the - esco corporation · 2012-08-30 · the solutions from esco in this issue caption bucket wheel...

THE

Solutions from ESCO

IN THIS ISSUE

Caption

Bucket Wheel Excavators (p. 4)

Trade Shows Feature ESCO (begin on p. 12)

Ultralok® Tooth System Successes (p. 18)

Interview with Jon Owens (p. 20)

Bucket wheel excavator in the Czech Republic with ESCO teeth.

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ESCO is a leading manufacturer of technically-rich metal wear parts and components for industrial applications.

ESCO is a leading global provider of highly engineered consumable products and solutions for challenging industrial applications in the resources, infrastructure, power generation and transportation markets.

We operate on six continents supplying ESCO branded products through a global distribution network, close to our customers, delivering superior quality, value and speed.

For nearly a century, customers have looked to ESCO for productivity improvement, responsive service and innovative solutions to their most difficult problems related to wear, impact, corrosion or heat resistance.

ESCO is committed to eliminating waste in all that we do and to business practices that lead to sustainable economic, environmental and social benefits.

ESCO MISSION

• Show the strengths and problem-solving capabilities of ESCO’s business groups

• Spotlight ESCO’s successes in the diverse markets it serves

• Communicate the values and traditions that make ESCO unique

• Help build lasting and mutually beneficial relationships with customers

EDGE MISSION

Printed in the USA on100% recycled / 100% post consumer waste paper.

© 2009 ESCO Corporation.All Rights Reserved.

The EDGE: Solutions from ESCOThe Magazine of ESCO CorporationNovember 2009 Volume 6 Issue 2

EditorJohn Howard

DesignerNatalie Maciukenas

The EDGE staff would like to thank the following individuals for their help on this issue:

Nancy Brown, František Čeliš, Holger Krüger,Aaron Lian, Jim Liberator, Ana Paula Machado, Jaqueline Matos, Dariusz Organiściuk,Jon Owens, Mike Passen, Bruno Pesch, Doug Pierce, Dan Pizzuto, Robert Rado, Rodrigo Sanchez, Philipp Schollmeyer, Ryszard Sługocki, Josef Veselý, Archie Vos,Adrian White and Kirk Yoresen.

The EDGE is published two times per year.

Readers’ comments and suggestionsare always welcome.

EDGE MagazineESCO Corporation2141 NW 25th AvenuePortland, Oregon USA 97210e-mail: [email protected]

ESCO is a leading manufacturer of technically-rich metal wear parts and components for industrial applications.

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Each issue of the EDGE is posted on ESCO’s corporate web site as an electronic PDF and can be accessed here:

www.escocorp.com/media/edge_magazine.html

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ESCO is a leading manufacturer of technically-rich metal wear parts and components for industrial applications.ESCO is a leading manufacturer of technically-rich metal wear parts and components for industrial applications.

4

NOTES ON EUROPE

These jet-lagged thoughts are being written a few days after getting home from a week in Europe. Bruno Pesch, Mike Passen and Robert Rado – excellent men who

work out of our German office – accompanied me on a visit to three lignite mines that use enormous bucket wheel excavators to extract soft brown coal to burn in nearby power plants. Read about this relatively new and promising market for ESCO tooth systems beginning on page 4.

I always find much to admire when I travel to Europe. This time, when I got off the plane in Frankfurt, I followed signs to the adjacent train station and boarded a bullet-shaped express to Düsseldorf. The train sped across the German countryside as smooth as butter. Fast, clean, efficient trains make a lot of sense in a world increasingly concerned about crowded highways, pollution, carbon emissions and dependence on costly imported oil.

Speaking of highways, the German autobahns are impressive not only for the hair-raising speed of traffic but also for how perfectly smooth they are. No dips, ruts, joints, cracks, patches or potholes in those freeways.

You see a number of full-sized Mercedes and BMWs over there, but the vast majority of cars in Europe are still the small, stick-shift Renaults, Fiats, VWs, Skodas, Opels and other boxy little econo-models. Pickup trucks and SUVs are rare over there. Four years ago in England I rented a compact, fun-to-drive Peugeot diesel that got over 50 miles per gallon. It was as quiet as a gasoline-powered car and didn’t emit that sooty diesel exhaust. I wonder why the US has been so slow to embrace clean diesel?

I was impressed by the modernization that has taken place in eastern Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic since the collapse of Soviet domination in the mid-1990s. There appears to be a great deal of vitality and economic activity in those areas. In Poland, I noted “Soldarity” flags still flying in honor of the worker revolt in Gdansk that led to the liberation of that country.

Another thing you cannot ignore in Europe is prices. Our poor US dollar has withered beside the Euro over the last 10 years. Once about equal in value, now the Euro is worth a dollar and a half. This may benefit US exports, but it is tough on American tourists and business travelers greeted with $200+ hotel rooms, $45+ dinners, and $10+ coffee. You have to really bargain-hunt to keep your expense account from looking like you splurged all week!

Be that as it may, it is a treat to travel there and take in both the quaintness and magnificence of Europe. After tromping around the gritty mines for four days, I ended this recent trip in Prague, the Baroque capital of the Czech Republic. Under sunny skies, I wandered the cobblestone streets of that richly historic city, snapping photographs like mad. At every turn there were splendid statues and fountains, ornate churches and bridges, window boxes over-spilling with flowers, shop windows displaying everything from fine crystal to whimsical marionettes. Tantalized by a gorgeous city that would take years to really know, the time came too quickly to head to the airport to begin the 16-hour ordeal of flight back home to Oregon.

– John R. Howard, editor

ULTRALOK® TOOTH SYSTEM SUCCESS STORIES 18

INTERVIEW WITH JON OWENS 20

NEW SAND CLAMP TECHNOLOGY AT PORT HOPE 21

SERVICE ANNIVERSARIES 22

2009 ESCO VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR 26

14

FROM THE EDITOR

12

16

CONTENTS

INTERMAT TRADE SHOW

BUCKET WHEEL EXCAVATORS

TRADE SHOWS IN BRAZIL

TT PARTICIPATES IN PARIS AIR SHOW

European lignite mining companies using enormous bucket wheel excavators are turning to ESCO to provide tooth systems and related wear parts solutions

to help improve the efficiency of their operations.

Lignite, a type of soft brown coal, is plentiful in central and eastern Europe. For centuries it was used on a limited scale as an alternate fuel to wood in fireplaces and stoves. Over the last 75 years, lignite mining has become more highly developed. Large-scale mines in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and elsewhere now harvest huge amounts of lignite around the clock to fuel industrial boilers and electric power plants. Over one-fourth of the electric power generated in Germany, for example, is derived from burning lignite.

Bucket wheel excavators (BWEs), first developed in Germany in the 1930s, are among the largest machines on the planet. Some of these stand over 95 meters (310 feet) tall and stretch over 240 meters (785 feet) long. They dwarf even the big mining power shovels and dragline machines used in most North American surface mines.

As the name suggests, these excavators use a huge wheel fitted with from eight to 24 or more buckets to continuously dig and dump coal and/or overburden. On larger machines the wheel measures up to 20 meters (66 feet) in diameter. Picture a tall Ferris wheel where the seats are replaced with buckets and you begin to get the idea. Located at the end of the excavator’s long swinging boom, the rotating wheel is slowly moved back and

European Mines Turn to ESCO for Tooth and Wear Solutions for Bucket Wheel Excavators

ESCO has begun penetrating a big new market – with the emphasis on BIG! by John R. Howard

THE EDGE NOVEMBER 20094

forth, allowing the buckets to gnaw into the bank of overburden or lignite. Some mines use sophisticated GPS technology to align the mammoth machines. Large mines will utilize a half dozen or more of the giant machines to expose and remove the lignite. Teamed with the excavators are large-scale conveying systems that carry the mined material to the appropriate destination. Lignite is typically stockpiled and dried before grades are mixed and the fuel moved again by conveyor or rail to nearby power plants. Overburden is conveyed to other parts of the mine that are being filled and reclaimed. Typically, a major mine might use 100 kilometers (60 miles) or more of high-speed conveyor systems.

