Company Briefs (February 01, 2004)

W.J. (Jack) Timken, 61, a vice-president and officer of The Timken Company of Canton, Ohio, is the latest Timken to announce his retirement from the company. He will remain a member of the board of directors of the company, where he has served since 1971. This follows the retirement W. R. (Tim) Timken, Jr., as an executive of the company on Dec. 31, 2003. He continues to serve as chairman of the board of directors. Meanwhile, another Timken, W. J. (Tim) Timken, Jr., 36, has been appointed executive vice-president and president – Steel Group. It was W.J. Timken, Jr., that led the growth strategy team that was responsible for identifying and implementing the company’s largest-ever acquisition, that of the Torrington Company, which was completed in February 2003.

NTN Bearing Corporation of Canada Ltd. has a new corporate address. It has moved its head office to a new facility at 305 Courtney Park Drive W., Mississauga, ON L5W 1Y4. Telephone and fax numbers remain unchanged and are: tel. 905-564-2700, fax 905-564-9023/1-866-827-7950. As well, NTN Canada’s Toronto branch office has relocated to the same address. Its telephone and fax numbers have changed to: tel. 905-564-9600, fax: 905-564-9609/1-800-263-6124.

Kadon’s Environmental Management System has successfully been audited and registered to ISO’s 14001:1996 standard. The Calgary company is the first repair facility in western Canada to attain the registration.

Bosch Rexroth Canada Corp. of Welland, Ont., has moved its offices in Calgary, Alta., to a new, larger facility. The company is a manufacturer of hydraulic systems and components, notes Mike Lalande, prairies regional manager. The expansion mainly increases warehouse space and will allow Rexroth to reduce lead times for spare parts. In other news from the company, Winfried Witte, 62, president of Bosch Rexroth AG, will retire on April 30, 2004, to be replaced by Manfred Grundke of Bosch Rexroth Canada. Grundke, a mechanical engineer, currently is executive vice-president for sales automation as well as chairman of the board of Bosch Rexroth Canada. For details on the company, visit www.boschrexroth.ca.

SKF Canada engineers Derek Weise and James Li have completed Level 1 certification with the Canadian Machinery Vibration Association, a non-profit group whose interests include machinery dynamics, condition monitoring and predictive maintenance of machinery.

Tsubaki of Canada Ltd., Mississauga, Ont., will consolidate production from U.S. Tsubaki’s Bennington, Ver., sprocket manufacturing facility into its operations this year after that facility is closed. Both companies are subsidiaries of Tsubakimoto Chain Company of Japan.

Lincoln Industrial, of St. Louis, Mo., a manufacturer of lubrication and industrial pumping equipment, recently introduced a Fax-Back electronic file system to provide access to the company’s latest product-related service enhancements via fax. All that is needed to access the system is Lincoln’s fax number (314-679-4689) and the model number of a current product. The system provides prompts through each step. Five document pages can be ordered per call, and pages can be faxed to any number entered into the system.

Asco Valve Canada of Brantford, Ont., has received registration to ISO 9001:2000. The company, a division of Emerson Electric Canada Ltd., manufactures solenoid and combustion valves, temperature and pressure switches, pressure sensors, fluid power products and valve position indicators.

Andre Dagenais has been named vice-president, regions, for Siemens Canada Limited, Mississauga, Ont. He will be responsible for overseeing the execution of Siemens go-to-market strategy in its geographical operating regions across Canada.

The ABB Group merged its six automation business areas into three globally focused businesses on Jan. 1, 2004. The move continues an evolution that began in late 2002 when the group merged two automation-related divisions and combined 11 business areas into six. “Just one year ago, our customers had to deal with 11 different ABB organizations to finalize a new strategic relationship. Now, we are entrusting the industry’s broadest range of automation technologies to just three global teams,” said Dinesh Paliwal, ABB group executive and head of the automation technologies division.

Duncan Brown has moved from vice-president to president following the year-end retirement of Wes Delnea at Windsor Factory Supply Ltd., Windsor, Ont.

Roller Bearing of America Inc. (RBC Bearings) of Fairfield, Conn., has acquired the fixed wing airframe product line of The Timken Company. The line includes aircraft control bearings, aircraft rod ends, radial bearings and aircraft track rollers.

Eaton Electrical is the new name of the industrial and commercial controls business of Eaton Corp. of Cleveland, Ohio. The new unit also includes the former Cutler-Hammer Group and integrates the electrical division of Delta plc acquired last year. Product brands under the new name include Cutler-Hammer, Heinemann, MEM and Holec.

Peter Mitchell recently joined Ringball Corp. of Mississauga, Ont., as national sales manager. He was previously with Torrington Canada and before that FAG Canada.

Berlet Control Solutions, Mississauga, Ont., has been appointed the Canadian representative for Electromotive Industrial Controls, which produces crane and material handling controls.

TB Wood’s Corp. has appointed James R. Swenson interim chief executive officer following the Nov. 14, 2003, retirement of former president and CEO Michael L. Hurt. Swenson has been active in the industrial power transmission industry for his entire career.

Dave Doerr has been named president of Hamilton Sundstrand’s Falk Corporation, based in Milwaukee, Wisc. He replaced Gary Kaine, who retired as head of the Hamilton Sundstrand Industrial company. Falk manufactures industrial power transmission machinery, including standard and custom gear drives, shaft couplings and backstops.

Edward H. Pope Ltd. of Brampton, Ont., has been appointed as agent for eastern Canada for the Johnson product line of blocks and sheaves by Gunnebo Johnson Corp. of Tulsa, Okla.

GPM Pumps Inc. of Macon, Ga., has been appointed master distributor for Canada by Alfa Laval Pumps Ltd. of Eastbourne, England, for its premium SSP Pumps brand of rotary lobe pumps (RLPs).

Wendy B. McDonald, chairman of BC Bearing Engineers Ltd., Burnaby, B.C., was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network and the Richard Ivey School of Business during a gala in Toronto on Nov 28, 2003.

Jean (Bobbi) Smith, owner and president of C. W. Smith Crane Service Ltd., Toronto, was named to the Profit Magazine Top 100 Women Business Owners in 2003. The company provides crane and lift services in the Toronto area. Her best advice? “Hire top-notch talent and support them with energy and enthusiasm.” MRO

Renishaw of Hollman Estates, Ill., has established a full-service subsidiary in Mississauga, Ont., to support applications of its inspection probe, calibration system and encoder products. Daniele Nori is the new Canadian general manager.

An investment firm, Advent International Corp., has acquired 100% of Moeller Group of Companies, one of Germany’s largest privately owned electronic component producers. The company’s Canadian subsidiary, Moeller Electric Inc., is based in Mississauga, Ont. For details, visit www.moeller.ca.