customer designed - esco corporation · in australia, indonesia, peru, argentina, the u.s. and...

THE

CUSTOMERdESignEdESCO’s ProFill® dragline bucket achieves top performance thanks to mine operator input

NOVEMBER 2011

– ESCO’s new CEO

– ESCO Kilgore

– Dealer spotlight

Printed in the USA on 100% recycled / 100%

post consumer waste paper

©2011 ESCO Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

TO OuR REAdERS,The year is rapidly coming to an end and with that naturally comes a time to reflect on what has transpired. For ESCO, 2011 represented another year of tremendous global expansion. By the end of the year, ESCO will have opened more than eight new supply and service facilities in Australia, Indonesia, Peru, Argentina, the U.S. and South Africa. That expansion comes a year after we opened eight ESCO facilities in places like Australia, Brazil and Canada. In 2011, ESCO also acquired Hydra Mining Tools International, which is headquartered in the United Kingdom. ESCO Hydra Mining Division enhances the company’s presence in the underground mining industry with a proven line of products and skilled employees to support the operation. We also announced a transition in our executive team as ESCO CEO Steve Pratt and CFO Gene Huey ready for retirement in the coming months. Change is a constant at any company and the moves we’ve made at ESCO continue to position us to best serve you, our customers.

You’ll also see change in the pages ahead as we make The Edge more reflective of our growing organization. We’ve added a new feature, Around The World, that highlights business developments across the globe. This issue will also feature our Kilgore, Texas, supply and service facility, where ESCO’s team transformed a decaying building into a critical hub for mine operators. Also in Texas, mining companies continue to reap benefits by using our ProFill® dragline buckets. Hear how ESCO engineers teamed with those companies to create an industry leading product.

Finally, we feature two long-time ESCO dealers who are key partners to our success.

Enjoy,

Cal CollinsPresident and Chief Operating Officer

IN THIS ISSuE

AROuNd THE WORLd .................................4

ESCO REAdIES FOR NEW CEO ...........6

Q&A WITH GENE HuEY ..............................8

SuPPLY ANd SERVICE EXPANdS .... 10

ESCO KILGORE ...........................................12

PROFILL BEATS EXPECTATIONS ....... 14

dEALER PROFILES ..................................... 18

ESCO AT AIMEX ........................................... 20

SERVICE ANNIVERSARIES ................... 22

18126

THE EdGEThe magazine of ESCO Corporation

November Volume 8 Issue 2

14

FROM THE EdITOR:Welcome to the latest edition of ESCO’s The Edge magazine, the publication that connects you with ESCO’s people, products and services. You will notice a new look and feel to the magazine. It is our intent to better reflect the global nature of ESCO’s business and our continual efforts to bring our people and products closer to you, the customer. Feel free to contact me at [email protected] regarding comments, suggestions and recommendations that you might have for future editions.

- Jonathan Nelson

CORRECTiOn:

David Miller, a patch and wrap helper at ESCO Syracuse, celebrated his 30th anniversary with the company in December. The incorrect service anniversary was given for Miller in the May edition of The Edge.

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

THE EDGE MISSION

ESCO CORPORATIONESCO is an independent designer, developer and manufacturer of highly engineered wear parts and replacement products used in surface mining, infrastructure development, power generation, aerospace and industrial applications. We have focused on product innovation throughout our nearly 100-year history. We believe our expertise in metallurgy, tribology (the science of wear), design engineering, manufacturing processes, and distribution are our core competencies.

The Edge is available online:http://www.escocorp.com/about/media/edge_magazine.html

update your mailing address:[email protected]

director of Corporate CommunicationsKelley Egre

EditorJonathan Nelson

Contributing WriterJohn Howard

Graphic designerAnthony Sheedy

Thank you to the following individuals for their help on this issue: Nancy Robbins, Jonathan Salinas, Aaron Lian, Jon Owens, Doug Pierce, Steve Herbert, Mark Mallory, Chris Carpenter, Tim Myers, Laura Pietrok, Steve Pratt, Jeff Barnett, Joel Kershaw, Danielle Carno, Carol Hubble, Eric Draper, Jason Ormiston.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome:

EDGE MagazineESCO Corporation2141 NW 25th AvenuePortland, Oregon USA 97210

e-mail: [email protected]

THE EdGE JuLY 20104 THE EdGE – NOVEMBER 20114 THE EdGE – NOVEMBER 2011 5

AROUndTHEWORLd

AustraliaESCO Perth in Western Australia and ESCO Rutherford in New South Wales recently opened, for a total of six supply and service facilities in Australia. ESCO also signed a new dealer in Hobart, Tasmania.

UnitedKingdomESCO completed its acquisition of Hydra Mining Tools International in July. Headquar-tered in the United Kingdom, Hydra Mining Tools supports ESCO’s global operations and, at the same time, provides a new range of products for underground mining markets.

indonesiaIn Indonesia, ESCO is opening ESCO Balikpapan, one of the first supply and service facilites for area mines.

BrazilESCO supply and service in Carajas, Brazil, which recently opened, has signed a major repair and maintenance contract with the Sossego (Vale) copper mine.

PeruIn Cajamarca, Peru, a new service and maintenance operation is under development to support existing and future mine projects.

northAmericaESCO made its debut in September as an exhibitor at the Oil Sands Trade Show and Conference in Alberta, Canada, where 400 companies attended the event.

FranceESCO’s Turbine Technologies was showcased this June during the Paris Air Show at the le Bourget Airport. Airbus and Boeing displayed new powerful and more fuel efficient engines slated for their next generation of planes that featured ESCO TT ingenuity.

ArgentinaESCO is developing a sales office with a service and maintenance operation in San Juan, Argentina. This new op-eration will focus on growing ESCO’s mining and construction presence in Argentina.

SouthAfricaESCO continues to build the local team in Johannesburg after taking over direct sales responsibility for South Africa, Namibia and Botswana in April.


Cal Collins, left, and Pat Fonner, Group Vice President at ESCO, met with customers during the BAUMA trade show held in 2010 in Munich, Germany.

ESCO’SnEWESTCEOCOllINS lEADS COMPANY INTO ExCITING ERA

As a partner with a Portland boutique law firm, Cal Collins had a unique insight into one of his clients – ESCO Corporation. Collins, in a sense, grew up at ESCO. His father, Nick Collins, spent his entire career with the company, retiring as CEO in 1995.

In January, Cal Collins will be promot-ed to CEO, only the sixth person to hold that mantle in ESCO’s almost 100-year history. Collins inherits a company that has the same strong brand and commit-ment to excellence and innovation that was present during Nick Collins’ tenure.

But the ESCO Cal Collins will oversee has a much different footprint.

“We’ve gone from being a historically North American business to truly a glob-al company,” Collins said.

Collins takes the helm as the company undergoes its greatest push into foreign markets and truly embraces its global presence. Additional production, sales and service facilities have opened and are opening in Australia, South Africa, Peru, Canada, the U.S. and Indonesia to get closer to customers and capitalize on an expanding mining industry.

A new foundry in Chile is scheduled to open in 2012 and is just one piece in a larger puzzle to meet customer de-

mands. Collins and the rest of the ESCO leadership are implementing a company-wide strategy to increase foundry ca-pacity. ESCO’s two foundries in China are undergoing significant expansion. The company also acquired foundries in Northgate, Australia and Dunedin, New Zealand.

“Increasing the capacity of our found-ries and the availability of ESCO prod-ucts is a top priority for us,” Collins said.

Perhaps the biggest different between the ESCO Collins will lead and his father’s version is how the company is structured. ESCO filed an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission in May. The milestone means the quiet, privately-held company now faces a more public future.

So much change comes with an ele-ment of uncertainty, but Collins and his executive team have confidence in the path they are taking ESCO. That comes partially from Collins’ demeanor. At 52, Collins retains a youthful appearance matched with a thoughtful personality. He answers questions only after giving the response careful consideration, a trait that combines his penchant for examin-ing an issue and his professional back-ground. Collins’ personality, in a way,

reflects ESCO’s reputation as a company that moves methodically. Case in point is ESCO’s legacy of long-range planning. Steve Pratt, the outgoing CEO who re-tires in January after 40 years with ESCO, said the strategy to find his replacement was five years in the making.

