This summer, you heard regularly from our Sales & Marketing Intern Justin Mobilian in his guest blog “Thoughts from Justin.” Tomorrow is his last day before he heads back to college to wrap up his degree in December.

We wish him well in his studies and in his job search, and we thank him for the valuable contribution he made to the team. Anyone would be lucky to have this young man work for them!

Don’t be too sad, though. He was kind enough to write a couple of extra blog posts that we will be sharing after his departure. You have that to look forward to.

(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Liz Fox, marketing associate, MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network)

In the not-so-distant past, there were times when much of the technology we embrace today was written off as science fiction. Smartwatches, tablets, and VR headsets are now part of everyday reality. The additive manufacturing sector is constantly buzzing with new ideas, products, techniques, and machinery that help improve and enhance businesses, as well as the general quality of life.

But what happens when 3D printing is literally taken to new heights?

Just ask Made In Space, a group of entrepreneurs, scientists, and developers who helped NASA launch the first 3D printer into space earlier this year.

“Manufacturing in space has been something that has been a given in science fiction since time immemorial,” says Made In Space President Andrew Rush in a recent interview with TCT Magazine. “By having a manufacturing facility stationed in space, we can save thousands of dollars and cut the time significantly.”

Founded in 2010, the company strives to “enable humanity’s future in space” by developing new technologies designed to operate in microgravity environments. AMF, an elaborate and permanent 3D printing system used on the International Space Station, already is making a splash with projected improvements in costs and lead times.

But why is it important to have a 3D printer in space?

According to NASA, it takes more than six months and costs roughly $10,000 to send a pound of payload into orbit. Many items also have to go through lengthy and expensive certification processes, which causes substantial problems if a crew member needs a tool or replacement part; however, Made In Space produced a total of 25 parts in a 28-hour period when an earlier model of its Zero-G 3D Printer was sent to the ISS in 2014.

“We proved that if things go awry on a mission, we can fix it with 3D printing,” Rush told TCT.

Made In Space’s recent successes form only a fraction of the company’s larger goal, which is to create technology capable of building complex structures – like satellites and space stations – prior to launching them into orbit.

Back on Earth, however, we constantly are looking for opportunities to bring this innovative technology to Northeast Ohio. During the last 25 years, MAGNET Engineer Dave Pierson has worked on projects for hundreds of manufacturers, many of which have seen substantial improvements after additive manufacturing was introduced to their business plans.

“Companies need to keep up with emerging technologies if they want to succeed,” Pierson says. “There are so many great things to learn about in additive, and we will see excellent results once these ideas are implemented on a more widespread basis.”

For updates on Made In Space and its ongoing projects, follow Andrew Rush (@rushspace) on Twitter.

MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth is a part of Ohio MEP, part of the NIST-MEP program. For more than 30 years, MAGNET has offered a wide range of capabilities to manufacturers, which include product and process development, workforce initiatives, and lean/operations consulting. As part of the MEP system, MAGNET strives to help small and mid-size companies by improving revenue and job retention as well as driving manufacturing and economic development in Northeast Ohio. More information can be found at manufacturingsuccess.org.

Photo courtesy of AdditiveManufacturing.com.

On Aug. 3, all of HGR’s partners and its Euclid, Ohio, employees gathered before the doors opened for a breakfast meeting heaped with eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, pancakes and praise for the 74 employees who were recognized for upholding the company’s values for the past year.

What are those values?

• Ethical in all of our business activities
• Support each other with openness, honesty, trust and respect while working as a team to achieve our common goals
• Accountable in making and fulfilling our commitments to each other, our customers and our community
• Create exceptional customer relationships by enhancing awareness and expectations of outstanding service with every interaction
• Personal dedication to continuous improvement in creating employee and company success

Employees were nominated by their peers. Of the 74 winners, 21 received one nomination, 17 two nominations, 21 three nominations and “The Dream Team” pictured in the photo received four or more nominations. Any employee who received 3 or more nominations in the past year was entered into a drawing for a trip to one of HGR’s offices. One Cleveland employee won a trip to Austin, Texas. This year, Mike Paoletto, buyer, won the trip, but in the spirit of working as a team, he said he had been to Austin multiple times and wanted to decline the award and donate it back so that another name could be pulled. Because of his generosity, Bryan Korecz, inbound logistics manager, was selected.