Large bucket wheel excavators are capable of digging a quarter of a million cubic meters of material in a single day, enough to fill a typical football stadium 30 meters (100 feet) deep. The cost of purchasing and operating these huge earth-moving machines is mind-boggling. Accordingly, the cost of downtime associated with bucket, lip and tooth maintenance is very high. Engineering, maintenance and operations personnel at the mines are charged with keeping the bucket wheel excavators up and running as close to 100 percent of the time as possible. Profits quickly disappear when buckets do not fill efficiently or when machines stand idle while buckets are changed-out, repaired or teeth replaced.

Where the digging is easy, the mines generally use simple lipped buckets treated with abrasion-resistant overlay. Some of these buckets are designed with pointed corners or “elephant ears” to aid penetration and loading. Where large rocks and tough overburden are encountered, however, teeth become necessary to penetrate, protect the bucket, and break the material into smaller chunks for better handling.

ESCO began providing tooth systems to the big lignite mines several years ago, beginning in the Czech Republic. Our tough, wear-resistant, self-sharpening tooth designs have caught the attention of mine operators in several European countries, including the three mining customers profiled below.

* * *

GERMAN POWER PRODUCER RWE TRIES ESCO® SUPER V®

TOOTH SYSTEM

RWE, Germany’s second largest energy producer (see sidebar at right), operates three surface mines just

west of Köln (Cologne) in the Rhenish lignite deposit. The largest of these is the Hambach Mine which produces about 40 million metric tons of lignite annually. The mine uses six bucket wheel excavators in the largest 240,000-ton class, two smaller ones, and more than seven so-called stackers to deposit overburden.

RWE: At a Glance

RWE, headquartered in Essen, Germany, is one of Europe’s leading providers

of electricity and natural gas. The integrated utility is the second largest electricity provider in Germany and Hungary, and third largest in the UK and Slovakia. In natural gas, RWE is the number one gas provider in the Czech Republic, and the third largest in Germany and the UK. The company has over 20 million electricity customers and 10 million natural gas customers.

Founded in 1898, the company has become a very diversified utility. It operates dozens of power plants fueled by lignite, hard coal, natural gas, oil and nuclear energy. In addition, it generates power by renewable means including hydro, wind, solar and bio-mass. In total, the company generates and distributes over 45,000 megawatts of power to residential, industrial and commercial customers throughout Europe.

The company’s first bucket wheel excavator was commissioned in 1933. Today, it operates a fleet of over 20 of the enormous machines to remove overburden and mine lignite for power generation. In a typical year, RWE mining operations produce approximately 100 million tonnes of lignite, most of which is used to generate electricity in nearby power plants. To mine the lignite, they move about 450 million cubic meters of overburden. Over 265 kilometers of conveyors and 300 kilometers of dedicated railroad track are used to handle the huge volume of lignite and overburden. All mined lands are carefully reclaimed after the lignite has been extracted.

In 2008, RWE employed approximately 66,000 people and had revenues of about € 49 billion.

THE EDGE NOVEMBER 2009 5

Bucket wheel excavator at the Tušimice mine in the Czech Republic.

“The huge advantage of ESCO teeth is quick replacement. We can

change an entire bucket wheel of [Super V] teeth in about two or two-and-a-

half hours, where it used to take 24 hours or more.”

– Jiři Neruda, managing director of Severočeské Doly


Not long ago, the mine began encountering a tough layer of clay iron stone (“TES”) between the sandy overburden and the lignite. This dense, sometimes rock-hard band of material was difficult to excavate. At the very least, it would clump-up and only fill the buckets one-quarter full, greatly reducing production. In other spots, large rocks embedded in the clay would either damage the buckets or make the big bucket wheel deviate, causing stress, vibration and inefficiency in the entire excavator.

ESCO’s district manager for Germany, Mike Passen, suggested that buckets fitted with ESCO’s Super V tooth system might greatly improve bucket performance for RWE. In September 2007, ESCO personnel conducted a Voice of the Customer (VOC) survey of participants in the European bucket wheel excavator market. Excavator manufacturers and mine personnel were included in the process, including representatives of RWE.

As a result of on-going discussions with ESCO’s sales and engineering team, RWE engineers decided to conduct a trial of our Super V tooth system on a set of new, specially designed buckets for two machines. Collaborating with ESCO and bucket wheel excavator manufacturer ThyssenKrupp Fördertechnik GmbH, RWE engineer Dr. Stephan Helten used sophisticated software to design the unique buckets. After the designs passed virtual tests in the computer, ESCO agreed to provide special adapters to allow the trial buckets to be built and field tested. The 18 buckets for the larger machine measure five cubic meters capacity.

Holger Krüger, RWE project manager for the TES optimized bucket design, expects that the new buckets with V59AD Super V teeth will penetrate better, fill more fully, reduce boom vibration, minimize downtime and minimize maintenance costs. RWE’s target is for the new buckets to

provide at least one month of wear time before changes are necessary.

RWE mine personnel expect to attach the new buckets to BWE 293 (a 240,000-ton class machine) as soon as they encounter a seam of the very toughest TES material – probably later this month.

CZECH REPUBLIC MINES APPRECIATE ADVANTAGES

OF SUPER V® TEETHThe Severočeské Doly (SD) Mining Company operates two large lignite mines in the northwest part of the Czech Republic. The Tušimice Mine and the Bílina Mine, located about 60 kilometers apart, together produce about 23 million metric tons of lignite per year. Most of the output is used to fuel nearby electric power plants of the ČEZ Group.

The two mines employ about 3,100 people. The Tušimice Mine operates with eight bucket wheel excavators including three TC-2 series excavators capable of moving 5,500 cubic meters of material per hour. The Bílina Mine uses one TC-3 machine and five TC-2 series machines, with a new TC-2 machine on order for 2011.

In the past, the mines used edged buckets and some fitted with unsophisticated bolt-on teeth. These worked okay in sections of the mines where digging was easy, but when the geology changed and digging conditions got tougher maintenance problems increased, resulting in broken teeth and cracked buckets. Equipment maintenance personnel at the mines were receptive, therefore, when ESCO’s Robert Rado and Josef Veselý of our dealer EVROPS a.s. (see sidebar)

(l to r): Philipp Schollmeyer (RWE maintenance engineer), Mike Passen, Holger Krüger (RWE

mechanical engineer), Bruno Pesch and Robert Rado


approached them four years ago and suggested trying the Super V tooth system on their buckets. A successful initial trial persuaded mine managers to outfit several bucket wheels with ESCO teeth using adapters specially-made for the mines’ buckets.

“We also worked with the Brown Coal Institute to help determine the optimum location and angle of bucket teeth,” said Production Manager Jiři Neruda of Severočeské Doly (SD) through an interpreter. “The cutting geometry is critical to improving production.”

Currently the Tušimice and Bílina mines operate two bucket wheels with ESCO teeth. The Bílina Mine uses V51s and the Tušimice uses V39s. They like to use the buckets with Super V teeth in areas of the mines where they encounter rocks and concrete-hard sections of overburden.

“The huge advantage of ESCO teeth is quick replacement,” added Neruda, who has over 25 years of experience at the mines. “We can change an entire bucket wheel of [Super V] teeth in about two or two-and-a-half hours, where it used to take 24 hours or more.” He listed two other advantages to the Super V system: the teeth stay sharp even when they wear down, thus retaining their ability to penetrate, and the teeth last longer.

EVROPS: ESCO Dealer for the Western Czech Republic

EVROPS a.s., located in Usti nad Labem in the northwest corner of the Czech Republic played a

key role in getting ESCO into bucket wheel excavator applications. It is the dealership that serves the Czech lignite mines profiled in this issue, Tušimice and Bílina.

Founded in 1992 by František Čeliš, EVROPS is foremost a New Holland equipment dealer. It also represents a number of product lines including Berco, Mann, Fleetguard, and, of course, ESCO® wear parts.

With 12 employees, EVROPS serves mines, quarries and construction contractors throughout the western part of the country. The dealership sells new and used equipment as well as spare parts for most major brands of earthmoving equipment. Their skilled mechanics perform equipment diagnostics, repairs and overhauls. They gladly deliver parts to the mines and to customers’ work sites.

“EVROPS was a force behind our getting into the bucket wheel excavator market,” said ESCO district manager Robert Rado. “Josef Veselý, their sales and technical manager, persuaded the mines to try ESCO’s mechanically attached tooth system on BWE buckets. He is the ‘founding father’ of the BWE project in the Czech Republic.” The success of ESCO products in the Czech Republic helped stir interest in Super V tooth system trials at lignite mines in Germany and Poland.