“Succession planning is the biggest re-sponsibility that the Board of Directors and I have,” Pratt said. “Cal is an excellent strategic thinker and has demonstrated abilities of putting a team together, de-veloping a long-range plan that includes measurements of success, and then me-thodically executing on the plan without letting the organization stray off of the path once it is set.”

Collins’ initiation to ESCO came in 1977, immediately following high school when he worked at ESCO as a flogger and grinder.

“I gained an appreciation for the work that’s done on the shop floor,” he said. “Those are very difficult conditions.”

Collins graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in University Studies with an emphasis on philosophy and English in 1983 and a law degree in 1986. Collins said he was drawn to that educational tract because of its emphasis on logic, the framework of discipline it involves and the analytical reasoning.

He moved to Phoenix after graduation and spent several years with a large law firm, focusing on mergers and acquisi-tions and transactional matters. He re-turned to Portland and joined Newcomb, Sabin, Schwartz & Landsverk, later be-coming a partner.

In 2000, Collins learned ESCO was looking for a successor for its general counsel. An in-house counsel position is coveted by many lawyers, he said, and the fact that it was ESCO dangling that prize

“INCREASING THE CAPACITY OF OUR

FOUNDRIES… IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR US.”

STEVE PRATT READIES FOR RETIRMENT

Steve Pratt, ESCO’s board chairman and chief executive of-ficer, once said, “I never aspired to the position of chairman, but I always wanted to run a com-pany. From the start, I felt that ESCO was a good fit for me and … it was a company that I could run someday.”

That someday came in 1995 for Pratt and for the last 16 years he’s guided ESCO through a period of extraordinary global growth coupled with a company-wide commitment to innovation and continuous improvement in delivering value to ESCO’s customers. Pratt announced in June that he is retiring in January after 40 years with the company. He will re-main as chairman of ESCO’s board of directors.

“I have always admired the way Steve conducts himself,” said Hank Swigert, a director and principal owner of ESCO. “He has shown that he embraces ESCO’s values. He is easy to work with because he is so open and direct. Steve’s a very capable CEO - the right man for the time.”

A full profile of Pratt’s career will be featured in the next issue of The Edge.

made it even more desirable. He was hired by ESCO in the fall of 2000.

Collins shifted roles in 2007 when he moved to the operational side of the busi-ness as group vice president for North America operations. The move coincided with a restructuring of the engineered products business team. Rather than having oversight of global operations from the Portland office, executives were dispatched to live in regions outside of North America, becoming true resident experts.

The new framework particularly fits with what Collins describes as his col-laborative leadership style. He wants col-lective input and a constant flow of com-munications from others throughout the organization. He can then use that infor-mation to analyze the situation and reach a logical conclusion.

Collins’ analytical style matches ES-CO’s DNA. After all, the backbone of the company is innovation, which is driven largely by a strong team of engineers responsible for numerous patents and industry-leading products. It also has earned the company the reputation of be-ing conservative, which makes the recent changes seem jarring to some.

However, Collins said the growth and decision to go public have been anything but sudden. Recent acquisitions were made only after careful study and analy-sis concluded the deals were in line with the company’s strategy and furthered the goal of better serving its customers.

The IPO decision comes after more than a decade of planning and building ESCO’s corporate governance, reporting standards and business systems.

“We’ve been operating like a public company for many years,” Collins said.

Collins views the company’s current growth as being aligned with its philos-ophy of continuous improvement and strengthening the fabric of ESCO’s cul-ture. To Collins, striving to improve re-quires empowering employees at all lev-els of the company to be involved, to have their input considered and to be integral partners in ESCO’s success.

“Continuous improvement shows re-spect for people,” Collins said. “It involves those who are closest to processes. They play an active role in problem solving. Management is saying that they can’t solve problems alone. We need you.”

Collins’ hectic schedule leaves little time away from ESCO, but when he does find time for himself and family he enjoys playing an occasional round of golf or reading. The youngest of his four daugh-ters, who range in age from 19 to 28, left for college this year, making Collins and Stephanie, his wife, empty nesters. This new chapter in his life coincides with ESCO’s.

“Change inherently involves challenges and opportunities,” he said. “I’m excited about the future because we have the peo-ple to meet our challenges and capitalize on the opportunities.”

Cal Collins becomes only ESCO’s sixth CEO when he assumes the new role in January.


During Gene Huey’s 40-year tenure at ESCO, calculators went from cutting edge technology to being obsolete, rotary tele-phones gave way to BlackBerry phones and the company’s marketplace truly be-came global. Gene joined ESCO’s account-ing department in 1970 and for the next 40 years advanced to his current position as Chief Financial Officer. Born in China, Gene was five years old when his family immigrated to the United States. He at-tended Cleveland High School in Portland, Oregon and earned a degree in business administration and accounting from Or-egon State University. Gene took some time recently to reflect on his front-row seat to ESCO’s growth, his role in the company and what the future holds for him.

ESCO has grown and changed tremen-dously over the last four decades. Describe the changes that have taken place in your area of expertise.Although accounting is at the foundation of a CFO’s job, our team got involved in financial and information systems devel-opment, process development in busi-ness strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and financial planning. We evolved from the days of mainframe computers to net-worked personal computers, to the Or-acle system, to today’s Blackberries and boundless Internet access to information. The financial markets, regulatory re-quirements and taxation have constantly evolved on a global basis. There was nev-er a dull moment; it never got stale.

Please describe what a CFO does.It depends on how the CEO wants to op-erate. At ESCO, the CEOs I worked for - Nick Collins and Steve Pratt - wanted the CFO to be an integral part of the de-cision-making process. My role as CFO was to oversee the company’s financial stability, assure that ESCO met stringent accounting standards, provide financial information to help support good de-cision-making, and to perform the role of a strategic advisor to the CEO and senior management. I brought informa-tion, analysis and a financial framework for thinking. I was both a devil’s advocate and an angel’s advocate when we were assessing risk and opportunity. A CFO needs a broad business perspective and the resources to get information critical to sound decision making.

Who were your mentors?I tried to learn from everybody in experi-enced roles. When you’re new to the com-pany, you’re a blank slate. I would spend time with people in sales, marketing and manufacturing to learn more about the business. I remember spending time with technical experts like Leroy Finch in our lab to learn some of the secrets of heat treating and how our manufacturing pro-cesses enable our products to resist wear and impact. I learned from dozens of people, but if I had to name a few, I would put Hank (Swigert) on that short list. He was and is a role model for fair dealing, trust and integrity - principles that dis-tinguish ESCO. Bill Weber was another mentor. He was a profit-oriented busi-nessman to the core. He was excellent in terms of communication. And Nick Col-lins, he knew how to lead and motivate with both the carrot and the stick. Even when he was prodding you with the stick, you felt encouraged by his leadership.

Reflect, if you will, on ESCO’s ability to grow from a local foundry to a successful global company over these many years.Any company here today that was around 40, 50, and especially 98 years ago has had to become much more focused and efficient. I believe in the discipline of the marketplace. Competition has made us better and stronger. We have gotten more efficient at offering our customers better products and services. And to achieve that, our people around the globe have be-come so much more capable and knowl-edgeable. They understand the company’s focus and what creates value. ESCO’s employee empowerment and process improvement orientation has contrib-

uted greatly to our success. In addition, ESCO has invested in the tools that have enabled us to grow. The decision in 1996-97 to go with Oracle across the company, for example, was a very significant one. It was a big investment in time and money, but it provided the information technolo-gy foundation that has allowed us to grow and connect globally.

You have served as a director on a number of boards for ESCO’s subsidiaries. What did you see as your role on those boards?Yes, I served on most of them - Turbine Technologies, ESCO Ltd. in Canada, and ESCO Europe. The board of directors for a subsidiary serves a different purpose since there is only one shareholder, the parent company. I saw my role as provid-ing oversight and finding out what help the parent company, ESCO Corporation, might provide to help them meet their goals.