Brian Krueger, CEO, opened the meeting with a brief update on the state of the company and a history of the values program. After the other partners (Paul Betori, Ron Tiedman and Rick Affrica) presented Olympic-style medals to the honorees, Krueger unveiled the company’s new diversity statement and its new values program for the coming year.

Another celebration will be held in Austin to honor those who were nominated. Stay tuned for a photo of the Austin Dream Team.

Back in our April employee newsletter, we asked our employees to sign up to share HGR and industry news with their social media networks through a software social-media-sharing platform called Voicestorm. In return, the top five users each month in May, June and July each received a raffle entry to win an evening on the town worth up to $300. In addition, anyone who was in the Top 5 for all three months received an extra entry.

Our top users were: Megan Vollman, Cynthia Vassaur, Dax Taruc, Tina Dick, April Quintiliano, Steve Smith, Levit Hernandez and Angelo Runco.

The week of Aug. 8, Ed Kneitel, our trusty controller, drew a random name out of a coffee cup. Literally. And, the winner was Steve “Smitty” Smith. He won an overnight stay at Aloft Cleveland Downtown Hotel and two tickets to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Congrats, Smitty, and thanks for sharing our news with your networks!

If you’ve been reading my blog posts, you’re aware that I enjoy writing about science, and my experience here at HGR. Yeah, they’re interesting articles (in my opinion), but I want to address what YOU care about in my final blog as summer intern at HGR.

An article written by Scott Stone, marketing director for Cisco-Eagle, Inc., introduced to readers the challenges that the manufacturing industry faces for 2016: the manufacturing skills gap, Internet of Things, and robotics.

1) Manufacturing skills gap

With the retirement of the Baby Boomers by 2025, there are expected to be 2 million unfilled manufacturing jobs in the United States. Is that bad? Yeah, no doubt, but there’s reason to be optimistic.

As of today, there are about 80 million Millennials. These millennials bring potential to the table with regard to innovating new ways to get things done in the industry. According to a study done by two Accenture researchers, there’s a simple 4-step strategy that can be applied to the industry to develop talent:

1. Identify talent needs
2. Build a talent pipeline
3. Develop talent pool relationships
4. Reinvigorate talent development

2) Internet of Things (IoT)

The IoT revolves around machine-to-machine communication. By implementing the IoT to industrial machines, tasks and processes can be completed with ease and, ultimately, increase the efficiency of an organization.

As of today, more than 80 percent of machines already have IoT capability implemented in them; however, they’re not being used to their full extent. By formulating a strategy on why IoT is needed and the purpose for it, the opportunities for machines are endless and can serve as a major breaking point in the transformation of the manufacturing industry.

3) Automation & robotics

Robots aren’t a thing of the future anymore; they’re here, and they’re commonplace in industry. Robots work quick and smart, when programmed and applied properly, and you should be worried IF you’re not taking advantage of them.

Implementing robots in your business WILL reduce downtime and increase productivity and efficiencies. You’re probably thinking, “How can I afford a robot? They’re out of my budget.” Well, let me be the one to break the news: You can buy one for CHEAP that will quickly maximize your return-on-investment. At HGR, we have robots from several top manufacturers, including ABB, Fanuc, Kuka, Motoman and Denso.

Shifting off-topic about challenges, but another opportunity for this industry is for marketing graduates. In some circles, manufacturing has a “bad name” right now – college students aren’t attracted to it; what it needs is a fresh mindset. A way to shift from the old and into the new, a way to bring more attention to the industry. What better way to do that than to hire recent marketing graduates who want a challenging, yet rewarding, career?!

ATTN: Skilled laborers, marketing graduates, anyone interested in manufacturing

If you’re reading this, it’s not too late. In fact, it couldn’t be better timing. Yeah, the industry has some serious challenges ahead, but you have the perfect opportunity to be the change it needs.

Despite the risks and challenges the manufacturing industry faces, there’s always a silver lining, depending upon how you look at it. The skills gap, IoT, and robotics — they’re challenges, but with the right approach they can be what reinvigorates the industry. Think about it as if you were Johnny Manziel and the manufacturing industry was the Cleveland Browns. You have all this talent, and you’re bringing it to an industry that needs serious help. With the right approach, the industry can build and become what your dreams want it to be. Or, you can be like Manziel, and, yeah, no further comments.

