Major Machinery Investments in Colson Group’s Injection Molding Facility

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Colson Group has made a significant investment in new machinery for its highly automated injection molding facility in Monette, AR.  The recent investments enable the Monette facility to further increase output and efficiency on the many injection-molded wheels and OEM specific products they mold, including the ever-popular Colson Performa wheels and Albion X-tra Soft wheels.

Six (6) new injection-molding machines were installed in December 2018, and the facility is now benefiting from its efficiencies.

Each new machine replaced two (2) previous machines (a total of 12), and together, will help increase production by 25%.

The new injection machines are more efficient than previous equipment, reducing production waste from 5% to 1%.  This allows us to reduce production costs on injection-molded materials and remain globally competitive, in an otherwise very competitive industry.  Additionally, the new equipment’s efficiency also reduces our injection-molding energy consumption by 50%.

According to Jack Birdno, Supervising Plant Engineer for Monette, “The new machines set Monette up for the future, being a more cost-competitive injection molding facility than ever, especially as we continue to look at products to re-shore or on-shore for ourselves and other OEM customer requirements.”

Colson Group Announces Vertical Market Sales Managers

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As Colson Group continues to increase our focus on value creation and market driven solutions, we are pleased to announce the newly created roles of Vertical Market Sales Managers for the Automotive, Food Service and Medical industries. These roles will be focused on driving customer solutions and growth, maximizing our product portfolio, and developing our strategic position within these vertical markets.

Their emphasis will be on identifying new opportunities, specifying Colson Group products in collaboration with our partners in all channels, and then overseeing these opportunities to closure. These members will be highly collaborative with our internal teams and distributor partners alike to develop wins that deliver on both our customers’ mobility expectations and our strategic business plans.

Please join us in welcoming the following vertical market sales managers. If you have new business opportunities supporting these markets please find their contact information also noted below. We welcome any opportunity to grow with you and look forward to applying their knowledge and skillsets to better servicing your account.

Automotive

Scott Fisher brings 20+ years of caster experience to his new role, originating with selling heavy duty and automotive applications as a distributor for Colson. Most recently, Scott held director level roles in both Heavy Duty Product Management and Distributor Sales for Colson Group. Scott’s automotive knowledge along with his product management and sales expertise will drive significant value to our current and new automotive customer opportunities.

Food Service

Darrell Metzger has a strong background in the food service industry, previously serving as the VP of Sales and Marketing for Jarvis Caster. In addition, Darrell has worked as the Director of Product Design and Director of Customer Service for Colson Group. His market and product knowledge along with his engineering and sales background provide a focused skillset that will benefit current and new customers throughout this industry.

Medical

Carl Susini joins Colson Group from Ametek Engineered Medical Components Group, where he served as Business Development Manager and Key Account Manager. Carl has over 10 years of experience in sales as well as experience in purchasing and product management. His successful track record will help Colson Group identify new customer opportunities and grow our presence with medical OEMs and designers alike.

To reach out to our Vertical Market managers, please contact us with your questions today.

Colson Group USA Welcomes New Members to Engineering Design Team

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St. Joseph, MI As part of Colson Group USA’s continued strategy to best position our company for growth as the global leader in the caster industry and to bring our brands together as “One Colson,” we are pleased to announce the addition of the newest members to our Engineering Design team.

Joe Hasik brings expertise and experience to Colson Group USA as Senior Project Engineer, where he will oversee specific customer projects. Prior to joining Colson Group USA, Hasik served as special projects design engineer manager for Dekker Vacuum Technologies, Inc. He also worked as senior designer for Sullair, and earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northern Michigan University.

Jacob Lindgren joins us as Project Engineer, with initial assignment to the Avant medical caster development. Jacob’s experience includes serving as a manufacturing engineer for AM General, LLC, and as Bending Engineer with General Stamping and Metalworks. Lindgren received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.

Pattie Christensen, veteran of Colson Group USA since 2010, has moved into a new role as Engineering Configuration Control Specialist. Christensen moves from Inside Sales, bringing customer-first focus into this role, and joins Dieter Milbrandt, Colson Group USA CAD Designer, on the newly established Engineering Configuration Control (ECC) team.

The ECC team will ensure proper and consistent management of business-critical items, leveraging defined release and notification processes, including: engineering and Colson Group standards; ERP bills of materials or operations, and associated maintenance; engineering prints; customer-controlled documents; industry standards; and part number issue control.

“This enhanced team approach,” said Charles Schenk, Director of Engineering – US, “ensures we are driving results the right way to best support sales, customer service, and operations by reacting more efficiently and effectively to day-to-day customer needs, continuous improvement initiatives, and preparing the company for sustained growth.”

Colson Adds New 2 Series Models to World’s Largest Caster CAD Model Library

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Colson 2 Series CAD Additions

Colson Group USA, a leading global caster and wheel manufacturer, is expanding its world’s largest computer-aided design (CAD) model library with the addition of three Colson brand product series: the 2-Series LoPro, 2-Series Stainless, and 2-Series Stainless Steel Precision. Customers can now quickly configure part numbers and download or deliver 2D/3D CAD models and interactive 3D PDF datasheets for these new additions.

“Colson continues to advance the world’s largest caster CAD library, meeting our customers’ needs for high-quality, dependable casters,” said Colson Light Duty Product Manager Jeremy Brault. “Through the expansion of the 2-series CAD models, customers can easily access pertinent specifications and easily integrate the designs of these three premium, three-year warranty products for their various caster and wheel needs.”