How has ESCO and its markets changed?There has been a great deal of globaliza-tion and consolidation. Today, our mar-kets are measured in billions of dollars, not millions. Growth and consolidation have enabled many, our competitors, our customers and ourselves, to marshal more resources and operate with greater strength and efficiency. Another factor is expanded localization. As the saying goes, think globally and act locally. We now have bricks and mortar and people in key regions of the world in order to be responsive locally and meet our custom-ers’ needs. We have to continually offer expert knowledge, products and local services that will draw customers to us, not our competitors.

Tell us about the “Three Cs”, the relation-ship you, as CFO, had with CEO Steve Pratt and retired COO Larry Huget.What made the three of us successful was the ability to complement each other and make effective decisions. I always admired what Steve brought to the pro-cess: fair dealing, good judgment, and a willingness and courage to be the final decision maker. He is the pilot with his hands on the steering wheel, the one re-sponsible for flying us through blue skies as well as turbulence. Larry always asked, “How much time will it take, how much

will it cost and how are we going to ex-ecute that?” He was the one responsible for aligning the workforce to achieve our goals. He was very persistent and, ulti-mately, very successful at moving the ball forward. I was sort of like the radar man, providing crucial information to the pi-lot and co-pilot. As I said before, I served as both an angel’s and devil’s advocate, making sure we looked at all sides of de-cisions in order to create value for our stakeholders.

The three of us held periodic formal meetings, but we mostly communicated when needed. Each of us had a briefcase in our head and often thinking about ESCO 16/7 - 16 hours a day, seven days a week. It was a free-flowing process.

In 2012, a new executive team will lead ESCO. What advice do you have for them?Every team has to create its own path. What they have to work with is an excel-lent foundation of knowledgeable people, brand equity, and a culture of innovation and customer service. I’m confident that Cal Collins (who becomes CEO in Janu-ary 2012), Ray Verlinich (CFO) and the

entire ESCO organization are going to ac-complish even more as they meet global challenges and seize growth opportuni-ties. Every succeeding generation raises the bar.

What will you miss?I’ll miss the dynamics of business. For more than 40 years, ESCO has provoked thought and kept me engaged. I’ll miss that stimulation. And, of course, I’ll miss the people, dozens of names inside and outside of ESCO, but obviously the senior people I worked closest with and the board members. These 40 years have been a great ride. There have been twists and turns and hair-pin curves. We may have driven close to the edge of the road once or twice. But all those bumps and curves in the road brought us here, and here is a very good place.

What are your plans for retirement?My feeling is that retirement will find me. I really look forward to spending mean-ingful time with my two grandchildren, ages 10 and six. I’d like them to benefit from my experience and aged wisdom, to share life lessons with them. Intellec-tual capacity is a foundation for success in life. It is part of Chinese culture for the grandparents to be engaged in raising the grandchildren. Barbara (Gene’s wife) currently has them four days a week and I look forward to being much more in-volved in that relationship.

Q&A

inTERViEWWiTH

gEnEHUEYFORMER ESCO CFO RETIRING AT YEAR’S END

John Howard: Gene, tell us about your de-cision to join ESCO 40 years ago.Gene: While at Portland State Univer-sity, an advisor recommended I look at a growing company called ESCO, which was expanding its finance and account-ing team. I was hired by Herb Johnson and the next 40 years were so enjoyable and challenging that they went by in the blink of an eye. I quickly came to recog-nize ESCO as a fine, small company with big company opportunities. When I was promoted to vice president of finance in 1983 at age 35, I was the youngest senior executive, and I was very proud of that. Now I’m the most senior executive in terms of years with the company. ESCO CEO Steve Pratt, left, and Gene Huey, ESCO’s outgoing CFO, worked closely together to guide the company.

“I WAS BOTH A DEVIl’S ADVOCATE AND AN ANGEl’S

ADVOCATE.”


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“OUR GOAl IS TO PROVIDE A CONSISTENT MESSAGE, PHIlOSOPHY

AND ExPERIENCE… THROUGHOUT THE WORlD.”

JOHN OLLECHGENERAl MANAGER,

ESCO SUPPlY AND SERVICE DIVISION (NORTH AMERICA)

A growing network of ESCO supply and service facilities is providing direct support to customers in key mining

areas in North America, Latin America, Indonesia and the expanding Australian market.

Although no two branches are exactly the same, they all stock ESCO wear parts and provide various services tailored to the needs of local customers.

“With only one or two exceptions, all the branches are located near mining clusters and provide prompt and con-venient local service,” said John Ollech, general manager of the ESCO supply and service division for North America.

Some branches in North America such as Phoenix, Arizona and Billings, Mon-tana have fabrication capabilities that of-fer bucket and rigging repair and rebuild services. Outlets in Australia and Brazil are developing mobile maintenance and repair services so technicians can sup-port repairs on site, thereby reducing the downtime and cost for customers. In China, an office in Chengu continues to meet with customers as the outlet refines the type of services the region needs.

Independent dealers remain critical to ESCO’s global distribution and sales strategy, said Ollech. The ESCO

supply and service branches fill customer needs in areas where a strong dealer is not present.

The concept of getting close to cus-tomers isn’t new to ESCO. In the 1920s, ESCO opened a series of retail stores that lasted until the early 1940s when the company shifted to a business mod-el that relied almost exclusively on in-dependent dealers to sell and service ESCO products.

In the late 1990s, that the company developed a limited retail distribution channel. Today, that global network in-cludes 25 locations. Employees at each site continually assess customer needs to tailor services to those requirements.

For instance, in Farmington, New Mex-ico, a rigging maintenance program was developed in response to customer needs. Working with mine operators, ESCO cre-ated a product and service package that stored parts on site so repairs can be made in the field. The arrangement re-duces downtime for machines and allows mine workers to concentrate on other tasks, rather than handling maintenance issues on machines.

“Our goal is to provide a consistent message, philosophy and experience at ESCO supply and service branches throughout the world,” Ollech said.

ESCO CONTINuES TO GROW ITS PRESENCE ACROSS THE GLOBE

CANADA

ARGENTINA

ESCO Mackay, clockwise from top left, and ESCO Kilgore are just two of the new supply and service facilities that have recently opened. At ESCO Kingaroy, employees are capable of handling a variety of work for customers, including fabrication of ESCO truck bodies and fulfilling repair orders.

gLOBALREACH,LOCALSERViCE


“EACH OF THESE MEN CAME TO ESCO

KIlGORE WITH A SPECIAlTY AND A GREAT DEAl OF ExPERIENCE.”

ERIC dRAPER BRANCH MANAGER,

ESCO KIlGORE

TEXAS SuPPLY ANd SERVICE FACILITY TAILORS WORK TO LOCAL CuSTOMERS

Despite the stucco façade that was cracked and faded after years of baking in the Texas sun, Grant Kleckner, ES-CO’s general manager for Western North America, saw promise in the building.

It had what he and Eric Draper, branch manager for ESCO Kilgore, considered “good bones.” A spacious yard with ample room to carry ESCO products requested by customers and an 8,400-square-foot shop made up for the haggard appear-ance. Even more important than the building was the location, East Texas where a gap existed in ESCO’s growing supply and service facilities, which num-bers 14 to date.

Kleckner and Draper viewed the Kilgore location as critical to getting ES-CO’s products and services closer to min-ing and industrial customers in the re-gion. Draper has spent the past year since opening the location slowly building a customer base as he readies the space and workforce to meet the needs of mine op-erators in the area.

“It’s kind of a chicken and egg situa-tion,” Draper said. “Do you seek custom-ers first or do you get the products and

services in place first to best serve them?”Draper emphasized the services and

products route. He’s installed heavy duty racking to complement two 7 1/2-ton bridge cranes and drive-through bay doors. Specialized areas were created for welding and carbide overlay jobs. A truck has been outfitted with a tungsten carbide overlay machine so Kilgore’s technicians can perform repairs and other work in the field to reduce a cus-tomer’s downtime. A welding trailer is coming to increase the number and size of welding jobs the crew can perform on job sites.

Kilgore follows ESCO’s supply and service model, which outfits each location with the people, services and products that best fits customers in that region. Kilgore sits amidst a cluster of 14 surface coal mines, a market that includes several mines operated by Luminant Mining and the North American Coal Corporation, and stretches from east Texas to Louisiana and Mississippi. These companies utilize 29 walking dragline machines, equipped with 45 dragline buckets, many of which carry the ESCO logo. The service area is Jason Ormiston, district manager for ESCO Kilgore, brings years of mining experience to the job, helping him match the best tools for a cusomter’s needs.

