Company Briefs (December 01, 2004)

* Lubrication maintenance products supplier Trico Mfg. Corp. of Pewaukee, Wis., has acquired the lubrication training and consulting firm Schematic Approach Inc. (SAI) of Toronto. The Trico-SAI partnership will offer a full complement of industrial lubrication parts plus on-site training, auditing, consulting and monitoring.

“Through this move, we now have the ability to build and execute individualized lubrication maintenance programs for the thousands of companies in desperate need of a maintenance prediction road map and guide,” says Bob Jung, CEO of Trico. For more information, visit www.tricomfg.com.

*Ontario Bearings & Industrial Supplies Inc., Woodbridge, Ont., is among three industrial distributors to have recently joined the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA). In its third quarter, the association also welcomed five new manufacturer members, including KML Bearing Canada Inc., Mississauga, Ont., and Robco Inc., LaSalle, Que.

*North has announced a new slate of general managers in the U.S.A., Canada, China and Europe. Reporting to Sid Ellis, president of North Safety Products, industrial division, are John Kime, vice-president and general manager, U.S.A.; Vern Metcalfe, vice-president and general manager, Canada; Leon Klapwijk, managing director, Europe; and Ed Wenz, vice-president, IT & general manager of the newly formed Asia division. Also, Jackee Shepherd was promoted to vice-president, operations, North America.

*Maska Pulleys Inc. of Ste-Claire, Que., celebrated its 40th anniversary as a Canadian-owned manufacturer of cast iron power transmission products for V-belt and synchronous drives in October 2004.

At a ceremony marking the occasion, Yvon Fortier, president, related how Maska has progressed from a simple two-man machine shop in 1964 to a company with over 230 employees, complete with a foundry, 110,000 sq ft. plant and newly expanded distribution centre.

The secret of the company’s success? An elderly businessman remarked to Mr. Fortier in the early 1970’s, “You can’t expect to sell out of an empty wagon.” From this simple counsel, Maska (despite repeated warnings from its financial creditors) has always invested deeply in inventory, thus enabling it to meet the pressing needs of its customers, with over 5,000 standard parts on hand.

With significant sales increases over the past few years and recurring expansion, Maska looks forward to the future with considerable optimism, says Fortier. “Projects include continued product line expansion and implementation of automated machinery, as well as greater market penetration throughout our customer base, particularly in Europe & Latin America.”

*Rockwell Automation Canada of Cambridge, Ont., (formerly Allen-Bradley Canada Ltd.) is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2004. From a 24-person operation in 1954, it now employs over 1,300 people.