When did you start with HGR, and why?
I started with HGR back when it all began – 1997. I was presented with an offer to leave the company that I had been working with (along with 11 others) and be part of something new – something great. So, I started with HGR, and we “Hit the Ground Running.” Continue reading What type of employer is HGR? Buyer Spotlight with Rick Affrica
In 1904, George Hewlett founded Cleveland Union Engineering Company in Cleveland’s Flats area. The company handled industrial metal manufacturing, welding, fabrication and steel erection. Hewlett’s daughter married John Geiger, who is the grandfather of the current owner, also John Geiger, and great-grandfather of Jake who also works for the company. In the 1920s, it began to develop and build equipment for the distillery and brewing industries to clean and pasturize milk jugs and beer bottles, hence a name change to Beverage Engineering. In the 1940s, it moved to its current location on Lakewood Heights Boulevard and transitioned its focus from beverage machines to machining for the war effort, and in 1957 it found its current incarnation as Beverage Machine & Fabricators, Inc. What do these changes signify? Adaptability! And, Beverage Machine has found its niche. Continue reading Fourth-generation metalworking shop works to generate student interest in manufacturing careers
The City of Euclid is accepting proposals from potential buyers for the buildings at 19770 St. Clair Ave. They would be a perfect fit for a small manufacturer/maker that also wants a retail storefront. For more information and to submit a proposal, click here.
(An interview with Doug Paulson, general manager, BWX Technologies, Euclid, Ohio)
Tell me about how your business started.
BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) traces its history all the way back to the 1850s when Stephen Wilcox patented the water tube boiler. Almost 100 years later, with the advent of nuclear energy, our expertise in the power generation business put us at the forefront of commercial and government nuclear industries. Operating for many years as the Babcock & Wilcox Company, we spun off our power generation business in 2015 to allow BWXT to focus on government and nuclear operations.
Why was the decision made to locate in Euclid?
BWXT purchased the Euclid operations from an offshoot of TRW in 2007. TRW’s predecessors have been in the Cleveland area since the early 1900s and here on Euclid Avenue since before World War II.
How are the products that you manufacture used?
BWXT’s Euclid site manufactures electro-mechanical components for naval nuclear reactors used in submarines and aircraft carriers.
For more than 60 years, the Navy’s submarines and aircraft carriers have safely steamed millions of miles using components manufactured by BWXT Nuclear Operations Group facilities – a track record that is highlighted by our commitment to safety, quality and integrity.
How many employees work in the facility in Euclid, and what kind of skilled labor do you hire?
About 350 employees work at our Euclid facility. Due to the high-consequence nature of our products, most of our employees are considered to be highly skilled. We employ machinists, welders, inspectors, engineers and a variety of professional support staff.
Are there ways that the company participates in the community?
We support the community through sponsorship of Euclid Chamber of Commerce events and contribute to a number of deserving charitable organizations in the community such as the United Way.
What do you think is the biggest challenge that manufacturing currently faces?
The retirement of the older generation of trade workers has, in many cases, left manufacturers with more openings than there are qualified and available employees. This is exacerbated by generally low unemployment. We have an advantage in that our factories have industry-leading safety records and that our work is especially meaningful. Our employees take tremendous pride in the fact that our products keep our sailors and our nation safe. These jobs pay well and do not require tens of thousands of dollars in student loans, so attitudes about trades and technical careers are changing quickly. Our schools and community colleges are helping us narrow the gap.
What does the future of manufacturing, especially in Northeast Ohio, look like?
We can only speak for ourselves. This is an exciting time to work for BWXT. BWXT’s Nuclear Operations Group, which includes our Euclid and Barberton manufacturing facilities, has reported record revenues each quarter for the last few years. The Nuclear Operations Group had a backlog of nearly $3 billion at the end of September. Our fourth quarter and full-year 2017 results are scheduled to be announced Feb. 28, 2018.
What inspires you?
Our products enable our sailors to carry out their mission to keep our nation safe. We keep those customers in the forefront of our minds in everything we do.
Are there interesting facts about you or your business that most people don’t know?
In August 2017, NASA awarded the company an $18.8 million contract to start designing a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) reactor in support of a possible future manned mission to Mars. With NTP technology’s high-energy density and resulting spacecraft thrust, NASA is projecting up to a 50 percent reduction in interplanetary travel times compared to chemical rockets, significantly increasing the crew’s safety by reducing exposure to cosmic radiation.
On Jan. 31, a full house was gathered at Tizzano’s Party Center to hear the Euclid Chamber of Commerce’s presentation of “The Amazon Story” that included Amazon’s plan to tear down the former Euclid Square Mall and build a 655,000-square-foot, $175-million fulfillment center, which will add 1,000 new jobs to the region.
Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail mentioned that the initial meeting in March 2017 at Cuyahoga Community College to discuss the project was the most memorable day during her time as mayor. After that initial meeting, there were ongoing efforts to rezone the property and to secure $1.2 million from the Ohio Department of Transportation toward roadway improvements.
The next speaker, Matt Deptola of JobsOhio, a nonprofit corporation that promotes job creation and economic development for Ohio, shared his organization’s enthusiasm about 
the reputation of Ohio as a great place to live, according to Forbes and other magazines. He also shared some interesting statistics about Amazon. It currently transfers items from its regional fulfillment centers to a nearby sortation facility to a shipping facility within seven hours. Currently, Amazon has a sortation facility in Twinsburg and a shipping facility in Euclid; so, the fulfillment center in Euclid makes perfect sense. Amazon currently employs 6,000 people in Ohio. Additionally, Amazon offers $12,000 of tuition reimbursement for training in high-demand fields after one year of employment, benefits on Day 1, and an average hourly rate of $13.
Pete DiSalvo with DiSalvo Development Advisors was the final speaker before the mayor returned to the mic to share that Amazon already has made a commitment to the community by giving $10,000 to the HELP Foundation, a Euclid business that empowers individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential, day support, vocational, and summer education programs.
Join other manufacturers on Feb. 14, 2018, from 8-9:30 a.m. at Crown Plaza Cleveland South – Independence when MAGNET: Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network unveils its 2018 Northeast Ohio Manufacturing Survey Results.
More than 400 manufacturing companies submitted more than 450 responses, and the results are in. MAGNET and its partners – Bank of America, Skoda Minotti, WIRE-Net and Oswald Companies – will break down the results of the survey over breakfast.
We’ll be there! Will you? Register here.
HGR partners up with multiple auctioneers to bring you online and in-person used machinery auctions. You can see all of the auctions here at HGR Auctions. The info is updated as new auctions come in. Plus you can view some of past auctions to see the type of items are typically up for bidding. All of the bidding is done outside of HGR’s website and HGR does not have any control or overall info on it. Each site will have you register and create an account to bid. Each auction will also have details on whether it is a timed auction, or if the bidding is opening for multiple days. These pages will also have info on purchasing the items. Make sure you check back often for updates.
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