Josef calls on the Tušimice and Bílina mines regularly to help solve problems, check on the performance of ESCO products and provide parts when needed. He has played an important role in getting the mines to use the Super V® tooth system and looks forward to introducing the new Ultralok™system in the near future.

Mrs. Dagmar Vávrová, daughter of the founder, is taking over management of the company now that her father is retiring.

Bruno Pesch and Robert Rado inspect teeth on a Czech bucket wheel excavator.


Asked if they would be interested in a trial of the new hammerless Ultralok™ tooth system, Production Manager Jiři Neruda and Josef Bujanovský the mine’s chief mechanic and engineer agreed that they would be receptive to a trial of ESCO’s newest tooth system, provided the terms are attractive.

“We are always looking for new solutions and new point shapes that reduce resistance and allow our mining machines to operate more efficiently. We will definitely be buying more ESCO products,” concluded Neruda, who has responsibility for both the Tušimice and Bílina mines.

He also made a point to mention that the company has a $20 million budget to reclaim mined lands, plant trees and grasses on the overburden, and restore the environment. The Tušimice Mine has lignite reserves expected to last at least until 2035.

POLISH ENERGY COMPANY VALUES COOPERATION

WITH ESCO

PGE, the Polish Power Engineering Group, operates two big lignite mines to fuel two electric power

plants in west-central Poland. A third PGE power plant burns black coal. The Turów Mine, close to the German border, and the Bełchatów Mine together produce about 50 million metric tons of brown coal annually. The Turów Mine has been in operation for 100 years, while the newer Bełchatów Mine first started producing lignite in 1980.

The Turów Mine, which the EDGE visited in September, requires 3.5 metric tons of overburden to be moved on average for every ton of high quality lignite produced. Moreover, the seams of lignite are not straight and appear in multiple layers. Geologic faults have over the centuries caused the earth to settle unevenly, leaving a checkerboard pattern of overburden and coal. This uneven pattern presents an extra challenge to the mine technologists and operators, as does the abrasiveness and hardness of the overburden.

Roman Mazur (Technical Support & Development director) and Andrzej Michalczyk (chief mechanical and electrical engineer) collaborated with ESCO’s Robert Rado to introduce buckets with tough ESCO Super V teeth in 2008. The Turów Mine’s technical director, Romuald Salata, told us that the unsophisticated, locally produced teeth used to last only a few days – “sometimes just one shift in extreme conditions” – before becoming blunt and in need of replacement.

The Turów Mine uses 10 bucket wheel excavators and two chain excavators. It currently has 70 kilometers of conveyors to reposition overburden and transport the lignite.

Currently, two bucket wheels are fitted with ESCO teeth at the Turów Mine and soon a third. Another PGE mine is going to equip three bucket wheels with ESCO tooth equipment.

“ESCO teeth last three-and-a-half times longer,” Romuald Salata said. “In my opinion it is better to pay more for the teeth if it lets us keep the buckets operating longer and more efficiently.” He also praised the speed with which Super V teeth can be changed, noting that they can change all the bucket points on a big wheel in just one hour. Bolt-on teeth take much longer to change.

“Our expectation from ESCO is that you will provide a tooth system with good wear resistance, good impact resistance, a self-sharpening design where the angle stays constant as the tooth wears down, and good penetration so that the machine uses less power,” he stated. He noted that just a two percent improvement in the tooth angle can result in a 20 percent improvement in available machine power.

The mine is working with Kopex Famago, a Polish bucket manufacturer, to provide Super V-equipped buckets that will stand up to the punishment of digging in the Turów pit. The Bełchatów Mine will be the second PGE mine to use ESCO tooth equipment.

“We are in a constant fight with the geology, and we appreciate the advice and cooperation of ESCO,” Romuald Salata concluded. “We thank ESCO for the good results you have provided so far.”

Romuald Salata, Turow Mine’s technical director.


Throughout the lignite region of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, mines using big bucket wheel excavators are turning to ESCO tooth systems to penetrate tough bands of overburden and break the material into smaller, more manageable pieces. The benefits of abrasion resistance, impact resistance, self-sharpening design, and quick change-out are also appealing to operations managers seeking maximum productivity from the towering BWE machines. Soon several of these same mines will be stepping up to the new hammerless Ultralok® tooth system to take advantage of its superior strength and penetration, integrated lock and safety benefits.

The EDGE wishes to thank our customers in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic for agreeing to be interviewed and photographed for this article. We also thank ESCO personnel Bruno Pesch (regional sales manager for northern Europe), Mike Passen (district manager for Germany), and Robert Rado (district manager for Eastern Europe) for their invaluable help on this feature article.

“ESCO teeth last three-and-a-half times longer. In my opinion it is better to pay more for the teeth if it lets us keep the buckets operating longer and more efficiently.”

–Romuald Salata

* * *

Below left: ESCO's Robert Rado shares images and information on the Ultralok tooth system with director Roman

Mazur and others at the Turów Mine in Poland. At right, ESCO's Bruno Pesch and RWE's Holger Krüger examine Super

V teeth on new buckets at the Hambach Mine.


ESCO Soldering Participates in Two Brazilian Trade Shows

ESCO Soldering promoted a variety of ESCO® mining products at the EXPOSIBRAM

2009 International Mining Exposition, September 14-21. Held in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in conjunction with the 13th Brazilian Mining Congress, the big trade show attracted approximately 50,000 from mining companies and service providers from throughout South America and beyond.

A large, rebuilt hoe bucket with SV2® mining teeth, Loadmaster® lip with the Posilok® tooth system, Loadmaster II

lip with 70SV2 tooth system, the Whisler Plus® lip and tooth system, Toplok® shrouds, Kwik-lok® wear protection, and the new hammerless Ultralok® tooth system for construction were all featured in the booth. Measuring 80 meters square, the booth included a second floor for meetings and to view product videos.

Approximately 2,000 people visited the booth.

“The trade show was a huge success because we showed the new face of ESCO Soldering,” said Adriano Mendanha, product development manager. “We promoted our expertise in bucket repairs, and showed a variety of GET systems including the new Ultralok system for construction. In addition, we held some important meetings with customers that will bring great value to our company in the future.”

EXPOSIBRAM 2009

“The trade show was a huge success because we showed the new face of

ESCO Soldering.” – Adriano Mendanha, product

development manager

Demonstrating the hammerless Ultralok tooth system.


ESCO Soldering also participated in Fenasucro XVII, the International Trade Fair for the Sugar & Ethanol Industry. Held in conjunction with Agrocana, the

show was held at the Zanini Convention Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, September 1-4. Targeted at those who produce and process sugar cane, the trade show attracted 30,000 visitors and 450 exhibitors.

Approximately 800 people visited ESCO Soldering’s booth, which featured a custom-built sugar cane bucket for a 938G front end loader. Designed and built by ESCO Soldering, the bucket’s advantages included less weight, excellent penetration, and an estimated 30 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to competitors’ buckets.

Brazil is the world leader in sugar and ethanol production, a market that is growing at 10 percent annually. ESCO Soldering entered this market only 15 years ago, and it has become second only to mining in sales and importance.

“Our presence at Fenasucro helped build the bond with existing customers, and provided exposure for us to the global sugar and ethanol industries,” said engineer Leonardo Munck Faria, ESCO Soldering’s expert in the products and wear solutions demanded by the sugar and ethanol industry. “It was the first time we showed a sugar cane bucket at this show, and it was a success.”

FENASUCRO 2009Above (l to r): Leonardo Munck, Ana Paula Machado,

Juan Parra, Cristiano Flores, Jaqueline Matos, Luis Guntin Egea, Miguel Nunes França, Leandro Monteiro, Humberto Neto


Intermat is one of the “big three” trade shows for the world construction industry. This year’s exhibition, held April 20-25 at the Villepointe Exposition Park outside Paris,

France drew about 185,000 participants despite the backdrop of a worldwide economic recession. One-third of the attendees came from outside the European Union and two-thirds of the 1,470 exhibitors were from overseas, underscoring the global nature of the industry.

ESCO used Intermat 2009 to formally launch the hammerless Ultralok tooth system for construction and utility work. The full range of sizes and shapes was on display, including two demonstration stands where customers could experience for themselves how safe and easy it is to remove, install and lock the innovative tooth system. A special Ultralok system launch party was held one evening, attended by an enthusiastic crowd of dealers and end users.