One of my coworkers heard a customer telling one of our salespeople a story about how he was a customer when HGR first opened and how someone in his family used to work in the building prior to HGR taking over the space. She pointed him out to me. I walked over and introduced myself to get his story.

I found out Bob Zeitz was born in 1941. His father worked for Cleveland Pneumatic, the first tenant of HGR Industrial Surplus’ current building, which was built by the Defense Plant Corporation. Zeitz owned APR Tool, Willoughby, Ohio, until four years ago. Now, he’s retired, but his son owns businesses. He shops at HGR for his personal interest and for his son.

Here’s what he had to say:

My dad lived in Euclid and carpooled to Cleveland Pneumatic’s Cleveland plant until they built this facility on the vacant real estate to keep up with wartime production [of aircraft landing gear]. My dad applied for a transfer to be closer to home.

I still had a cabinet from 1946 when Cleveland Pneumatic shut down. My dad worked there. When the plant shut, he and my uncle came and bought tooling and equipment to start their own business. I just donated it to HGR. It’s the wooden cabinet on the Receiving dock with the War Production Board plaque.

When I went on a quest to find the cabinet and take a picture of it, it was missing. I panicked. This happens often at HGR – as soon as an item hits the floor, it’s sold. I checked around and was told that it was back in the scrap area. I panicked. Oh no, this part of history was going in the dumpster? I trekked back into the building on a quest, only to find it WAS in the scrap area – for storage.

One of HGR’s owners wanted to preserve this part of history. Once our new offices are built out this fall and furnished, the cabinet will be going in the new area. Whew! It may be a bit old and have taken its knocks, but it still has a useful life, just like lots of industrial surplus that comes through our showroom. Maybe it will become a coat closet for future generations at HGR.

Picture this: an old theater built in 1927 for Vaudeville acts that existed until 2008 but did not survive the Great Recession being redeveloped in nine months into a thriving media center, music and arts space, banquet center, storefronts and apartments. Now, make a wish and watch it come true due to the hard work of Brian A. Friedman, executive director, and his crew at Northeast Shores Development Corporation.

At the Aug. 9 groundbreaking ceremony, many instrumental dignitaries were in attendance, including Cleveland City Councilman, Ward 8, Michael Polensek; City of Cleveland Director of Economic Development Tracey Nichols; City of Cleveland Director of Community Development Michael Cosgrove; Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and Cuyahoga County Councilman, District 10, Anthony Hairston. Additionally, representatives from the project’s financial backers (Cortland Banks, IFF, Village Capital Corporation and Cleveland Foundation) spoke onstage.

According to Friedman, “The county made the initial loan to put us into a position to proceed.” Due other investors, the development company was able to raise the funds, to the tune of $4.1 million, in order to preserve this historic theater for generations to come.

It will serve as the anchor to “Made in Collinwood’s” makers corridor, similar to how the Beachland Ballroom anchors Waterloo Arts, or the Capital Theater and Cleveland Public Theater serve as anchors for Gordon Square.

The most interesting part of the event was hearing from some of the future users of the new space. Chris Winters of Taste of Excellence will offer catering services. Jason and Danielle Tilk of Wizbang Pop-Up Theater and Cabaret will offer Vaudeville-style variety shows and a possible circus school. Former Euclid Mayor and current President of Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School Bill Cervenik announced that the school will use the theater for its Drama Department and productions.

Yes, Welcome to Collinwood! It’s on the rise again. And, soon, you will be entertained.

Recently, my mom was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with a chronic condition. I have been having my own health challenges. And, my blue-collar dad who worked with machinery and equipment his entire life, a self-professed tinkerer, passed away last year. So, I was looking for a little healing and heard from a colleague at another Euclid business about a shrine in Euclid. I decided to go on my own pilgrimage around the corner from HGR’s office to 21281 Chardon Road, Euclid, Ohio.

When I showed up, people were arriving for a mass in the chapel to commemorate St. Anne’s Day, which happens to be my grandmother’s name, my mother’s middle name and my confirmation name!

The Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity run the shrine as a getaway from the “machinery” of everyday life for those looking for a spiritual retreat. The shrine is a replica of the Grotto in Lourdes, France, and has two stone chips taken from the stone on which Our Lady is said to have appeared in Lourdes with water from the Grotto flowing over the relics. You can drink from the fountain or take water with you. I bought a beautiful, inexpensive glass bottle in the gift shop to fill for my mother, and I drank from the fountain.

My trip was so interesting. I learned a lot, historically. And, you don’t have to be Catholic. There was a woman meditating with tuning forks on a bench as I walked through. Yes, you can light candles, walk the rosary hill or the Stations of the Cross in a wooded area just like in Lourdes, or go to mass, but it’s really about simplicity and getting a breath of fresh air and serenity, which almost everyone needs.

The dateline for history buffs:

• In 1198, John of Martha formed a community dedicated to The Trinity.
• In 1762, Teresa Cucchiari founded the female branch of the Trinitarian tradition.
• In 1858, the Virgin Mary is reported to have appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette 18 times in Lourdes, France, to ask her to pray for sinners.
• In 1920, Mother Teresa Franza brought the order to the U.S.
• In 1926, the shrine in Euclid was opened by the Good Shepherd Sisters.
• In 1952, the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity took over the shrine’s operation.
• In 1956, the chapel was built with stained glass windows that tell the story of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The sisters say, “The shrine is an oasis of peace from the world.” As I walked the grounds, thrilled to see an entire area of milkweed planted for Monarch butterflies, I was reminded of my own office and how many people come to HGR daily to meditatively walk the rows of machinery and equipment looking for inspiration, laugh and chat with like-minded folks and grab a bite to eat at Wednesday’s free lunch in the customer lounge. We find an oasis where and when we can. And, sometimes, it’s the small daily blessings, including our livelihoods, the kindness of strangers or a finding a favorite place, for which we can be grateful.

It’s been long anticipated, and the time has finally come for one of Cleveland’s historic theaters to come alive once again. On Aug. 9, the LaSalle Arts & Media Center, 823 E. 185th St., Euclid, Ohio, will kick off construction with its official groundbreaking ceremony. The ceremony is by invitation only, but we’ll post another blog this week with a recap and photos. You don’t even have to leave your air conditioning to see it all!

While school is out for summer, the Euclid Art Association takes a break from its monthly meetings, too. But, behind the scenes the board is hard at work planning for future events. It meets every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Euclid Art Gallery located on the second floor of the Euclid Historical Society and Museum, 21129 North St., Euclid, Ohio.

The association began in 1958 when five women, who were mostly art teachers, began meeting. The membership has grown to more than 90 members, many who come from all over Northeast Ohio. People have even come from Michigan and New Jersey to attend workshops.

I attended the June 28 board meeting then went to lunch with the group at Manhattan Deli in Willoughby. The group cares deeply about supporting one another and working together to share their artistic talents, as well as nurturing and developing the talent of others. Community starts among the membership, which is a diverse group of artists encompassing mostly two-dimensional fine art, such as photography, digital art, painting and drawing.

Some of the events the group sponsors include:

• Two to three juried art shows per year
• Hands-on workshops by renowned guest artists
• Monthly meetings where a guest artist demonstrates technique
• A membership table and demo at IngenuityFest
• An annual scholarship to a Euclid High School art student
• A monthly newsletter
• A Christmas party

Last year, the group sold 11 pieces of art at its spring show and nine pieces this year. That is remarkable for a small community art show.

President Lee Peters’ story of how he joined EAA is an interesting one. His mother took art classes from Marge, one of the founding members. When his mother passed away, Marge and Rose, another founding member, came to the funeral and recruited him to join the association as a member. He later became the association’s photographer, historian and, eventually, president.

Peters says, “I can’t even draw a stick figure to save my life; so, here I am, president of a flock of artists! I am totally in awe that someone can take a pencil or paintbrush and create a landscape or portrait of a person. To me this is truly a magical talent and Euclid Art members are extremely talented magicians.”

Monthly membership meetings resume on Monday, Sept. 12 and are open to the public. Come check one out to see if it’s for you. You can find membership information at www.euclidart.com.

