Are Special Precautions Needed for Large AWPs?

The first meeting of a working group created by the IPAF UK Country Council to consider whether additional training should be recommended or required of operators of very large booms and scissors was held on June 26 at Vertikal Days.

This working group was set up to look at whether additional guidance is needed and should be developed for the use of large and more complex aerial work platforms (AWPs). The group was tasked to examine this subject in detail and bring proposals to the next meeting. One of the tasks will be to define the scope of what is meant by large AWPs.

IPAF technical officer Chris Wraith thanked the members of the working group for their active involvement. Companies with relevant experience of the issues involved in manufacturing, marketing, hiring and operating large booms and scissors are invited to share their input by contacting IPAF’s technical officer at chris.wraith@ipaf.org.

The findings and recommendations of the working group will be reviewed by the next full meeting of the IPAF UK Country Council, which will take place on Sept. 19, 2013. Meeting details will be posted at www.ipaf.org/events.

Calstar Opens Manufacturing Facility in Mississippi

CalStar has reached an agreement with Columbus Lowndes Development LINK to open its newest manufacturing facility in Columbus, Miss. The deal closed June 3, and the plant is expected to open for production in Q1 or Q2 2014.

CalStar has taken ownership of a 100,000-square-foot shell building on 23 acres inthe Golden Triangle Industrial Park in Columbus, located in east-central Mississippi near the Alabama border; build-out of the facility will begin mid-summer. An initial staff of 17 employees is anticipated to increase to almost 60 during a three-year period.

“Situated to supply the entire Gulf Coast region from Texas to the Florida panhandle, the new Columbus facility will enable us to meet growing product demand in the nation’s largest brick market within a smaller delivery radius,” says Michael Telischak, VP of manufacturing for CalStar. “This means quicker turnaround times on orders and reduced freight costs, further contributing to our products’ existing economic advantages versus traditional masonry.”

The plant will produce the full line of CalStar’s sustainably manufactured masonry products currently available from its Caledonia, Wis., facility, including bricks, pavers, and Thru-Wall units, and will feature expanded capabilities for trim and accent shapes through the inclusion of an automated cast stone production line. Existing color offerings will be available, along with additions to the color palette made possible by the use of regional materials.

“I am grateful to the CalStar team for selecting Columbus as the home of its new manufacturing operations. I know our skilled workforce and our favorable business climate will help guarantee the company enjoys years of success in Lowndes County,” says Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant. “CalStar’s decision to locate in our state reinforces the fact that ‘Mississippi Works!’”

“CalStar is undergoing rapid, exciting changes as we continue to expand our product offerings and grow our manufacturing footprint,” says CalStar CEO Joel Rood. “Columbus is an ideal setting for the new plant, with a central location in the South, an able labor force, and strong government and business leadership. We’re thrilled to call Columbus our new second home.”

CalStar masonry products incorporate up to 37 percent recycled content and eliminate the need for kiln-firing, typical of traditional clay brick, or the use of Portland cement, used to bind concrete masonry products. As a result, each product requires up to 81 percent less energy to make while emitting up to 84 percent less CO2. This dramatic reduction in environmental footprint comes with no sacrifice to aesthetics or performance, and the raw material and energy savings actually equate to more affordable per-unit costs.

“We are pleased to welcome CalStar to Lowndes County,” says Harry Sanders, president of the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors. “We look forward to a successful relationship with a great company.”

The plant opening comes on the heels of an expansion at CalStar’s Caledonia manufacturing facility, which added a second shift in May.

Calstar Adds Second Shift to Manufacturing Plant

CalStar, manufacturer of affordable, sustainable masonry products, has expanded the capacity of its Caledonia, Wis., manufacturing plant with the addition of a second shift. The expansion will help the company meet growing demand across all of its product lines.

“Increasing interest in our products combined with the improving construction economy had begun to stretch delivery lead times beyond acceptable limits,” says Michael Telischak, VP of manufacturing for CalStar. “Adding a second shift has allowed us to accommodate that growth as well as further bolster our orders.”