ESCO KILGORE

“I DON’T WANT TO lET MY

CUSTOMERS DOWN. I ENJOY SOlVING

PROBlEMS.” JASON ORMISTON

DISTRICT MANAGER, ESCO KIlGORE

also rich with oil and gas reserves. That territory and type of mining

means Kilgore is particularly focused on repairing and rebuilding dragline rigging and chains. Draper is also introducing a six-year service contract where ESCO will handle the service and products for dragline rigging for a monthly fee. Draper said the offer not only saves op-erators on rigging repair costs and down-time, but frees up their employees for other projects.

Draper is also focused on his team. Larry Cox, a certified welding inspec-tor, was hired as shop supervisor. Jason Ormiston, who has spent five years serv-ing area mines, was hired last January as district manager.

“I don’t want to let my customers down,” Ormiston said.

Bob Meadows, who was handling the Luminant Mining account out of ESCO’s Portland office, accepted a transfer to Kilgore to be the office manager.

“The guys that I’ve hired are special-ists,” Draper said. “They know the cus-tomers and the industry.”

THE EdGE JuLY 201014 THE EdGE – NOVEMBER 201114 THE EdGE – NOVEMBER 2011 15THE EdGE – MAY 201114

duRABILITY OF PROFILL BuCKET IMPRESSES MINE

HALLSVILLE, TEXAS - The thermometer climbed steadily in August, surpassing the 100-degree mark for the 40th day in this rural Texas town and draping the Sabine Mine like a hot blanket.Any other day a 75-cubic-yard ESCO ProFill® dragline bucket would be scraping away topsoil, exposing the lignite vein that is the lifeblood of the nearby Henry W. Pirkey power plant owned by American Electric Power. But on this day, the ProFill bucket was scheduled for an inspection.

Spencer Thompson, Sabine’s area manager for dragline mainte-nance, turned to Steven Hyde, ESCO’s lead engineer for dragline products, after a quick look at the bucket as it was readied for its scheduled 18-month exam, and smiled.

“I told you I liked the bucket when I first saw it, but when I saw it today, I like it even more,” Thompson said.

The bucket’s unique geometry elicited Thompson’s response af-ter he saw very little wear in areas where other buckets typically show deep grooves and even cracks requiring extensive repairs.

“There is essentially no wear on the bucket and it digs like crazy,” he said.

In East Texas, where the North American Coal Corporation operates the Sabine and three other mines, lignite and coal is plentiful. After all, the sixth largest producer in the nation of such minerals. Southern pine forests carpet the land, giving way to expanses of reddish-brown earth exposed to the Texas sun. It’s in this soil where mine operators find the fuel to power one of the fastest growing areas of electrical power plants in the state. Coal mining almost came to end in this area in the 1950s, but has since rebounded.

“All FOUR OF OUR OPERATORS

lOVE IT”

PROFiLL®CARVESniCHEinTExASCOALFiELdS

THE EdGE – NOVEMBER 201116 THE EdGE – MAY 2011 17

The Sabine Mine opened in 1984 and isn’t a newcomer to the high performance of ESCO’s dragline buckets. For much of the mine’s 27-year history, Sabine has turned to ESCO for its equipment. ESCO’s senior district manager Jeff Ratkowski and Hyde worked with Sabine in assessing its needs and recommended the ProFill bucket.

In May 2009, Sabine received its 75-cubic-yard ProFill bucket, the first to hit the dirt in Texas. A Marion 8200 powers the dragline, and two years later company officials continue to be impressed with how easily the bucket is filled. Thompson said the bucket’s straight lip option allows operators to leave a clean, flat coal surface, which results in minimal unwanted rock and sand mixing with the coal. The reduced digging resistance also translates to less strain and heat build-up on the dragline machine’s motors, which saves on costly maintenance and energy usage.

“All four of our operators love it,” said Chris Taylor, the mine’s area manager for draglines. “They are expe-rienced professionals and they aren’t going to say that if they don’t really believe it. A happy operator is a produc-tive operator.”

The ProFill bucket helps Sabine produce 4 million to 4.5 million tons of lignite annually. Sabine likes the product so much they’ve ordered a 93-cubic-yard ProFill bucket for one of its larger Bucyrus-Erie draglines. The bucket is scheduled to arrive in the first half of 2012, and Sabine officials are considering putting ESCO’s hammerless Posilok® Plus tooth system on the bucket.

MinEPLAYSKEYROLEinPROFiLLdESignIn 2007, Cloud Peak Energy went searching for a new dragline bucket design. ESCO won the right to work with Cloud Peak to develop a new bucket that would be more productive while also reducing operation and maintenance costs. A year of development resulted in the unveiling of the ProFill dragline bucket line.

Cloud Peak initially reported that the ProFill bucket reduced cycle times, filled more efficiently and reduced dragline machine power usage by 18 percent. Cloud Peak executives said the bucket’s performance has held with the seven the company now uses. Another four buckets have been ordered to work at Cloud Peak’s three mines in the Powder River Basin, two in Wyoming and one across the border in Montana. Cloud Peak’s total annual coal production in 2010 was 95.3 million tons, a 2.1 percent increase from 2009.

“From general observations, we appear to have obtained increased yardage, reduced fill time, better handling and reduced power consumption from the ProFill bucket design,” said Curt Griffith, Cloud Peak’s dragline production planner.

ESCO’s engineers continue to work with Cloud Peak to modify the hitch height, heel plates and lip shroud configurations to optimize ProFill bucket performance.

“THERE IS ESSENTIAllY NO

WEAR ON THE BUCKET AND IT

DIGS lIKE CRAzY”

SPENCER THOMPSONDRAGlINE MAINTENANCE AREA MANAGER

SABINE


CANAdIAN dEALER KEEPS BuSINESS IN THE FAMILY

GERMAN dEALERSHIP PROSPERS WITH ESCO BRANd

Taking a cue from other successful com-panies that started in a garage (think Apple), Willie Cormier decided in 1992 that it was time to start working for him-self and formed LSW Wear Parts Ltd. in the garage of his home in New Bruns-wick, Canada.

Cormier brought to his business eight years of experience in the mining indus-try, which introduced him to ESCO and its products. He spent another eight years selling and servicing ESCO products. So when LSW was formed, Cormier knew he wanted ESCO as a partner.

“We were an ESCO dealer from the start,” Cormier said. “ESCO has a repu-tation for a very high standard of quality and innovation in its products.”

LSW serves the Canadian Maritime provinces providing customers with ESCO’s ground engaging tools, crush-ing wear parts and industrial castings to businesses in mining, road construction and other industries.

The business is truly a family opera-tion, down to its name. The company ini-tials represent Linda Cormier, Cormier’s wife, Stephanie Carr, his daughter, and

Operating almost as long as ESCO, Ramb GmbH began selling ESCO product in 1967 from its headquarters in Staudt, Germany, located between the cities of Cologne and Frankfurt.

The family-owned company serves quarries, construction contractors, crushers, mines and demolition compa-nies, much like it did when Willy Ramb Sr. founded the business in 1922

In 1991, following the reunification of East and West Germany, the firm opened a second branch in Ottendorf-Okrilla, not far from Dresden in the eastern part of the country. Ramb’s sons, Christof Ramb and Willie Ramb Jr., now operate the two locations. Christof Ramb is man-aging director of the Staudt branch, while Willy Ramb Jr. is the managing director of the Ottendorf-Okrilla office. The com-pany employs a total of 43 people at the two locations.

Ramb is one of three Master Deal-ers for ESCO products in the German market.

“ESCO products have a very good reputation for quality and reliability in this market,” said Christof Ramb. “Our sales strategy is to sell new buckets with the Ultralok® or SV2® tooth systems, and Toplok wear protection. We always try to convince customers to convert their buckets to ESCO systems. We also sell to independent bucket manufacturers.”

The two branches of Ramb GmbH praised the support they receive from Mike Passen and Frank Gross, both of ESCO’s German office in Mönchengla-dbach.