(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Justin Mobilian, HGR’s sales & marketing summer intern)

Gone are the days where your dreams end when you wake from your slumber thanks to the 32-year-old billionaire, entrepreneur, philanthropist and creator of Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg is one step closer to providing the Internet to the entire world’s population. 7-billion people. Yes, you read that right; it’s not a typo. Zuckerberg started his legacy in his Harvard dorm room. Now, he’s close to providing Web access across the globe.

How is Zuckerberg’s plan possible? Aquila. What? The billionaire and his team spent more than one year designing and building Aquila, a solar-powered drone. The drone was tested for the first time just a few weeks ago, with Zuckerberg making a surprise appearance. When he arrived, he said his team was very nervous, but they appeared calm and ready.

Facebook hopes that Aquila eventually will lead a fleet of identical drones with the ability to provide Internet access globally. But, how? The drones supposedly will beam signals down to cellular towers, which from there will be converted to Wi-Fi or LTE signals. The current model has a wingspan of a Boeing-737, yet only weighs about 1,000 pounds. Facebook is planning to test more flights in the next six months, but it’ll be years before you see multiple drones flying above you.

World-wide Internet access. Too good to be true? I’ll never have to worry about being Wi-Fi-less again. Unlimited Snapchats, Twitter posts, Instagram posts, the list goes on! In all seriousness though (although I was serious about that), what does this mean for the future?

As of right now, 10 percent of the world’s population lives in areas that are unable to connect to the Internet. With the advanced infrastructure provided by the drones, rural areas that are unable to connect to the Web will be able to. Aside from the next era of Facebook’s services that will come about as a result of the drones, Zuckerberg says in Casey Newton’s article Facebook Takes Flight, “For Facebook, Aquila is more than a proof of concept. It’s a linchpin of the company’s plan to bring the Internet to all 7 billion people on Earth, regardless of their income or where they live. Doing so will lift millions of people out of poverty, improving education and health globally along the way.”

What a time to be alive. What are your thoughts on these drones? Do you think they’ll be a success? Leave a comment, let’s chat.

Many of us have flown in an airplane or had an MRI. Little did we know that many of the parts on planes and in medical equipment are sandblasted, washed, primed, painted, coated and sealed in Euclid, Ohio, at Painting Technology, Inc., 21641 Tungsten Road. The business passed to President Mary Lou Ambrose in 1990 as part of a divorce settlement. It still is owned by her and will pass to her daughter, Vice President Denise DeGaetano.

This high-tech painting and coating company doesn’t do houses or walls; it gets contracts to do job-shop work for companies like Aero Fluid Products in Painesville and AeroControlex in South Euclid that are suppliers to manufacturers such as Boeing. The company may do an order of one part up to thousands of parts in a batch, depending on the size, process and timing requirements. Some of the parts it has painted include lamps for Kichler Lighting, ceiling grids in classrooms, parts in MRI machines and in U.S. Marine Corps tanks, the plastic air-nozzle vents above passenger seats in airplanes, bulletproof Apache and Blackhawk helicopter seats, components in tracking missiles, cockpit control-panel knobs, airplane landing gear in the Boeing 737, and the door-locking mechanism on the plane door that the flight attendant closes after you have boarded.

Painting Technology started in 1984, at which time Ambrose was half owner. The company located in Euclid to be in close proximity to Austin Hunt Corp., formerly located on Tungsten Road, which owned the other half of Painting Technology. In 1990, when Ambrose took over the company, she bought the building and kept all the paint technicians who had come to work there after her customer Picker X-Ray Corp. closed its paint shop. At the time, most of Painting Technology’s work was for the medical industry.

Now, Painting Technology has eight employees, is ISO 9100 and NADCAP certified, and works primarily in the aerospace industry. She says it costs about $20,000 per year to maintain these certifications. With a conveyorized drying rack, four paint booths and two drying ovens, the company handles the final coating process of the parts before they are installed. As Ambrose says, “It’s a process, not a paint.”

She is looking to get work from companies who make ISO and NADCAP parts. She says, “It’s a niche market. Not many in this area are certified to do this process, and we get lots of out-of-state business. Some companies do their own work, but if they don’t have their own painting facility they send it to a job shop like ours rather than to a competitor.” The company buys its coatings from companies, such as PPG or Creative Coatings.