“We experienced a very positive reaction to the new tooth system,” noted Doug Pierce, marketing manager. “The aggressive point shapes coupled with the simplicity and safety of the locking device were big factors.” The demonstration

stations allowed potential customers to overcome their skepticism about the new product line and experience the ingenious locking device first-hand.

While the Ultralok system was the star attraction at our elegant, two-level stand, ESCO also exhibited a selection of blades, SV2® teeth, MaxDRP® teeth, Kwik Lok® wear runners, Toplok® wear shrouds, and ESCO’s new Infinity™ bi-metallic wear products line.

Whereas demolition was the emphasis of this year’s show, a number of OEMs and bucket manufacturers chose to exhibit ESCO tooth equipment on their products. The new Ultralok tooth system was featured by our dealers Haladjian and Wimmer, and it appeared on equipment shown by

by John R. Howard

ESCO Launches Ultralok® Tooth System at Intermat 2009

Top: The ESCO booth at IntermatAbove: ESCO Ultralok teeth


ACB/Morin, TreviBenne, and VTN. Super V® teeth were displayed by Case, JCB, Liebherr, Mecalac, Takeuchi, Terex and Yanmar.

“ESCO reinforced its image as the leading supplier of wear solutions for the utility, construction and mining industries,” concluded Rodrigo Sanchez, marketing manager for ESCO Europe. “While some of our competitors cancelled their participation, ESCO showed that we are strong even in a tough market.”

Doug Pierce agreed, “ESCO demonstrated to the marketplace our optimism that current conditions will pass and that our direction is to continue to innovate and deliver products, like the Ultralok system, that bring real value to our customers.”

By all accounts, Intermat was a success for ESCO, providing an excellent venue to introduce the hammerless Ultralok tooth system.

At right (from r to l): Andrea Pette (ESCO sales manager, South Europe), Christian Tadiotto, Maurice Van Kesteren, Simone Piva (all of Trevi Benne SpA) and Fabrizio and Ferruccio Novara (of Giorgio Novara SpA)

“ ESCO reinforced its image as the

leading supplier of wear solutions for the

utility, construction and mining industries.”

– Rodrigo Sanchez, marketing manager, ESCO Europe

Mike Passen, ESCO DM (right) and Rodrigo Sanchez, marketing manager (below)

demonstrate Ultralok


This year the famous Paris Air Show marked the 100th anniversaries of both the first Air Show in Paris and the first flight across the English Channel, which was

made by Frenchman Louis Blériot in 1909. As part of the celebrations the show featured several flights by a very delicate looking Blériot XI monoplane.

The Air Show was held at Le Bourget Airport, just north of Paris, 15-21 June, 2009. The Le Bourget site includes six large exhibition halls in front of which run two long lines of chalets where exhibitors entertain clients and watch the air displays. The runway and flight facilities are capable of handling any aircraft including the huge new Airbus 380.

For many people the main attractions of the show are the spectacular flying displays by the world’s best pilots demonstrating all types of ancient and modern fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. From the historic Blériot XI through the 1950s era Lockheed Super Constellation to the modern Airbus A380, Sukhoi Superjet 100, Eurocopter Tigre, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing FA18 Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin F16 – every display pushes pilot and aircraft to their limits.

For several years ESCO Turbine Technologies has exhibited in the Belgian Aerospace Pavilion. This has provided an excellent opportunity to meet and talk with potential and existing customers for ESCO Turbine Technologies’ plants in Belgium, the US, Mexico and Slovakia.

The added bonus was the opportunity to see complete engines and aircraft that contain ESCO investment castings. This year we were fortunate to get a clear view of the GEnx Turbine rear frame castings that ESCO TT Syracuse supplies to Volvo Aero. In addition, a GP7200 engine for the Airbus A380 was the star feature on the PW/GE Engine Alliance stand. This engine uses turbine blades manufactured by ESCO TT Cleveland for MTU and structural castings manufactured by ESCO TT Syracuse for MTU and Volvo Aero.

Despite the current adverse global economic climate, the Paris Air Show was very well attended by suppliers and buyers. Although some companies reported a slow start, it was very pleasing that ESCO’s booth was an extremely busy place throughout the show.

“Although the aviation industry is reducing capacity at the moment, ESCO remains committed to this vibrant industry,” noted Jim Liberator, vice president of Sales for ESCO Turbine Technologies. “We are focused on serving the aircraft engine manufacturers and aviation revenue sharing partners, and we are proud of our contributions to the engine programs for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A380, and a number of new regional jets.”

“Our hope now is that the first signs of economic recovery that we saw during the show are sustained in the marketplace,” added Adrian White, account sales manager for ESCO TT. “We are optimistic that industry demand will build for the new generation of environmentally friendly aircraft and engines, many of which use ESCO investment castings.”

ESCO Turbine Technologies Participates in Paris Air Show 2009

by John R. Howard

Jim Liberator and Adrian White. Adrian is holding one of the rear struts that TT Syracuse supplies to Volvo Aero.


“ESCO remains committed to this vibrant industry.”

-Jim Liberator, vice president of Sales for Turbine Technologies

Top: F-35 fighter jet – one of many displays at the show.

Above (l to r): Adrian White, Olivier Cornet, Laurence Nedelec, Gregory Collignon, Paul Verhaegen

and Jim Liberator

Below: GEnx engine for Boeing 787 Dreamliner


Global Customers Rave About Ultralok® Performance

ESCO is the leader in innovation and performance for wear parts in the earthmoving industry. Unlike any other tooth design, the Ultralok® tooth system offers a hammerless lock that is an integral part of the

point. The hammerless design increases safety with no need to deal with separate pins or locks. Inventory is reduced and field replacement is simplified. Many customers from around the world have had proven success using the Ultralok tooth system and have been eager to share their stories.

Customer: Cemex Aridos Cantera Sotopajares, Spain

Machine: EC460 excavator

Ultralok teeth used: U45S

Result: After 80 hours of operation, very little wear on the teeth. Weight of the worn teeth after 650 hours was 6.8 kg against an original weight of 13.06 kg (or 48% usable wear metal). According to Mr. Vicente, the mine site manager, “We would like to move on the chisel point to test the results, and plan to convert all the machines of the quarry into the Ultralok system in the near future.”

Customer: Pontifidi Quarry, Italy

Machine: Volvo L120 loader; New Holland E385 excavator

Ultralok teeth used: U35A (Volvo); U45C (New Holland)

Result: After only 50 hours of operation on the E385 excavator, the Ultralok system had already proven itself to the customer. Marco Girardi, operator and site manager, said “the machine works 10 hours per day, five days a week.” He and his team has been very satisfied with ESCO Ultralok and describes it as “beautiful, efficient, with increased penetration.”

Customer: MANNS, GmbH Germany

Machine: Komatsu PC240 excavator

Ultralok teeth used: U30

Result: Frank Kuck, the machine operator, was “really satisfied with the penetration of the point and the impact resistance it gave compared to the competition. He was especially impressed by the easy change-out using a simple tool, and added that the Ultralok system “will really make a big difference for him, especially in continuous edge applications.”

Customer: Knife River Company, Oregon

Machine: CAT 345 excavator

Ultralok teeth used: U45

Result: Tim Reynolds, maintenance foreman for Knife River Company, was impressed with the safety aspect of Ultralok. “There’s less tooling involved,” he said. “The advantage of an internal retainer is that all your pieces are in one package – no loose pieces. You get out to the job, everything’s right and it all comes together.” Jerry Sitzman, Northwest Region equipment manager for Knife River added, “We like ESCO products. I knew ESCO would be there to help with any problems and they would do anything to keep our machines going.”

Ultralok

* See the listing of top ESCO Ultralok dealers in the sidebar on p. 21


By John R. Howard

The two halves of a mold – the cope and drag – must be held securely together or the molten metal will push them apart and metal will run

out. Traditionally, ESCO has used heavy weights or metal clamps to hold molds together. But the placement of weights (often using a crane) is time consuming and inefficient. Metal clamps are expensive and prone to fall off into the sand during shakeout, making it difficult to recycle the sand. In addition, the retrieval of the metal clamps exposes employees to fumes, hot metal and hot sand.