FAMiLYCOnnECTiOnS

Willie. Along with the family, Cormier hired three employees the first year. They grew enough in 1993 to add their first warehouse in Chipman, New Brunswick. The company has since added two more warehouses, one in Fredericton, New Brunswick and another in Truro, Nova Scotia, and now employs 12 people.

The company through the years devel-oped a relationship with a welding and machine shop that allows LSW to build, rebuild or repair buckets, trench boxes and other equipment.

“We pride ourselves on our value-add-ed product lines and the reputation we have earned as a major problem solver for the mining and road building indus-tries,” Cormier said.

LSW Wear Parts has earned Top Twenty ESCO Dealer status several times, and Cormier has participated on the Dealer Council, various sub-committees and numerous workshops. He received the Gerry Leake Award in 2008, presented each year to one individual who excels at promoting ESCO products.

In 2008, LSW initiated a succession plan that allowed Carr and her husband, Gregg Carr, to assume part ownership of the company. The couple has worked for the company for more than eight years.

“My relationship with ESCO has al-ways been very good, and I have made many friends within the ESCO organi-zation,” Cormier said.

DEAlER PROFIlE

LSWWearPartsLtd.New Brunswick, Canada

Employees: 12

Owners: Willie Cormier, wife Linda Cormier, daughter Stephanie Carr, and Carr’s husband, Gregg Carr.

ESCO dealer for 19 years

Willie Cormier, left, and his wife, linda, formed their business with ESCO as a backbone. Their daughter, Stephanie Carr, and her husband, Gregg, are partners in lSW and represent the company’s succession plan.

Marketing the SV2 and Ultralok tooth systems is a key business strategy for the Ramb dealerships in Germany.

DEAlER PROFIlE

RambgmbHStaudt, Germany

Employees: 43

Owners: Willie Ramb, sons, Christof Ramb and Willie Ramb Jr.

ESCO dealer for 44 years

“ESCO PRODUCTS HAVE A VERY

GOOD REPUTATION FOR qUAlITY AND

RElIABIlITY IN THIS MARKET”

CHRISTOF RAMBMANAGING DIRECTOR (STAUT BRANCH)

RAMB GMBH


AIMEX 2011 P R O D U C THIGHlIGHTS

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ESCO took advantage of the mining boom in Australia to highlight several of its products at the Asia-Pacific Inter-national Mining Exhibition 2011 held in Sydney, Australia.

The SV2® tooth system, truck bodies and Posilok® Plus were among the ESCO products that caught the attention of ex-hibition participants.

“This year’s show gave ESCO a great opportunity to demonstrate the quality of our products and the advantages those products offer to customers,” said Chris Biehn, ESCO’s regional marketing man-ager for Asia-Pacific.

Attendance for this year’s AIMEX show was up 40 percent compared to the previ-ous event held in 2007, according to exhi-bition organizers.

left page top to bottom: The ESCO team readies for another day at the AIMEx show. Chris Biehn talks with an attendee. AIMEx marked a first in Sydney under the ESCO banner.

This page top to bottom: Mike Christoffelsz, product specialist in crushing, talks about wear parts. Rob lindsell, sales manager for Western Australia, demonstrated the ease of the SV2 tooth system.

ESCO TRUCK BODY

ESCO SV2® TOOTH SYSTEM

ESCO POSIlOK® PlUS TOOTH SYSTEM

ESCO PROFIll® DRAGlINE BUCKET

22 CELEBRATING 20+ YEARS WITH ESCO 23CELEBRATING 20+ YEARS WITH ESCO

Ed Sillman45 Years – Portland

Born in Kansas, Ed went to high school in Hillsboro, Oregon. He served in the military before joining ESCO in September 1966. Starting on the pouring floor at Plant 3, he became a shell molder, crane operator and an AOD and furnace operator. Today, he is team leader for the main plant melting depart-ment. After 45 years, he says he has appreciated the steady work and liked his fellow workers. When not at ESCO, Ed enjoys motorcycle riding, golf and fishing. He lives in Aloha, Oregon.

Cobert Phillips40 Years – Newton

Born in Mississippi, Cobert went to Decatur High School. He worked in a shirt factory, served in the U.S. Army and worked on the construc-tion crew that built the ESCO Newton plant. He started as a burning machine operator and became a boring mill operator. Today, Cobert works in methods. He likes his “great co-work-ers that have become lifelong friends.” He and his wife, Sandra, have three children, Angie, Kim and Amy, plus nine grandchildren.

Paul Pope40 Years – Portland

Paul was born in Hill-sboro, Illinois. After graduating from the Uni-versity of Illinois, Paul joined ESCO in 1971 as a design engineer. Paul has held numerous titles, including site manager at ESCO Port Hope and main plant site manager in Portland. Today, Paul is the general manager for global inventory and demand planning. Paul loves watching people grow, learn and accept new challenges. Paul enjoys outdoor activities in his free time. He lives in Happy Valley, Oregon with his wife, Patricia. The couple have two chil-dren, Sara and Lori, and one grandchild.

Jackie Strebeck40 Years – Newton

Born and raised in New-ton, Mississippi, Jackie graduated from Hickory High School. He worked as a truck driver and served in the National Guard before joining ESCO Newton in 1971. He began as a welder and has since been a shipping clerk, maintenance clerk and master mechanic. Today, he is a mainte-nance planner. He has a daughter, Jessica Cooley, and two grandchildren. Jackie lives in Hickory, Mississippi and his main hobby is fishing.

Gately Brashier40 Years – Newton

Born in Laurel, Mississip-pi, Gately graduated from high school in Decatur. He served in the Army National Guard before joining ESCO Newton 40 years ago as an office clerk. He has worked in payroll, purchasing, traf-fic, and the core room. He became general manager for molding, maintenance manager, and manufacturing man-ager for core, mold. He is currently a manufactur-ing manager. Gately and his wife, Gayle, live in Lawrence, Mississippi. They have three children and four grandchildren. Sports are his hobby.

Virgie Lindley35 Years – Newton

Born in Newton, Mis-sissippi, Virgie grew up in Hickory and gradu-ated from Hickory High School. She attended East Central Community Col-lege and worked at Cross Hydraulics in Bay, Mis-sissippi. She joined ESCO in 1976 as a personnel as-sistant, and later became employment and benefits supervisor. Today, she is human resources man-ager. Her brother, Wayne Harris, and sister-in-law, Donna Harris, also work at ESCO Newton. Virgie enjoys family, fishing and reading. She and her husband, Wayne, have a daughter, Cindy, and three grandchildren.

William E. Smith45 Years – Bucyrus

William “Smit Dog” Smith was born in Co-lumbus, Ohio and went to Bucyrus High School. After four years in the U.S. Navy, he joined Bucyrus Blades as a drill press operator. He has since worked shears, shipping, inspection, and as a team leader. He currently is a forklift operator. He appreci-ates having a “steady job for 45 years.” His son, Bill, works in the large construction area. Wil-liam lives in Bucyrus and enjoys fishing in Canada when on vacation. He has two sons, Bill and Dan, two grandchildren, and one great grandson.

Greg Bartel40 Years – Portland

Born in Portland, Or-egon, Greg graduated from Washington High School. He served in the U.S. Navy before joining ESCO in January 1971. He began in the Dog-house and has worked as a molder, core maker, and a leadman on the main floor for 17 years. He is currently a core maker. His hobbies include at-tending garage and estate sales and collecting old toys. He and his wife, Karen, have one grown child and two grandchil-dren.

Howard Holmberg40 Years – Portland

Howard was born in Casper, Wyoming. He moved to Milwaukie, Or-egon and graduated from Milwaukie High School. Howard worked in a carnival, gas station and Flying Tigers Air Freight before joining ESCO in January of 1971. Howard started as a core room helper and continues to work as a core maker in Portland’s main plant. Howard’s time away from ESCO is spent helping his grandson build a truck for a school project. Howard and his wife, Carol, live in Milwaukie. They have two daughters, Angie and Lisa, and three grandsons, Justen, Alex and Joshua.