When asked about the types of jobs for which she hires and her challenges in hiring a skilled workforce, she explains, “They used to train kids in schools’ shop classes to paint cars and handle coatings, but it’s hard to find employees now. They need a knowledge of spray guns and systems. We can’t just hire a house painter. We’ve tried to hire young people with no experience but they aren’t interested. Everyone is on computers today, but we need process people. We even went to Veteran’s Affairs looking for people with military experience. If we hire off the street, it’s a three- to five-year process to learn this job before you can be left on your own.”

Eight years ago, Painting Technology became an MBE (minority business enterprise) and WBE (women business enterprise). In early 2015, it installed a new $50,000 compressor system. Ambrose says that maintaining and upgrading equipment is integral for the company to maintain on-time delivery and quality with few rejections. She says, “This is how we have kept the same customers since 1990 and do 99.9 percent of their coating work.”

Jennifer Klide has been living in Cleveland and working in the art, costuming and production departments on film sets here for the past 10 years. She says finding the right items for the film is tough in a city without a lot of film-industry resources, and she has had to beg, borrow and steal props for her set designs. She regularly uses HGR Industrial Surplus to find items she needs, especially larger pieces of equipment. She has been to competitors’ showrooms but says, “They aren’t as organized, don’t have as large of a selection, and usually carry smaller pieces-parts.” Sometimes, she has leased a piece of equipment for a shoot and says, “HGR has been super helpful to us.”

Klide explains that when a movie is being made, usually what happens is an out-of-town entity comes into the area to form an LLC and temporary production company, then it hires talent to fill positions, sometimes locally and sometimes from big cities, such as Los Angeles or New York.

She has some friends who are working on the next in the “Fast & Furious” franchise, “Fast 8,” starring Vin Diesel, started filming in Cleveland in mid-May. Recently, Klide began working on building and setting up a shed and lab for a 1970s-era film based on local artist John Backderf’s graphic novel My Friend Dahmer, which explores the serial killer’s troubled high school years. Filming will begin in Cleveland this summer.

After her films are finished being shot or reshot, she says the production company tries to resell the items at a fire sale, but often does not have the time. She does not like to junk items that have life left in them; so, sometimes, she gives them back to the company where she bought them or gives them to people or companies that can make use of them in order to keep them out of the landfill.

Ron Tiedman, chief operations production officer at HGR Industrial Surplus and 1985 Ashland University graduate, was appointed in February to the board of the Gridiron Club at Ashland University. While at Ashland, Tiedman played football, baseball and lacrosse. His oldest daughter, Julia, is a 2013 Ashland grad, and his youngest daughter starts there this fall.

The club, comprised of past or present Ashland University football players, raises funds through game-day raffles, memberships and donations in support of the football program, including a $25-million stadium and new locker rooms. Board members meet on the second Tuesday of each month and work every Saturday at the football games.

According to Tiedman, “I wanted to give back because the school was good to me and helped me be who I am. Being in Ashland regularly also will allow me to help my daughter with her college experience.”

Located in the former 1894 Euclid Township High School at 21129 North Avenue, the Euclid Historical Society and Museum opened in 1984 when the historical society, founded in 1959, relocated from the Henn Mansion to its current site. It contains room after room of treasures that take you back in time to The Victorian Era and even earlier, a time when inventions were revolutionizing industry and society.

John Williams, society president since 2000, and Diane, a volunteer, led me around the place with pride. Williams is even the author of the 2003 book A History of the City of Euclid. He is a resident expert since 1951, storyteller and joke cracker. I had a smile on my face the entire time.