Beginning in 2007, a foundry process team at Port Hope under the direction of Archie Vos, technical process leader, began experimentation to develop a new and better way of clamping molds without weights or metal clamps. The goal was to develop a clamping system that is secure, redundant, inexpensive, easy to use, disposable or recyclable, and safe – a tall order.

After much trial and error, the team began to have success in 2008 with clamping mechanisms made entirely of sand. A variety of designs were tried. Consulting with their sand and pattern suppliers, they varied the amount of binder and oxide in the sand clamps. A variety of designs and sand formulas were tried. Many of the early prototypes were just not strong enough to hold the molds together.

Success first came in 2008 with floor pours. The sand clamps held and the concept was proved. As of mid-2009, the Port Hope foundry had begun making patterns for the large mold line that weigh less than 1,000 pounds with the new all-sand clamping system incorporated in the design. Less costly, safer and more efficient than metal clamp mechanisms, the new system is a leap forward in foundry process technology.

Congratulations to team members Archie Vos, Brad Robertson, Art McElroy and Mike Birks of the Port Hope foundry, and John Ebbrell and Andy Geekie of Port Hope Pattern who worked together to develop the new mold clamping technology.

ESCO’s Port Hope, Ontario Foundry Develops New Mold Clamping Method

Sand mold clamps (above) have proven to be less costly and more efficient than their metal counterparts (below).



Jon Owens Group Vice President,

ESCO Engineered Products

INTERVIEW

Jon earned a degree in business from Portland State University. He joined ESCO in 1986 and has held a number of management level positions within the

company’s Products Group including managing director of ESCO Europe, general manager of Supply Chain, general manager of Mining, vice president for Business Development & Global Products, and now is a Group Vice President.

This interview with EDGE Magazine editor John Howard initially took place in mid-July. Some comments were revisited and updated shortly before going to press.

What can you tell us about the business development aspect of your responsibilities, Jon?

In addition to continually developing new products in-house, ESCO is aggressively looking for opportunities to offer new products and to reach new geographies through acquisitions, joint ventures and alliances. Recent examples would include the ESCO Soldering joint venture in Brazil (which is now wholly owned by ESCO), the ESCOSUPPLY joint venture to service the oil sands, and plans to build a foundry in Chile in a joint venture with our licensee, Elecmetal. The uncertainties in the marketplace this past year have made it more challenging to find the right opportunities, but strategic acquisitions continues to be a focus for us.

How would you assess ESCO’s key markets at the moment?

We first began seeing softening in the construction market in early-2008. Then last fall, just following MINExpo, the market really started to slow down in some sectors of the mining industry, as well. The first half of 2009 was very challenging in both construction and mining, but we began seeing signs of a floor develop by mid-year and are starting to see some signs of recovery.

Have all of our mining markets been impacted the same?

They all have been impacted, but not to the same degree. Some areas, like the Canadian oil sands, have mostly seen a slow down in their expansion plans but not a significant change in their ongoing production. With gold pricing remaining very strong gold production has not slowed much.

There has been some impact on coal production, but most of the drop has been in copper and iron ore, which are tied more closely to the general level of construction and industrial activity.

What about our dredge business?

Without question, there has been a slowdown in dredging projects worldwide. But some of the international dredgers are extending and modernizing their fleets and there are a lot of ESCO cutterheads going through our plants right now to support this expansion, so the outlook for dredge looks pretty positive.

How has the new Ultralok® construction tooth system been received in the marketplace?

The Ultralok system has been very well received. As you know, we did the initial, partial launch at ConExpo last year. Then we did a complete launch at Intermat 2009 in Paris earlier this year. The system has been very well received by distributors and customers.

Why are dealers and customers so receptive to the Ultralok system?

Several factors: the system’s excellent performance in terms of wear and penetration is a plus, and its hammerless safety is a key factor. Also the simplicity of the system appeals to customers. The integrated locking system that requires no special tools is unique in the marketplace.

Looking at ESCO’s new products for mining, what has been the industry’s reaction to the SV2® mining tooth system and Whisler Plus™ adapters?

They have been extremely well received as well. They each combine performance benefits with safety benefits. The safety issue becomes more significant in the decision-making as the size of tooth system increases. Whisler lips have been the industry standard for shovels for decades. Our Whisler Plus system allows the customer to enhance their Whisler-style lips with better stabilization, longer wear, and a hammerless locking system.

We have also launched the ProFill™dragline bucket line with design features that enhance dragline production, and the new Posilok® Plus tooth system for large mining machines. These and other innovative products are allowing us to continue to deliver value to our customers worldwide, even in these challenging economic times.

A few years ago, ESCO used a vertical operating structure where engineering, manufacturing, product management and sales for a particular product group all worked together as a team. Now, we have moved to a more horizontal structure. What are the benefits of the horizontal approach?

The value of the vertical structure was speed within the vertical, but the downside was poor communication between product teams and a lack of standard processes. The current horizontal structure provides an opportunity for standard work and processes, and the significant benefits of a single integrated products and marketing organization for Engineered Products.

This year we started implementing QVS process management in our product teams – led by Steve Herbert and Ken Meyer – and we are beginning to reap the benefits of increased process controls, increased product quality, decreased unplanned expenses, and a framework for continuous improvement. I believe this is the first implementation of QVS process management in an office or administrative environment at ESCO.

Has the recessionary market this year forced ESCO to change its value-added product philosophy?

Not at all. We continue to focus on providing products that offer the lowest total cost of ownership to our customers. That encompasses not only great design and performance, but ease of use, safety, delivery, field service, warranty, disposal – every aspect of product ownership. ESCO is the industry leader in this respect.

Thank you, Jon.

“ESCO is aggressively looking for opportunities to offer new

products and to reach new geographies through acquisitions,

joint ventures and alliances.”

ESCO DEALERS LEADINGULTRALOK® CONVERSIONS

We recognize the following global ESCO dealers, who are leading customer conversions

to the ESCO Ultralok system

NORTH AMERICAAnderson Equipment Co. - New York*Cutting Edge Supply Co. - CaliforniaDiesel Machinery, Inc. - South DakotaESCOSUPPLY Sparks - NevadaJordan Equipment Co. - Maine*Modern Machinery Co., Inc. - Montana*Nortrax Canada, Inc. - CanadaRoad Builders Machinery & Supply Co. - Kansas*Roland Machinery Co. - Illinois*Rudd Equipment Co. - Kentucky*Severson Supply - ColoradoTractor & Equipment Co., Inc. - Alabama*Wear Parts & Equipment Co., Inc. - Colorado

*corporate headquarters

EUROPEBYG SA - SpainFirma Oscar Meier AG/SA - Germany Giorgio Novara SRL - ItalyGiori Ricambi SRL - ItalyHaladjian SA - FranceHS Schoch Erdbaugeräte Service - GermanyKarl Müller GmbH - GermanyRamb GmbH - GermanyTractorrastos LDA - Portugal

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES

Cal Collins Named President of Engineered Products

Reporting to Cal are three Group Vice Presidents: Pat Fonner, Jeff Kershaw and Jon Owens. Toby Weber, Group Controller, also reports to Cal.


ESCO SERVICE ANNIVERSARIESTHE EDGE NOVEMBER 200922

Chuck Johnson40 • ESCO Portland

Chuck was born in Tillamook and graduated from Tillamook High School. He worked for the Forest Service before starting at ESCO as a pressman. Chuck is currently an inspector in Upper Finishing, and he has also worked as a burner and Hyster driver. His favorite thing about working at ESCO is the steady work. He and his wife Geneva have two children - Shannon and Katie. In his free time, Chuck enjoys fishing and hunting.

George McGhee40 • ESCO Port Coquitlam

George works in the Stores Department at Port Coquitlam. He was born in New Westminster, B.C. and worked as a farm hand and in forestry and construction, before joining ESCO as a flogger. George has also spent time working in Pouring and Shipping. He and his wife Elaine live in Maple Ridge. In his free time, George enjoys playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker.

Robert Moehnke40 • ESCO Portland

Robert was born in Hillboro, OR and graduated from Banks High School. Before joining ESCO as a flogger, he served six years in the Army Reserves. Robert has worked in Pattern Storage and today works in the Upper Core Room. He enjoys the camaraderie among his fellow employees. He and his wife Ruth live in La Center, WA and they have two sons. Outsideof work, Robert enjoys the outdoors and spending time with friends and family.