The expansion created 17 new jobs at the plant, adding to the 38 existing staff in Caledonia and the 10 sales and marketing team members around the country. Along with new hires, the company’s internal training programs have helped several employees advance into positions of greater responsibility.

CalStar’s growth is felt across its brick, paver, and Thru-Wall lines. Among the largest drivers are a number of large facing-brick projects, such as a high school in Oxford, Miss.; springtime demand for pavers at more than 160 Home Depot locations; and skyrocketing orders for Thru-Wall units, including for several large retailers.

In addition, CalStar has added several new products to its offerings over the past six months, including wet cast products, 12 x 12 pavers, a monarch brick, and numerous colors and blends. The company also is able to create custom molds and color blends on special order for high-volume projects. One of its newest introductions, wet cast, has recently moved from pilot operation to production scale, and has been specified, along with CalStar brick, on high-profile projects, including Courtyard by Marriott and Walgreens’ ground-breaking net-zero store in Evanston, Ill.

“We are thrilled with the growing rate of demand for our masonry products and even more pleased to be adding jobs to the Southwest Wisconsin region,” says CalStar CEO Joel Rood. “This plant expansion is further proof that architects and masons have recognized the sustainability, affordability, and aesthetic benefits of CalStar bricks, pavers, Thru-Wall units, and wet cast products.”

Like all of CalStar’s masonry offerings, the newest products are manufactured with up to 37 percent recycled content in a process that uses up to 81 percent less energy and emits up to 84 percent less CO2. Along with their sustainability properties, the products also cost up to 10 percent less than traditional options.

Keith Donner Marks 50 Years at PROSOCO

PROSOCO’s VP for Operations Keith Donner marked 50 years of employment with PROSOCO in February. Donner studied business and accounting at Kansas City, Kansas, Community College before joining PROSOCO in 1963.  

“I started in the accounting department,” Donner says. “But in those days, everyone did everything, so I also loaded trucks, filled containers and did anything else that needed to be done.”

Donner joined the Army Reserve in 1965, serving a year’s active duty in Vietnam as truck driver with the 842^nd Quartermasters. He returned to PROSOCO when his military tour of duty ended. 

Since joining the PROSOCO, Donner has served as purchasing agent and head of accounting. He helped open manufacturing plants and distribution centers in Georgia, New Jersey and Ontario. Donner also helped PROSOCO develop many of its restoration cleaning formulas, including a poultice powder for removing rust stains. Restoration cleaning projects he’s proudest of having been involved with include the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Station.

             

Donner has served as PROSOCO’s VP of operations since the late-1970s. Semi-retired now, he still works several days a week overseeing real estate and tax issues, and serving as a company mentor and historian.

         

Caesarstone to Build U.S. Plant

Caesarstone Ltd. will open a U.S. production facility in 2014 as part of its strategic plan to increase manufacturing of its signature quartz surfaces. The $75 million facility, at a yet-to-be-determined location, will eventually house two production lines for Caesarstone products.

The U.S. facility, at full build-out, would expand the company’s current production by 50 percent. The first stage, installing one production line and infrastructure to add a second, will cost about $45 million. Company officials noted the first line would be in production by late-2013, with the second production line to be added to meet future demand.

"We believe that expanding our manufacturing footprint into the United States will provide us with a number of competitive and strategic benefits that will serve our long-term growth plans, most significantly the related improvement in delivery times,” says Yosef Shiran, Caesarstone CEO.

The company also announced additional manufacturing equipment that will be installed at its Israel plant, incorporating a major part of a fifth production line. Total production capacity will be increased by about 15 percent; the $13 million project is slated for completion next October.

“Our expansion in Israel will enable us to rapidly and efficiently expand our production capacity to meet the increasing demand for our products,” Shiran says. “We are excited about both of these projects, which are further steps in realizing our growth strategy and are expected to create value for our shareholders.”

Caesarstone announced record quarterly revenue of $77.6 million worldwide from July to September this year, up from $74.2 million in 2011. Much of that push came from North American activity, with year-to-year, third-quarter revenues increasing in the United States and Canada by 17.7 percent and 29.1 percent, respectively. Overall GAAP net income in this year’s third quarter came to $12.4 million, up 22.8 percent from the same time last year.