This is the kind of place you could go back to over and over and see something new that you missed before each time. Some of the many unique items include:

• Jewelry and accessories (spectacles, shoes, hats, purses, pipes, etc.)
• Household appliances (ice boxes, washing machine, butter churn, manual vacuum and sweeper, gas oven, washer wringer machine, crank and candlestick phones, spinning wheel)
• Dishes and china
• Military uniforms and medals
• Toys and dolls
• Musical instruments (organ, hammered dulcimer)
• Photos
• Furniture
• Clothing
• Technology and inventions (Charles Brush’s arc light, a dynamo, a motorman’s cab and stool from a street car, a streetlight, medical instruments, 19^th-century tools, a graphotype for making dog tags and metal credit cards, light bulbs, phonograph, radio, clocks, stereoscope)
• Book archives on Euclid, Cleveland, Ohio and The United States
• Art
• History and pamphlets (e.g., on John Crosier who settled Euclid Township in 1815)

For me, one of the most fascinating exhibits was Dr. Cunningham’s 1928 Steel Ball Hospital that stood seven stories and had 28 suites. It was commissioned by Henry Timken at a cost of $1 million. Its premise was using air compressors to force in high-pressure oxygen to treat and cure diabetes, emphysema and lung cancer. This was the original bariatric (hyperbaric) chamber. It was used by Cunningham until 1934 then by James Rand as a research institute then as a hospital for a year. It was sold for scrap during World War II.

So, if you need a dose of local history, a walk back in time, or even just a laugh, stop by and pay Williams a visit. You won’t regret it. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. While you are in the area, visit the nearby Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame or stop in to HGR Industrial Surplus for a tool, equipment, supply and machinery wonderland. You never know what you will find here, either.

(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Justin Mobilian, HGR’s sales & marketing summer intern)

Additive manufacturing (better known as 3D printing) has been around for years – longer than I’ve been alive – but the industry has only gained popularity in recent years. Prior to my marketing research class at The University of Akron, I had no interest in 3D printing. So, Dr. Coleman. Who is he? Full-time marketing genius. Part-time marketing professor. Part-time marketing consulting firm owner. Because of him, my interest for 3D printing grew immensely. For our term project, he gave us a real-life client from his firm who couldn’t afford his services (for privacy purposes, we’ll say his name is Bob). The project’s topic? Yep, you guessed it. 3D printing.

Our task was to determine if Bob should enter the 3D printer market and whether or not it would be lucrative for him to buy one (Although, I still question to this day why Bob was interested in purchasing a 3D printer when he couldn’t afford the firm’s services). After hours of research, hosting focus groups, distributing surveys, and analyzing results, we came to the conclusion that purchasing a 3D printer wouldn’t be a worthy investment (unless it’s a large manufacturing/engineering company that’s interested). That was two years ago; a lot can happen in two years.

Thanks to Dave Pierson, senior mechanical design engineer for Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network (MAGNET) and an expert on additive manufacturing, I was able to sit down with him to discuss the future of 3D printing.

So, you’ve been with MAGNET for almost 23 years. Can you tell me a little about what MAGNET does?

We offer consulting services to companies to help them achieve efficiencies through programs that focus on increasing productivity and process improvement. In turn, these efficiencies improve sales through a variety of new product development and business growth strategies – a great example being additive manufacturing.

How will 3D printing impact manufacturing companies? I know it’s used for rapid prototyping, but do you think companies will incorporate additive manufacturing to create parts used in the final product?

It’s not rapid prototyping anymore. For some companies, it’s not even prototyping. For example, Tesla and BMW already have begun printing parts that will be used in their final product. It’s evolutionary. Pretty soon, you’ll see more and more companies using additive manufacturing to print parts and pieces that will go into their finished product.

Do you see 3D printing as a technology solution or is it becoming more of a business solution?

It’s not necessarily a technology or business solution – it’s a manufacturing solution. We’ve found a way to cut costs and increase efficiencies for companies by implementing additive manufacturing. With one of our most recent successes, we helped a company implement a product that cost $0.09 to make, compared to the $44 they were originally paying.

When will we hear about the next generation of 3D printers? At CES 2017, the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, or do you think earlier?

Not too much at CES 2017. You’ll definitely see something big at AMUG’s (Additive Manufacturing Users Group) Annual Conference, which is in early April 2017. Keep an eye out for something soon. I bet several new printers will roll out within the next six months, if not sooner. HP, for example, came out with a new generation a few months ago and is already in the process of building a better one.

You mentioned in your email that additive manufacturing is “growing at a very crazy rate.” Where do you see it five years from now?