Mcdonald, Oliver40 Years – Newton

Oliver is a Newton, Mis-sissippi native who grad-uated from N.H. Pilate High School. He served in the U.S. Army before joining ESCO Newton as a grinder in 1971. He has since worked as a flogger, leadman, inspector, and repair welder. Today, he is a core box attendant. Oliver likes the “friendly environment” at the Newton plant. He and his wife, Eva, have three grown children and eight grandchildren. In his spare time, Oliver does small machine work and likes spending time with the family.

Stephen Fessler35 - Portland

A native of Portland, Oregon, Stephen gradu-ated from Benson High School before taking a job with Columbia Lad-der Company. He joined ESCO in 1976 as a grind-er and has since been a core maker, sand mill opertor, Hyster driver and air arc operator. He is currently a V-process molder. Stephen’s son-in-law, Tim Adams, works in the maintenance de-partment. Stephen lives in Portland and when not working likes to fish, crab and clam. He has one child and two grand-children.

Ronald Foley35 Years – Newton

Ronald “Red” Foley was born in Detroit and grad-uated from high school in Hickory, Mississippi. He attended East Central Community College. He joined ESCO Newton 35 years ago and has worked in the core room, mold-ing and melting. Today, he works the paint line. His brother, Wayne, also works at ESCO. He and his wife, Terry, have two children, April and Ron, and two grandchildren, Asland and Halbell. In his free time, Red likes to eat, sleep and “sing about Jesus.”

Larry Walker40 Years – Newton

Larry was born in New-ton, Mississippi. Before joining ESCO in March of 1971, Larry worked at Electric Motor Service Co. and at an engineering business. Larry started at ESCO as a grinder and today works as a Herman machine operator. Larry and his wife, Charity, live in Newton. They have three children, Keisha, Artara and Allen.

Jim Whalen40 Years – Portland

A graduate of Central Catholic High School in Portland, Oregon, Jim earned a BA degree at Portland State Univer-sity and an MBA at the University of Portland. He joined ESCO 40 years ago as a clerk in the traffic department. He worked in production control and served as ESCO Coving-ton site manager. Today, Jim is global logistics manager. He and his wife, Mary, live in Vancouver, Washington. They have two children and two grandchildren.

Howard Lockey35 Years – Newton

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Howard moved to Mississippi and attended Meridian Community College. He joined ESCO Newton as a grinder in 1976 and today is a lab coordinator. He and his wife, Sue, live in Union, Mississippi. They have three daughters, Stephanie, April and Suzanne.

William Moore35 Years – Newton

Born in Lexington, Mississippi, William graduated from Beulah Hubbard High School. He worked for the Mis-sissippi State Highway Department before joining ESCO Newton in 1976. He began as a flogger and now serves as a leadman in the core department. He lives in Little Rock, Mississippi and has two children, Crystal and Brandy.

Pat Fonner35 Years – Portland

Born and raised in Penn-sylvania, Pat went to Slip-pery Rock University as well as the University of Western Ontario where he earned an MBA. He started as a district man-ager with ESCO in 1976 and has since served as a sales manager and gen-eral manager. Today, Pat is group vice president. What he likes best about ESCO is the “great people and great products.” He and his wife, Lynn, live in Hillsboro, Oregon and have three grown chil-dren. Pat enjoys exercise and said, “I want to play more golf.”

dan Gorgas35 Years - Newton

Born in Texas, Dan moved to Mississippi and attended Biloxi High School and Cooper High School. He has also taken coursework at East Cen-tral Community College, Meridian Community College, and Mississippi State. He joined ESCO Newton as a shakeout op-erator and has worked in melting and methods. He became foreman in heat treating, ISO coordina-tor, and now is heat treat manufacturing manager. He and his wife, Lisa, live in Decatur. They have three children, Reagan, Red and Ryann. Dan’s hobbies include golf, fish-ing, hunting and school events.

Stanley Hines35 Years – Newton

Born and raised in Lake, Mississippi, Stanley went to Lake High School. When he joined ESCO Newton, his first job was as a bench grinder. He became an order clerk and now works in ware-housing and is an order coordinator. His brother, Martin, is an order clerk at ESCO Newton.

Andy Rowzee35 Years – Newton

Born in Georgia, Andy went to Beulah Hubbard High School, then East Central and Meridian Community Colleges. He started at ESCO New-ton as a molding util-ity worker and has held numerous positions at the site. Today, Andy is general manager of foundry operations for the Newton, Port Hope, Guisborough and San-tiago, Chile plants. He and his wife, Julie, live in Hickory, Mississippi. They have two children, Steve and Makenzie. Andy’s hobbies include golf, hunting, fishing and watching his daughter play tennis, participate as a cheerleader, and per-form in show choir.

Charles Parnell35 Years – Newton

Born in Germany, Charles moved to Mis-sissippi and attended Meridian High School. He worked in construc-tion before joining ESCO in 1976 as a flogger. He has worked in shakeout and the core, molding and pattern departments. Today, he is a methods technician. He ejoys working with people and solving problems. He and his wife, Gail, live in Chunky, Mississippi. They have three children, Michael, Brandy and Ashley, and eight grand-children.

donavon Glober45 Years – Edmonton

A graduate of Port Hope High School in Ontario, Donavon worked in an auto body shop before joining ESCO. He held numerous jobs before being promoted to plant foreman at Spruce Grove. He was production man-ager at ESCO Edmonton until retiring in March. His son-in-law, Dennis Niebergall, is a welding team leader at ESCO Edmonton. Donavon and his wife, Vicky, live in Spruce Grove, Alberta. They have two children and two grandchildren. His hobbies include golf, gardening, travel and spending time with the grandchildren.

david Cleveland40 Years – Newton

Born and raised in Mis-sissippi, Dave gradu-ated from Hickory High School. He earned an AA degree at East Central Community College, served in the Army Na-tional Guard, and worked in construction before joining ESCO. He started as a maintenance clerk and is currently supervi-sor of capital projects and material coordination. Dave’s nephews, Alan Sims and Mike Williams, also work at ESCO. He and his wife, Cora, live in Hickory and have three grown children and four grandchildren. Dave’s hobbies include collect-ing and restoring antique tractors and farm equip-ment.

Martin Hines35 Years - Newton

Born in Lexington, Mississippi, Martin graduated from Lake High School. He worked in construction before joining ESCO Newton 35 years ago as a flog-ger. He has since been a Hyster driver and core maker. Today, he is an order clerk. His brother, Stanley, also works at ESCO Newton. Martin and his wife, Kay, live in Lake, Mississippi. They have two children, Blake and Karey, and one grandchild, Drew. Mar-tin enjoys hunting and gardening.

24 CELEBRATING 20+ YEARS WITH ESCO 25CELEBRATING 20+ YEARS WITH ESCO

david Rush35 Years – Newton

Born and raised near Newton, Mississippi, Dave graduated from Beulah Hubbard High School. He worked for U.S. Motors before join-ing ESCO Newton as a flogger in 1976. He has since worked in mold-ing, core making, and melting. Today, he is a refractory person. He and his wife, Erma, live in Union, Mississippi. They have two sons, Davey and John, plus a granddaugh-ter, Abigail. Dave enjoys hunting and fishing in his free time.

Carl Smith35 Years – Newton

Born and raised in Newton County, Missis-sippi, Carl worked as a bricklayer before joining ESCO Newton in 1976. He started as a core util-ity, became a core maker, and now is leadman in the core department. Several of Carl’s family members also work at ESCO; Leonard Smith, Johnny Kid and Larry Wilson.

Frankie ulmer35 Years – Newton

Frankie was born in Meridian, Mississippi. He graduated from high school and worked as a carpenter before join-ing ESCO in April of 1976. Frankie started as a grinder and has worked as a painter and in the shipping and core departments. Today, he works in maintenance. Frankie’s favorite thing about his job is working in different areas of the plant. He enjoys fishing and hunting in his free time. Frankie and his wife, Billie Anne, live in Rose Hill, Mississippi. They have two children, Jason and Brandy.