Sandy Olynyk40 • ESCO Port Coquitlam

Alexander “Sandy” was born in Edmonton, Alberta and graduated from Ross Sheppard High School. He worked at Norwood Foundry before joining ESCO in the Molding Department. Sandy has also worked as a mobile shipper and today works as a receiver. He lives in Coquitlam and has one daughter and one granddaughter. Outsideof ESCO, Sandy enjoysgolf, curling, gardeningand entertaining.

Gail Roberts40 • ESCO Portland

Gail was born in Astoria, OR and graduated from Mark Morris High School. Gail’s first job at ESCO was as a payroll clerk. Today, she is a payroll specialist in Portland. Gail enjoys the people at ESCO and the company stability. Her late step-mother, Margaret McGraw, worked as a foundry secretary. Gail and her husband Lloyd live in Oak Grove. Gail has four step-children, 16 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.In her free time, Gail enjoys spending time with family, crocheting and traveling.

Terry Rieu40 • ESCO Port Coquitlam

Terry is a product coordinator at Port Coquitlam. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and graduated from Port Coquitlam Secondary School. Directly after high school, he began working at ESCO as a foundry clerk and has also worked in Cost Accounting, Inventory Control and Inside Sales. Terry’s brother, Dale Rieu also works at ESCO. Terry and his wife Cathy live in Maple Ridge – they have three children and two grandchildren. Terry enjoys a variety of activities, including golfing, fishing, riding his Harley and watching various sports.

Fred Benedict35 • ESCO Syracuse

Fred was born in Canastota, NY. Before joining ESCO as a sandblast operator, he worked as a material handler at Magnavox and also served in the U.S. Navy. Today, Fred works as a production machinist. He enjoys the new and different challenges that go along with his job. Fred’s wife Marsha also works at ESCO in Shipping. They live in Kirkville, IL and have two children and three grandchildren. Fred enjoys hunting, stock car racing, fishing and outdoor sports.

Dave Crum40 • ESCO Portland

Dave was born in Portland, OR. He attended Portland State University and served four years in the US Air Force. Dave started in Centrifugal Foundry and has worked in a variety of jobs in Radiography, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Products and Dimensional/Gage Engineering. Today he is a senior gage design engineer. Dave’s favorite thing about his job is the people. In his free time he enjoys spending time at his beach house on the Washington coast. Dave has three children and four grandchildren. He and his wife, Mary, live in Scappoose, OR.

Catherine Renfer40 • ESCO Syracuse

Catherine was born in Syracuse, NY and graduated from Chittenango Central High School and Onondaga Community College. She served in the Civil Air Patrol for four years before being hired at ESCO Syracuse as a bench operator. Catherine has also been a wax operator and supervisor. She is currently a quality systems engineer. Catherine lives in North Chittenango and has one son and four grandchildren. During her free time, she enjoys bike riding and volunteering with the CrossRoads Community Church.

Abraham Cleveland35 • ESCO Newton

Abraham (“Abe”) is a team leader at ESCO Newton. He was born in Decatur, MS and graduated from C.H. Boler High School. Abe worked for a local furniture manufacturer before starting at ESCO as a grinder. Abe andhis wife Mae Ruth livein Decatur.

Keith Comans35 • ESCO Newton

Keith is currently a team leader in Newton. He graduated from Newton High School and began his ESCO career as a bench grinder. He has also worked as a pourer and order clerk. Keith and his wife Debbie live in Newton.

Annie Evans35 • ESCO Newton

Annie works in Core Utility at ESCO Newton and has also worked as a bench grinder. Her son Tarrus also works at Newton in Heat Treat. Annie and her husband Huey have two children and one grandchild. They live in Newton, MS.

ESCO SERVICE ANNIVERSARIES THE EDGE NOVEMBER 2009 23

Ernie Terrell35 • ESCO Newton

Ernie is a mechanic in Newton. He was born in Union, MS and graduated from Decatur High School. His first job at ESCO was as a repair welder and he has also worked as a flogger and grinder. Ernie and his wife Lavonda live in Union. They have three children and two grandchildren.

Lyn Peters35 • ESCO Portland

Lyn is the Accounting manager for Portland plants. She was born in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Business Administration/Accounting. Lyn started at ESCO directly after college and worked in Corporate Accounting before moving to Plant Accounting. She lives in Beaverton and enjoys reading, road trips and Oregon State University football games.

Andy White35 • ESCO Newton

Andy is a team leader at ESCO Newton. He graduated from Beulah Hubbard High School and started his career at ESCO as a flogger. Prior to joining ESCO, he worked for an automobile dealership and a construction company. Andy and his wife Debra live in Little Rock, MS.

David Bancroft30 • ESCO Portland

David was born in Portland, OR, graduated from Orange Glen High School and completed his degree at Palomar College. Before joining ESCO as a senior cost accountant, he worked in the aerospace industry. David is currently finance process leader. His son, Josh, also works at ESCO as an engineer. David and his wife Debbie live in Vancouver and when not working he enjoys boating, fishing, photography, collecting cameras and watches. David has four children and two grandchildren.

Kirk Yoresen35 • ESCO Portland

Kirk is a marketing manager at ESCO Portland. He was born in Tucson, AZ and worked at a printing company before joining ESCO Portland in Pour and Shakeout. Kirk has also worked as a research and development project engineer and a product manager. Kirk and his wife Linda live in Tigard, Oregon. They have two children and three grandchildren. Outside of work, Kirk enjoys golfing, skiing and he volunteers as a race official for high school ski races.

Henry Chapman30 • ESCO Newton

Henry is a crane operator at ESCO Newton. He started as a bench grinder and has also worked as a mobile operator, heat treat operator and pourer. Henry lives in Newton with his wife Lola.

Leonard Dean30 • ESCO Newton

Leonard is an order clerk at Newton. He first joined ESCO as a bench grinder and has also worked as a mobile equipment operator, mechanic trainer and warehouse clerk. Leonard and his wife Victoria live in Little Rock, Arizona.

Norm Clark30 • ESCO Port Hope

Norm works as a shipper at Port Hope. He was born in Trenton, Ontario and graduated from Brighton High School. Upon joining ESCO, he worked as a grinder and has also spent time in the Heat Treat, Arc Air and Paint Departments. He and his wife Rose live in Cobourg and have three children and six grandchildren. They have also been foster parents for 21 years, caring for 224 children throughout the years.

Donald Fie30 • ESCO Syracuse

Donald was born in Olean, NY and graduated from Canastota High School. He was first hired at ESCO as a rough grinder and he is currently a source delegate auditor supervisor. He says what he likes best about working at ESCO are“the stability of the company and the unique area that I work in.” Donald’s wife Lori also works at ESCO in the X-Ray Department. Donald and Lori live in Canastota and they have one son. When not working, Donald enjoys gardening, watching movies, fishing and golfing.

Rick Hall30 • ESCO Syracuse

Rick was born in Syracuse, NY and received a BS in Economics from SUNY at Fredonia. He joined ESCO as a cost accountant and has also worked in Sales and as a business unit leader for aircraft engines. Today, Rick is the business unit leader for industrial gas turbines. Rick and his wife Dot live in Fayetteville, NY and they have two children. In his free time, Rick enjoys playing golf and following Syracuse University sports.

Marge Heid30 • ESCO Bucyrus

Marge was born in Bucyrus, OH and received a B.A. degree from Otterbein College. Marge began her career at ESCO Bucyrus as an export clerk. Today, she is a customer service/export specialist. Marge’s son-in-law, Ryan Powell, works in Production. She and her husband Gene have two children and one grandchild. They live in rural Bucyrus. In her free time, Marge enjoys reading, shopping, walking and family activities.

Cavan Levigne35 • ESCO Port Hope

Cavan was born in Port Hope, Ontario and graduated from Port Hope High School. He worked at Davidson Rubber before joining ESCO as a stand grinder. He has also worked in other departments, including Painting, Stores, Shipping and Production Control. Today, Cavan works in Heat Treating. He and his wife Loretta live in Port Hope and they have two children and four grandchildren. Outside of work Cavan enjoys golfing and gambling.