It’s hard to say what the future of 3D printers will be in five years because everything is happening so fast. I couldn’t tell you. As far as the product lifecycle, it’s sitting on the growth stage. This is just the beginning. I spoke at a conference recently, and one of the speakers said there will soon be a generation of humans that will never die because we’ll be able to print body parts – here’s a 3D-printed aorta. Who knows? Maybe that generation will be yours. We haven’t seen anything yet. It’s fascinating.

There you have it. Additive manufacturing can do it all.

(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Tiffany Moore, HGR Industrial Surplus’ 2016 S.T.E.M. Scholarship)

Science, technology, engineering and math (S.T.E.M.) fields interest me because I like to be challenged. The challenges we face occur mainly because we have to adapt to always-changing technology. When working in some form of S.T.E.M. career, nothing stays the same. One moment you’re building a machine by hand, and the next day a robot could be building it for you. Or, one day you could be configuring an update for the iPhone 6, and a couple of weeks later they come out with an iPhone 7. The possibilities are endless!

That is why I chose to go down the S.T.E.M. path; so, I can later work for some of the top companies or start my own. Also, I would like to make a significant increase in the number of women working in technology. My goal is to raise awareness, through media, about how important it is for women to be involved in the field of computer technology.

In this decade, technology plays a huge role in our everyday lives, and it is essential that we have a solid understanding of how it all works; however, I will need to first further my education by going to college. I am so thankful HGR chose me as its 2016 scholarship recipient. I will be putting the money toward the tuition of the college I’ll be attending in the fall — Ohio Wesleyan.

Thus far, I completed two years of Cisco Academy with Euclid High School. Through this program, I was able to obtain my Microsoft certification. Also, I had an opportunity to visit a Cisco facility and talk to girls about pursuing a S.T.E.M. career path. During the summer, I was fortunate to be a part of an organization called IndeedWeCode. This was a program specifically for African-American females interested in IT. Through this program, I learned how to code and later was able to build an official website for IndeedWeCode. This experience inspired me to encourage more women to get familiar with all aspects of S.T.E.M.

I’ve also had a chance to visit HGR and eat lunch with some of the employees. It was a great feeling seeing that women were very involved with the company. For example, they had their own work stations and specific tasks that were vital to how the company worked. I was inspired to continue my passion for S.T.E.M. and thankful for all the possibilities and opportunities it has shown me over the past two years.

Sometimes, words and photos don’t tell the whole story. And, there are lots of stories to tell at HGR.

The HGR Video Library provides a closer look at the products, processes and people that have made HGR the leading destination for used industrial equipment, manufacturing machinery, surplus and MRO items.

Every week, we add new product videos that give you a closeup look at some of the items we have for sale.

(Courtesy of Guest Blogger Matt Williams, HGR’s CMO and Euclid Chamber of Commerce board member)

Last fall, I was approached by the Euclid Chamber of Commerce and asked if I would be willing to serve on the chamber’s board of directors. I had previously had the pleasure of interacting with several members of the chamber’s board in the lead-up to the dedication of Nickel Plate Station, the industrial park owned by the ownership group of HGR Industrial Surplus and the home of HGR’s business for the past 18 years. I was honored to be asked to serve on the board, and I readily agreed.

As chief marketing officer at HGR, we have just recently completed a redesign of our website using the WordPress content management system platform. Word got out about my Web development background, and I offered to redevelop the chamber’s website at www.euclidchamber.com. One of the key considerations in deciding to use WordPress was the platform’s massive user platform and the fact that it is so highly extensible, meaning that there are thousands of readily available plugins and extensions for nearly every conceivable purpose to enhance the functionality of the site. It also is accessible to non-programmers, which was attractive to Sheila Gibbons, the chamber’s very capable executive director.

Several features of the new website include the integration of a member management plugin, an event calendar, the ability to accept online payment for chamber events, and an online blog. The chamber is optimistic that a more professional online presence will signal to prospective new members that the Euclid Chamber is active in the community and working hard in pursuit of the interests of local businesses. A strong chamber of commerce is critical to business growth and success in the community, and the strength of the chamber depends upon a robust and active membership.

HGR is proud to be a member of the Euclid Chamber of Commerce, and I am honored to serve on the chamber’s board of directors. I am optimistic that this new website will help lead to an expansion of our membership as we work hard to support Euclid’s business community.