Larry Wilson35 Years – Newton

Born and raised in New-ton County, Mississippi, Larry graduated from Decatur High School. He joined ESCO Newton 35 years ago as a grinder and now is a core maker. His brother, Carl Lee Wilson, also works at ESCO Newton. Larry lives in Decatur where he has enjoyed farming and has been a long-time Deacon and Superinten-dent at his church, Union Grove MB.

doug Brown30 Years – Bucyrus

Born in Bucyrus, Ohio, Doug graduated from Colonel Crawford High School. He started with the company 30 years ago as a slot mill operator. He has since been a straight-ener and worked the salt bath. Today, he works in shipping and painting. He and his wife, Kim, live in North Robinson, Ohio. They have two children, Steve and Jenny, and seven grandchildren. In his free time, Doug enjoys playing golf and watching his grandchil-dren play sports.

dick dale30 Years – Bucyrus

Born in Pennsylvania, Dick went to Commo-dore Perry High School. He earned a BS in busi-ness from Cameron University and served in the U.S. Army. He started as an assistant product supervisor at ESCO and has held a variety of shop floor assignments. Today, he is Bucyrus site man-ager. Dick is honored to work with talented peo-ple who solve safety and production problems. He and his wife, Debra, live in Mansfield, Ohio, and have two children. He en-joys gardening and work-ing with stained glass in his free time.

John Hicks30 Years – Bucyrus

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, John went to Overlea High School. He worked for Pacal Blades, served in the U.S. Army and retired from the Army National Guard. He joined the company 30 years ago as a multiple drill operator. Today, he is a mill operator. John appreciates the people he works with and the job security that ESCO offers. He and his wife, Denise, live in Bucyrus, Ohio. Away from work, he enjoys searching for treasure with his metal detector and target shooting.

Art Hillsbery30 Years – Portland

Born in Ilwaco, Wash-ington, Art moved to Portland, Oregon where he went to Franklin High School. He worked at the Paramount Theater before joining ESCO as a ladleman in the melt-ing department. He has since worked in the scrap yard, heat make-up at Plant 3, and heat treating in both lower and upper finishing. Today, Art handles raw materials receiving in the Portland distribution center. He enjoys the people he was worked with during the last 30 years. His mother, Yvonne, and niece, Cedar Whiteman, have worked at ESCO. Art enjoys mu-sic, travel and cooking.

Karen Huey30 Years – Newton

Born and raised in Union, Mississippi, Karen graduated from Decatur High School and earned a degree at East Central Community College. She joined ESCO Newton in the human resources department before moving to produc-tion control. Karen now works in continuous improvement. She likes “the constant challenges, personal growth oppor-tunities and people I’ve met over the years.” Her husband, James, works in Newton’s methods de-partment. The Hueys live in Little Rock, Missis-sippi, where Karen enjoys outdoor activities like trail riding and cycling.

Ray Lingard30 Years – Port Hope

A native of Port Hope, Ontario, Ray graduated from North Hastings High School in Bancroft, Ontario. He joined ESCO Port Hope in 1981 as a grinder. He later served as a molder, core maker and temporary team leader. Today, he is a core/mold service person. He and his wife, Karen, have two children, Leslie and Jason, and live in Cobourg. Ray’s favorite hobby is coin collecting.

Arthur McElroy30 Years – Port Hope

Arthur is a Port Hope, Ontario native and graduate of Port Hope High School. He worked in farming and as a truck driver before joining ESCO Port Hope in 1981. Starting as a flogger, he has been a core maker, molder, core team leader, and process technician. Today, he is a manufac-turing engineering tech-nician. Arthur likes the variety of work at ESCO and the people. He and his wife, Cheryl, live in Port Hope. They have two children, Lorne and Jus-tine. Arthur’s pastimes include reading, wood-working and cycling.

Shane Mikus30 Years – Port Hope

Born in Cobourg, Ontar-io, Shane attended CDCI East. He joined ESCO Port Hope 30 years ago as a grinder. He has since worked as a flog-ger, pourer, core maker, heat make-up person and an assistant team leader. Today, he is an arc furnace operator. He and his partner, Deb, live in Cobourg. They have one daughter and two grandchildren. Shane enjoys fishing, hunting, and playing Texas Hold ‘em poker.

debra Miller30 Years – Syracuse

Born in Canton, New York, Debra attended Hermon DeKalb High School. She joined ESCO Syracuse in 1981, start-ing as an assembler. She has since been a flex line leader, framer, wax x-ray, multi-vane leader and a trainer. Today, she is a wax clerk. She appreci-ates the opportunity to learn different jobs within ESCO Syracuse. Her husband, David, also works at ESCO Syracuse. They live in Canastota, New York. They have two daughters, Tabatha and Tarrah, and four grand-children. Debra enjoys remodeling and having cookouts with family and friends.

Lisa Blything25 Years – Cleveland

A native of Ohio, Lisa graduated from South High School in Wil-loughby, Ohio. She joined ESCO Cleveland in 1986, starting as a reception-ist. She worked briefly in shipping, X-ray, and the core department before joining engineering. Today, she is an engi-neering administrator. Her husband, Bill, and stepdaughters, Jennifer and Jessica, also work at ESCO Cleveland. “I enjoy my job and having family members around makes it even more enjoyable,” she said. In her free time, Lisa enjoys movies and watching Cleveland’s sport teams. She and Bill live in Mentor, Ohio.

Tom Bonaventura25 Years – Syracuse

Born in Canastota, New York, Tom graduated from Canastota High School. He attended Morrisville and LeMoyne Colleges and served in the U.S. Navy. He joined ESCO Syracuse in 1986 as a SPC coordinator. He became the wax and shelling manager and a process engineer. Today, he is manufacturing manager. His son, Jason, also works at ESCO Syra-cuse in the engineering group. Tom and his wife, Deborah, live in Canas-tota, New York. They have two sons, Jason and Jeremy, and one grand-son, Jackson.

Jim daiello25 Years – Cleveland

Born in Painesville, Ohio, Jim went to Riv-erside High School. He worked as a cook before joining ESCO Cleveland 25 years ago, beginning in the shell room. Today, he is a furnace operator. Jim and his wife, Mary, have one child and live in Willoughby, Ohio. Jim’s favorite pastimes include watching baseball, foot-ball and basketball.

John dunn25 Years – Syracuse

Born in Oneida, New York, John gradu-ated from Oneida High School. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining ESCO Syracuse 25 years ago as a chop saw operator. He became a sandblast op-erator and now is an ul-trasound technician. He and his wife, Dena, live in Oneida. They have two children, Tim and Jenni-fer, and one grandchild. John’s favorite pastime is fishing.

Steve Ghormley25 Years – Portland

A native of Portland, Oregon Steve graduated from Central Catholic High School and the University of Portland. Steve worked at Criti-care Medical Services before joining ESCO as a customer service repre-sentative. Steve has held numerous management positions. He currently is director of customer service North American sales. He likes the variety of work and relationships he’s developed at ESCO. Steve and his wife, Lisa, live in Vancouver, Wash-ington and have four children, Celia, Claire, Sean and Connor. Steve enjoys soccer, golf, travel and home projects.

Yvonne Grygiel25 Years – Syracuse

Born in Utica, New York, Yvonne went to West-moreland High School. She managed a store in Bouckville before joining ESCO Syracuse in 1986. Beginning in wax as-sembly, she has worked in wax injection, inspection, X-ray, FPI processing, part marking, product quality auditing and DQR. Today, she is a team leader. She likes the opportunities for growth that ESCO offers. She has two daughters, Heather and Amanda, and a grandchild, Gage. Yvonne lives in Verona Beach, New York and enjoys fishing, reading and taking care of her rescued cats.

Scott Harvey25 Years – Bucyrus

Born in Port Clinton, Ohio, Scott went to Oak Harbor High School then studied accounting at Terra Technical College. He worked for Swan Rub-ber Co. before joining Bucyrus Blades 25 years ago. Beginning in the accounting department, he is now a procure-ment specialist. He and his wife, Yvonne, live in Bucyrus. They have two sons in college, Nicholas and Nathan. Scott says he enjoys doing yard work and spending time at their summer cottage outside of Port Clinton.

Tim Mayfield30 Years – Portland

Born in California, Tim went to high school in Newberg, Oregon. He earned a bachelor’s de-gree in engineering at Portland State. He joined ESCO 30 years ago as a draftsman. He has since been an engineer with the EP division, CAD & UNIX systems manager, and IT manager for the TT Group. Today, Tim is global IT client services manager. He and his wife, Marilyn, have two children, Georgia and Alaina, a former ESCO scholarship recipient. Tim enjoys camping, hiking, rafting, running and woodworking.

