Energy Services to acknowledged this accomplishment by presenting Lincoln and his team with the 2008 Supplier Conference Outstanding Overall Growth award.
Ushers products and services support the Industrial Gas Turbines regardless of location; in fact, Ushers supports OEM gas turbine operations around the globe in applications such as oil & gas exploration, gas transmission, base load power generation, as well as load following and peaking application. Our products are in far-flung places such as Asia, the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Exceeding capacity in New York the company capitalized on an opportunity to acquire a facility in New Hampshire in May 2012 expanding it product and service portfolio enabling Ushers the ability to efficiently produce, machine and test larger system components for industrial gas turbine. Through this move, Lincoln was able to double Ushers’ work force in five months and invest in approximately $5M million in new capital equipment.
“We are known for listening to and understanding our customer’s critical needs thus providing products and services at a competitive price coupled with industry leading on time delivery,” Lincoln said.
Lincoln added “In the 70 years of Ushers Machine and Tool Co. Inc., our year over year growth has been fueled by our reputation being communicated by word of mouth without the benefit of a dedicate marketing department.”
Expansion Solutions
With the backing of parent company Aalberts Industries N.V., Lincoln currently is investing $12.5 million in a new 71,000-square-foot, state-of-the art, manufacturing facility in Greenville, S.C., an industrial epicenter for power generation, aerospace and automotive manufacturers. Located at 6998 Pelham Parkway in Greenville, the newly-renovated facility was fully operational in the third quarter of 2016.
Lincoln said the new venture in Greenville affords the company the ability to apply its core strengths of precision machining, welding, assembly and testing to other markets in the U.S. and abroad. The project will create 50 new jobs in the Upstate.
With the application of cutting edge technologies, machines and by recently adding handpicked top talent with over 50 years of industry experience to the senior management team, Lincoln is confident Ushers Machine and Tool Co Inc. will continue to provide the most viable and cost-effective options and solutions for customers domestically and around the world.
“We are excited to expand into this key region of the country for gas turbine power generation OEM manufacturing. We specifically chose Greenville in direct response to our continued growth in repeat sales and demands for new business. This move will definitely strengthen the relationship with our customers and create even more opportunity for mutual success in this highly-competitive global market,” Lincoln said.
Ushers has been at the industry forefront of precision machining, welding, fabrication and assembly of quality components for over 60 years. As Lincoln says, “Ushers’ commitment to the highest quality workmanship, competitive pricing, and on-time delivery, has distinguished us among our competitors and truly made us the clear choice for over six decades.”
Patti Jo Rosenthal chats about her role as Manager of K-12 STEM Education Programs at ASME where she drives nationally scaled STEM education initiatives, building pathways that foster equitable access to engineering education assets and fosters curiosity vital to “thinking like an engineer.”