ESCO SERVICE ANNIVERSARIESTHE EDGE NOVEMBER 200924

Rebecca Van Raden30 • ESCO Portland

Becky is an engineer with the NEMISYS design team. She was born in Vancouver, WA and graduated from the University of Portland with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Becky joined ESCO directly after college, working with the dragline bucket design team. She has also working as a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) specialist and Product Test Lab engineer. Becky and her husband Wayne have two daughters. Becky has several hobbies, including making cloth dolls, quilting, traveling, camping and collecting Hard Rock Café pins.

William Kehoe25 • ESCO Syracuse

Bill was born in Utica, NY. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rensseleaer Polytechnic Institute and served in the US Navy for six years. Bill’s first job at ESCO was Maintenance coordinator, and today he is the Plant Engineering manager at Syracuse. Bill most enjoys working on a variety of tasks with friendly coworkers. In his free time, he enjoys photography, travel, air shows and car repairs.

Cindy Landis25 • ESCO Bucyrus

Cindy was born in Dayton, OH and graduated from Bucyrus High School. She began her ESCO career as a receptionist, and has also worked as a Purchasing clerk. Today, Cindy is a customer service specialist with national accounts. She enjoys the good working atmosphere and wonderful people at ESCO. Cindy’s nephew David Graves also works at ESCO. Cindy and her husband Jim have three sons and one grandchild. When not working, Cindy enjoys reading, walking and bike riding.

Randy Yaussy30 • ESCO Bucyrus

Randy is the blades product manager at ESCO Bucyrus. He was born in Bucyrus, OH and graduated from Bucyrus High School. Randy received his bachelor’s degree in Accounting and began his career at ESCO as an accountant. He has also held positions as a programmer, IT manager, Production Control manager and Finance/Administration manager. Randy and his wife Cara live in Bucyrus and they have two children. Randy enjoys golfing, spending time with family and vacationing in warm places.

Heather Berg25 • ESCO Portland

Heather was born in Minneapolis, MN. She began as an order entry clerk at ESCO Portland and today works as a process leader for collaborative inventory planning. She has also been a CSR, supply chain planner and customer material planner. Heather enjoys being on a team that solves problems and achieves goals. She and her husband Tim Couch live on Sauvie Island in Portland. Heather has two children and three grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, boating, camping and spending time at her lakeside cabin.

Bill Fewless25 • ESCOSUPPLY Billings

Bill was born in Portland, OR and received a B.A. from Willamette University. He first joined ESCO as a product administrator and has also worked in product development, and has been a district manager. Today, Bill is the branch manager for ESCOSUPPLY Billings. He and his wife Anna live in Hardin, MT. When not working, Bill enjoys farming and ranching.

Frank Heinlen25 • ESCO Bucyrus

Frank is a team leader at Bucyrus. He started his career at ESCO as a punch press operator, and has also worked as a fork lift operator, drill press operator and milling machine operator. Frank and his wife Vanessa live in Nevada, Ohio.They have two children. Outside of work, Frank enjoys spending time outdoors, NASCAR and antique tractors.

Steve Wallace30 • ESCO Port Hope

Steve was born in Cobourg, Ontario and graduated from Durham College. He spent four years in the military and also worked at a tannery before joining Port Hope. His first job at ESCO was in Shakeout and he has also worked in Molding, Refractory, Melting, Grinding and the Machine Shop. Today, Steve is an electrician at Port Hope. Steve’s brother Jim works in the Stock room. Steve and his wife Lucia live in Port Hope. Outside of work, Steve enjoys mountain biking.

Stephen Thompson30 • ESCO Port Hope

Stephen was born in Cobourg, Ontario and graduated from Cobourg District Collegiate Institute East. He worked as a plumber, framer and cook before joining ESCO in the Mold Load Department. He has also spent time in Flogging and Molding. Today, Stephen is a Core/Mold team leader. He lives in Port Hope and has two children. When not working, Stephen enjoys gardening, cars and working on his house.

Ed Ottink30 • ESCO Port Hope

Ed is a machinist at Port Hope. He was born in Brampton, Ontario and graduated from Durham College. Ed worked for Avil Construction and Mathew’s Conveyor before joining ESCO in Heat Treat. He has also worked in Fabrication and Maintenance. Ed lives in Castleton and in his free time enjoys working on his house, driving his Nissan 350Z and playing hockey.

Sherry Lohrer30 • ESCO Newton

Sherry graduated from Decatur High School and worked as a bookkeeper at a local bank before joining ESCO as an accounts payable administrator. In addition to her current position as a plant information administrator, Sherry has also worked as a methods tech coordinator and a distribution center data clerk. Sherry’s husband Pete is an ESCO retiree. They have one daughter and seven grandchildren. In her free time, Sherry enjoys playing golf and antiquing.

Donald Rouse30 • ESCO Syracuse

Donald was born in Oneida, NY and graduated from Canastota High School. He was a farmer before joining ESCO Syracuse in the Sandblast department. Donald has worked as a shell puller and caster, and today works in the warehouse. His wife, Darcy, also works at ESCO in the Quality Department. They live in Canastota, NY and have four children. Outside of work, Donald enjoys snowmobiling, motorcycling and spending time with his family and friends.

ESCO SERVICE ANNIVERSARIES THE EDGE NOVEMBER 2009 25

Majail Sangha25 • ESCO Nisku

Majail is a supervisor at ESCO Nisku. He was born in India and worked at a cement company then at a saw mill before joining ESCO as a grinder. Majail likes “working with the great people and learning new things everyday.” He lives in Edmonton, Alberta with his wife and has four children. Outside of work, Majail enjoys playing soccer and watching sports.

Santos Cerritos20 • ESCO Portland

Santos was born in El Salvador. He worked for a carpet pad company before joining ESCO as a grinder/fitter. Santos has also worked as a welder, oven operator, burner, and today is a team leader in Portland. Santos’ son, Santos, Jr. also works at ESCO on the main floor. Santos and his partner live in SE Portland. They have three children - Norleena, Yaneetta and Santos, Jr. - and five grandchildren. When he’s not working, Santos enjoys working around his house and garden.

Edward Dobyna20 • ESCO Oriskany

Edward was born in Fall River, MA and received a B.A. from Bridgewater State College. He worked in a tool and die shop before joining ESCO as a vacuum operator. Today Edward is a team leader and he likes that every day at his job is different. Edward lives in Whitesboro with his wife Peggy and they have three children. Outside of work, Edward enjoys participating in a variety of activities, including reading, bicycling, kayaking, snowshoeing and spending time with his family.

Edward Marotta25 • ESCO Cleveland

Edward was born in Cleveland, OH and graduated from Euclid High School. His first job at ESCO was as an equiax foundry helper and he has also worked in a variety of other roles involving equiax. Today, Edward is a DS/SC furnace operator. He enjoys the “good people and the many friends he has made over the years.” Edward lives in Willowick, Ohio and has three children and two grandchildren. Outside of work, he enjoys relaxing and spending time with his children and friends.

Julie Herbert20 • ESCO Portland

Julie was born in Portland, OR and attended Portland Community College and Portland State University for programs in Business. She worked in property management before joining ESCO as an administrative assistant. Today, Julie is a corporate event and trade show coordinator. Her husband Steve is a business manager for ESCO Mining and Industrial Products. They live in Portland and have three children. When not working, Julie enjoys cooking, reading, working out, traveling and watching her children play sports.

Daniel Knutson20 • ESCO Portland

Dan is Maintenance team leader at Portland Plant 3. He was born in Rochester, MN and graduated from Spring Valley High School. He served in the U.S. Marines before joining ESCO as a grinder. Dan has also worked as a flogger, oven operator, reclaim operator and maintenance mechanic. He likes that ESCO is an “easy place to work where people get along with each other.” Dan lives in Vernonia, OR and has one child and one grandchild. In his free time, he enjoys hunting and four-wheeling.

Aaron Lian20 • ESCO EP Belgium

Aaron is managing director for ESCO Europe. He was born in Santa Rosa, CA and received an Engineering degree from Portland State University, and an MBA from the University of Oregon. He began his career at ESCO as a flogger and has held numerous other positions, including design engineer, team leader and product manager. Aaron, his wife Amy and their daughter Lauren live in Waterloo, Belgium. In his free time, Aaron enjoys skiing, golfing, fishing and traveling.