Percy Pearson30 Years – Newton

Born in Jackson, Missis-sippi, Percy graduated from Louisville High School in Louisville, Mis-sissippi. He attended East Central Community Col-lege and Mississippi State University and worked in industrial sales before joining ESCO Newton in 1981. He has been a stand grinder, buyer, hoe bucket planner and now is a procurement spe-cialist. “The friendships attained over the last 30 years will be remembered for a lifetime,” he said. He and his wife, Joyce, live in Decatur, Mississippi and have three sons. Percy en-joys golf, hunting, walk-ing and following MSU athletics.

dee dee Weber35 Years – Portland

Born in Portland, Or-egon, Dee Dee graduated from St. Mary’s Academy and attended Oregon State University. She joined ESCO as a file clerk and has worked in numerous departments, including safety, human resources, and paint and packaging. Today, she is team leader for customer service for the OEM/bucket manufacturer team. Dee Dee’s grand-father, Francis, father, Tom, uncle, Bill, and cousins, Joe and Jeff, have worked or currently work at ESCO. Dee Dee has a daughter, Heather. Dee Dee enjoys playing cards, walking, and doing vol-unteer work.

Brian Brinklow30 Years – Port Hope

A native of Peterborough, Ontario, Brian graduated from Peterborough Col-legiate and Vocational School. He attended the University of Toronto before joining ESCO Port Hope as a grinder. He has worked in heat make-up, pouring, layout, and fabrication engineering. Today, he is a network support specialist. He and his partner, Louise, live in Toronto. They have one child, Angela. Brian’s hobbies include canoeing, kayaking, ski-ing, boat building, pho-tography and reading.

26 CELEBRATING 20+ YEARS WITH ESCO 27

Jeff Krause25 Years – Cleveland

Born in Euclid, Ohio, Jeff graduated from Eastlake High School. He joined ESCO Cleveland 25 years ago as a sand blaster. Over the years, he has worked in knock-out, marking and finishing, and now is again a sand blaster. He likes “being with friends” at work. Away from the job, Jeff enjoys watching movies and sports, playing board games and cards, and go-ing to area parks.

Albert LaFrance25 Years – Syracuse

Born in Syracuse, New York, Al graduated from Fabius-Pompey High School. He served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining ESCO Syracuse 25 years ago as a chop saw opera-tor. He became a utility operator, team leader, and manager of the cut, clean and grind opera-tions. Today, Al is metal end manager. He likes that fact that at ESCO, “improvements are driven from the bottom up, not the top down.” He lives in Lakeport, New York and has a daughter, Amanda. Al enjoys hunt-ing, fishing and camping.

Charles Little25 Years – Newton

Born in New York, Charles moved to Mis-sissippi where he gradu-ated from Newton High School. He served four years in the U.S. Army and four more in the Army Reserve, and at-tended Temple Universi-ty. He joined ESCO New-ton in 1986 as a pourer. He has been a flogger and core maker, and cur-rently is a crane opera-tor. His cousins, Bryant Everett, Scott Everett and Billy Walker, also work at ESCO. Charles says he likes working with people and “the benefits are pretty good, too.” He lives in Newton and has three sons, John, Justin and Jeremy.

Barb Monica25 Years – Syracuse

A native of New York, Barb went to Oneida High School. She did of-fice work before joining ESCO Syracuse 25 years ago. She started in the wax process and now is a FPT Level II. She and her husband, William, live in Chittenango, New York, not far from the Syracuse plant. They have two children and five grand-children.

Vincent Payne25 Years – Newton

A lifelong resident of Newton, Mississippi, Vincent joined ESCO 25 years ago as a flogger. To-day, he is a Herman ma-chine close-up person.

Michael Williams25 Years – Newton

Born in Meridian, Mis-sissippi, Michael gradu-ated from high school in Hickory, Mississippi. He worked as a carpenter before joining ESCO Newton 25 years ago as a flogger. He held jobs in shakeout, core setting and sand mulling. Today, Michael is an order clerk. He and his wife, Paula, live in Hickory. They have two sons, Brandon and Bryant.

Rodger Allen20 Years – Portland

Rodger worked in log-ging and as a painter before joining ESCO Portland in 1991 as a stand grinder. He became an air arc operator and currently is a welder. He was born in Fort Bragg, California, and attended Ukiah High School. He and his wife, Karen, live in Portland. They have three grown children, Rodger Jr., Jennifer and Jack, plus five grand-children. Rodger enjoys hunting, fishing and watching NASCAR races.

Carl Bratt20 Years – Syracuse

A native of Syracuse, New York, Carl gradu-ated from Westhill High School and went on to earn a BS in metal-lurgy from Penn State University. He started as a QA manager at Steel Treaters 20 years ago, then was promoted to general manager. He became foundry manager of ESCO Syracuse before taking his current posi-tion as QA manager. He has a son, Christopher, daughter, Caitlin, daugh-ter-in-law, Kelly, and one grandchild, Layla. Carl lives in Baldwinsville, New York and enjoys playing hockey and golf.

Kwai Ling Choy20 Years – Singapore

A native of Singapore, China, Kwai Ling went to Anderson School. She joined ESCO 20 years ago, beginning in inside sales. She continues to work in inside sales to-day. Kwai Ling enjoys the people she works with at ESCO. She enjoys read-ing and walking in the Singapore parks in her free time.

Ruth Jennings20 Years – Syracuse

Born in Syracuse, New York, Ruth went to high school in Chittenango. She started with ESCO Syracuse 20 years ago in wax assembly. Today, she is an x-ray operator. Ruth has four children and two grandchildren. She lives in Lakeport, New York. Her favorite pastime is camping in her van.

Victor Legorreta20 Years – Atlacomulco

Victor was born and raised in La Jordana El Oro, Mexico. He joined what was then Bucyrus Blades’ Atlacomulco op-eration in 1991. Starting on a beveling machine, he now specializes in cut-ting end bits. Victor likes the “liberal environ-ment” at ESCO Atlaco-mulco. His relative, Rafa-el, also works for ESCO. He and his wife, Maria Matilde Gonzalez, live in La Jordana El Oro. Away from work, Victor enjoys music and traveling.

Walter Michalski20 Years – Cleveland

A native of Willoughby, Ohio, Walter gradu-ated from Mentor High School before coming to ESCO in the X-ray de-partment. He currently works in post cast. Wal-ter lives in Eastlake, Ohio with his wife, Diane, and two children, Tim and Megan.

John O’Neill25 Years – Syracuse

An Oregon native, John graduated from Port-land’s Central Catholic High School and at-tended Carroll College in Montana before joining ESCO as a management accountant. He’s been general manager of operation for the steel distribution group and managing director of EP ESCO Europe. He is currently TT group vice president for administra-tion in Syracuse. He and his wife, Gael, have three children, Katherine, Kevin, and Anna. The O’Neills live in Manlius, New York. John enjoys hiking, camping and playing ice hockey.

Juan Parra25 Years – Betim

Born in Mexico, Juan studied mine engineering at the Guanajuato School of Mines. He worked as a miner before joining ESCO as an inside sales person for the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico. He became a dis-trict manager for South America. Today, Juan is general sales manager for Latin America. His son, Juan S. Parra-Chico, is an ESCO customer service representative. Juan and his wife, Karina, live in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He has five children, Fernanda, Juan, Gabriela, Daniel and Isabella. Juan enjoys running and out-door activities.

ESCOites NOT PICTuREd

20 YEARS WITH ESCO

John Brown Portland

Vaclav Busek Port Coquitlam

Robert Herrmann Cleveland

Tonya Jordan Syracuse

Donald McCue Portland

Denis Penese Dunedin

David Pratt Syracuse

Randy Smith Syracuse

Henry Voth Steinbach

25 YEARS WITH ESCO

Arthur Hallman Syracuse

James Jennison Syracuse

35 YEARS WITH ESCO

Garry loucks Syracuse

45 YEARS WITH ESCO

Richard Jensen Portland

CLiCKANDdig

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