Robert Fudge20 • ESCO Cleveland

Robert was born in Cleveland, OH and graduated from Shaw High School. He first joined ESCO in the Equiax Foundry department and has also worked in Shelling. Today, Robert is a DS/SC furnace operator. Robert’s wife Letonia also works at ESCO in Wax Injection. Robert and Letonia live in Cleveland, and Robert has two children, Shavon and Shauna. When he’s not working, Robert enjoys his Playstation 3.

Brad Wannamaker25 • ESCO Port Hope

Brad is the Port Hope site manager. He was born in Kingston, Ontario and received a degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Sir Sandford Fleming College. He worked as a quality technician at an automotive supply company before joining ESCO as a sand lab technician. He has also worked as a quality technologist, quality manager and production manager. Brad and his wife Debbie live in Cobourg and they have three sons. Outside of work, Brad enjoys watching hockey and working around the house.

Eldon Taylor25 • ESCO Port Hope

Eldon was born in Cobourg, Ontario and graduated from Cobourg District Collegiate Institute East. He worked as a butcher before joining ESCO Port Hope as a flogger. He has also worked in Core, Molding and Grinding and today is a Maintenance team leader. Eldon’s favorite thing about working at ESCO is the people. Eldon lives with his partner Naomi and he has two sons and one step-son. In his free time, Eldon works as a part-time firefighter and also helps with the family business.

Mark Nykorak20 • ESCO Steinbach

Mark was born in Steinbach, Manitoba, graduated from Steinbach Regional Secondary School, and took classes at the University of Manitoba. He began in the Production Department at ESCO Steinbach and today works as a Manufacturing manager. Mark likes the team environment at ESCO. He and his wife Cindy live in Lorette, Manitoba. They have three children. When not working, Mark spends his free time practicing resistance training and dreaming of re-entering the muscle car world.

Charlie Ollinger20 • ESCO Portland

Charlie was born in Yonkers, NY and received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arizona. He was a jet mechanic for USMC, and worked as a design engineer for McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company before joining ESCO as a design engineer. Today, he is a project engineer. Charlie and his wife Michelle live in Portland and they have two children. Charlie’s interests include astronomy and human powered vehicles.

2009 VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

Four ESCO Portland employees were honored recently for their work on behalf of others. Chris Gonzales, Howard Janson, Linda Reese

and Carolyn Shapiro were chosen by the Charitable Giving Committee as this year’s winners of the Volunteer of the Year Award. As such they received award plaques and a luncheon hosted by Hank Swigert, principal owner, director and past chairman of ESCO Corporation. Congratulations to all four of this year’s winners. Your selfless work for others is an inspiration to us all.

CHRIS GONZALESChris Gonzales is a welder in ESCO Portland’s Lower Finishing Area. He has seven years’ seniority with the company. His volunteer work involves coordinating fund-raising events for community organizations that

provide services to the needy. Through his Concepts Unlimited organization, Chris has successfully organized fund-raising events for several agencies, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Raphael House, and Self-Enhancement, Inc. (SEI). The Raphael House provides housing to battered women. SEI helps get kids off the streets and on track to get an education and a good job. It provides support and stability, and teaches them how to dress and prepare for job interviews. Make-A-Wish Foundation provides support to youngsters with cancer and other terminal diseases.

“God has blessed me and I want to pass it along to somebody else,” said Chris, who finds sponsors and entertainment for fundraising events, and handles promotion and advertising to assure that money is raised for good causes while people have a great time.

HOWARD JANSONHoward Janson, a Maintenance mechanic, joined ESCO in July, 2008. Feeling that he should “give back for the luck and blessings I’ve enjoyed in life,” he signed up to be a Big Brother last January. Since then, once a week he has met with his Little Brother Austin at the boy’s

school. Sometimes the two just talk and share a pizza during Austin’s lunch hour or recess. Other times they might throw a Frisbee, play soccer, or review Austin’s homework. Designed to help troubled youth, the program pairs a youngster with a stable and caring adult.

“After a few months, I was wondering if I was having any influence on Austin. Then his mother told me he talks about me all the time, so that made me feel good. We’ve become good friends.”

Howard also volunteers with the Fruit Valley Foundation, an organization that helps the needy in a low income, high crime area of Clark County. For the last three years, he has used his construction skills to help make home improvements for folks who could not otherwise afford to insulate, paint, side or repair their homes.


2009 VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

LINDA REESELinda Reese, Accounts Payable manager, joined ESCO in 2000. She has been a member of the volunteer team that hosts the Friendly House Harvest Party each fall, a free dinner for needy seniors in Northwest Portland sponsored in part by ESCO. She has also helped stage ESCO Portland’s annual Charitable Giving

campaign, and this year has stepped up to chair the big fund-raising campaign this fall.

Away from ESCO, Linda has been a chairperson at Milwaukie High School’s Veterans’ Day activities. This popular annual event draws hundreds of veterans to the school for coffee and breakfast. Afterwards, the vets speak in the classrooms and pair-off with students.

“The patriotic event is good for both the students and the veterans,” she said. “The students really grow from the experience and look forward to it each year.” Other schools in Oregon and outside the state have copied the program, which acknowledges the service of Native Americans, African-Americans, and everyone who has served their country in the Armed Forces.

CAROLYN SHAPIROCarolyn Shapiro is a project engineer with ESCO who joined the company in 2006. Away from work, she joined an organization called Engineers Without Borders. Early in 2008, her Portland Chapter

was asked to help improve the water system for a small, poor community in southern Haiti. The existing “system” was badly damaged by storms and the water supply was weak and contaminated. As a result, water-borne diseases were prevalent, especially among children. Carolyn volunteered for a leadership role and has organized three trips to Les Anglais, Haiti, where the engineers and local people have fixed broken pipes and added more wells to the system to increase the volume seven-fold. The next step will be to add chlorination to ensure clean water.

“The people have been very welcoming and appreciative,” she said. “They have learned from us and have begun helping themselves. When you see the benefits of our efforts, it is both energizing and gratifying.” Carolyn hopes to be able to return in early 2010 to continue helping her adopted community in Haiti. For more information about Carolyn’s project, visit http://www.ewbportland.org/haiti.

40 yearsTim Nelson (Portland)

35 yearsPhilip Brost (Portland)

30 yearsDoug Clarke (Port Hope)

Greg Shillinglaw (Port Hope)

25 yearsThomas Towne (Oriskany)

20 yearsBill Wright (District Manager)

Service anniversaries not pictured

Alan Phillips20 • ESCO EP Belgium

Alan is Armor Products Manager, based in Frameries, Belgium. He was born in Port Washington, NY and graduated from Burr & Burton Academy. Alan then attended West Point and the University of Massachussetts, and served in the US Army before joining ESCO in Marketing Services. He has also worked as operations director for ESCO Europe. Alan and his wife Mary Ann live in Brussels. They have four children and seven grandchildren. When not working, Alan enjoys golf, bridge and reading.

David Sabin20 • ESCO Portland

Dave is an oven operator at Portland Plant 3. He was born in Glendale, CA and graduated from Milwaukie High School in Mentor, OH. Before joining ESCO as a flogger, Dave worked for a printing company. He has also held positions in Grinding and Heat Treating. Dave’s favorite thing about working at ESCO includes the employees that he works with. Dave has one child, Devin. In his free time, Dave enjoys spending time with his son.

Larry Trent20 • ESCO Portland

Larry was born in Bakersfield, CA and graduated from the University of Oregon. Before joining ESCO Portland, Larry worked for Cascade Steel. He began at ESCO as a fitter finisher and has worked as a crane operator, burner and furnace operator. Today, Larry operates the scrapyard crane and front end loader. He lives in McMinnville with his wife Debbie. They have two children and two grandchildren. Larry enjoys gardening and playing volleyball and tennis.

Steven Watts20 • ESCO Portland

Steven was born in Portland, OR and graduated from Vocational Village in Portland. Before joining ESCO as a flogger, he worked as a printing press operator. Today, Steven is an air arcer in Upper Finishing. He has also worked as a service person, grinder, sand reclaimer and oven operator. He lives in SE Portland and in his free time enjoys playing pool and baseball.


ESCO CORPORATION

2141 NW 25th Avenue

Portland, Oregon 97210-2578

United States of America

A huge bucket wheel excavator left these ESCO® tooth marks in a band of dense clay overburden at a mine in the Czech Republic. Photo by John R. Howard.

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