The 2-Series LoPro features a low profile design with cushion or hard rubber wheel options, providing floor protection and quiet operation in the lowest overall height; ideal for business machines, stock picking carts, warehouse dollies, and housekeeping carts. The 2-Series Stainless Steel series offers several tread types in 3” to 5” wheel sizes, two brake options, and a higher grade of stainless steel helping to prevent rust in even the most corrosive conditions. This makes it ideal for hostile and controlled environments, including the food, pharmaceutical, and healthcare industries. The 2-Series Precision Stainless Steel series provides the same great advantages of the 2-Series Stainless, but adds improved ergonomics and noise reduction to a users’ experience through the use of a durable stainless precision bearing raceway.

The 2-series CAD models are available on Colson’s Caster CAD 3-D app or online at www.colsoncaster.com. The 3-D CAD models are compliant with major world standards and are suitable for use in current CAD systems, saving engineers time, and money.

National Distribution Center Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

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Facility paves the way for expanded U.S. manufacturing capabilities and distribution services

Colson Group USA is celebrating the one-year anniversary of opening its national distribution center (DC) in St. Joseph, Michigan. Opened in 2016, the 170,000-square-foot facility is Colson Group’s first national DC supporting all of its brands of products and is an important part of the company’s One Colson initiative to best position itself for continued growth as the global leader in casters and wheels.

The DC was created and optimized for the distribution and common assembly of Colson Group USA’s broad product offering – functions previously supported within its manufacturing plants. The shift in distribution responsibilities allows the manufacturing plants to further enhance their operational and service responsibilities and better support the group’s leading mix of USA-made products, customer-direct production orders, and regular feeds to the DC. It also allows the company to better leverage significant plant investments for additional made-in-the-USA manufacturing, including the recently released Albion 310 & 410 family of casters.

“Our vision for the DC is to enhance our customers’ experience through faster and more reliable fulfillment, dependable inventory planning and the ability to consolidate shipments from our various brands,” said Colson Group Chief Operating Officer Christopher Cummins. “We continue to advance our systems and procedures daily and have seen great progress – reducing some lead times by as much as 70 percent. We will continue to optimize the DC throughout 2017 with the goal of achieving world-class distribution, exceeding customer needs.”

“Under Cummins’ leadership, the new DC has provided a bright outlook for Colson, as we drive continuous improvement and bring world-class manufacturing to the U.S.,” said Colson Group Chief Executive Officer Tom Blashill. “We are extremely proud of his efforts and of all the hard-working employees at the facility, as this would not be possible without them.”

Colson Group Expands Role of Director of Global Operational Excellence

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Colson Group, the largest global manufacturer and supplier of caster, wheel and mobility solutions, announced today the expansion of Darren Taylor-Ridge’s, director of global operational excellence, role with the company. He will continue to provide support to Colson Group’s U.K. production team, while also increasing his support to global projects in North America and Asia to drive quality, health, safety, environment and customer service improvements. Reporting to Colson Group Chief Operating Officer Christopher Cummins, Taylor-Ridge’s expanded role now includes leading global initiatives to improve customer service, quality, health and safety and productivity of the company’s operations in the U.K., China and the United States. He will be based in Colson Group’s China operations and spend time at the Saint Joseph, Michigan, distribution center. “We are thrilled to expand Darren’s role,” said Cummins. “This move helps us better leverage his experience and expertise to continue to bring Colson together as one company and supports our goal of unmatched customer service and quality leadership.” Taylor-Ridge joined Colson Group in April 2015 with responsibilities focused on production, health and safety, environmental and quality initiatives. During his time with the company, he has driven several process improvements in lead time, scrap reduction and the working environment. Taylor-Ridge also has been implementing lean methods to drive continuous improvements in all areas of the business. Prior to joining Colson Group, he spent 14 years serving in the Armed Forces Infantry and six years in the Army Reserve. He then worked in manufacturing roles at Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd. and other manufacturing companies. Taylor-Ridge earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Manchester Metropolitan University in the U.K. and a Master of Science degree in occupational safety and health technology from the University of Birmingham in the U.K.
About Colson Group: Colson Group is the largest manufacturer and supplier of caster and wheel products in the world. Over 1,600 global employees support Colson Group’s leading product portfolio and proprietary global value chain. World renowned brands, such as: Colson, Albion, Shepherd, Jarvis, MedCaster, Rhombus, Revvo, Flexello, Pemco, and Faultless are manufactured and marketed around the world through Colson Group’s 25 global facilities – where over 192,000 products are shipped daily. For more information, visit colsongroup.com.

Colson Group’s “Colson Cares” Gives Back to Community

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Colson Group USA’s commitment to mobility goes beyond the industries we serve and the products we make. With this in mind, we started Colson Cares – a social responsibility program partnering with regional philanthropic and charitable organizations to support the upward mobility of people.

Colson Cares’ philosophy prioritizes the development of the communities in which our employees and customers live, work and play. In the fall of 2016, we kicked off the Colson Cares program with a partnership with the Benton Harbor Salvation Army by holding a food drive. This food drive inspired 180 Colson employees to donate two mini-vans filled with non-perishable food items to their community, totaling an overall donation of 13.27 pounds per person!

“The Salvation Army food drive was a great opportunity to provide food to a number of families in need,” said Vicki Head of The Salvation Army – Benton Harbor. “The amount of food received exceeded our expectations, allowing us to provide meals for a number of families in need.”

The food drive initiative was led by Colson’s Necole Duria and Laurie Brandt. Colson Cares partners with charitable organizations and initiatives focusing on social progress, economic development, workforce development, STEM programs and courses, as well as start-up competitions, executive coaching and business mentoring organizations.

Pemco Increases Safety, Decreases Runaway Carts

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Pemco is pleased to announce the release of the SuperKat Tensioner wheel. Already known for its rounded tread, the SuperKat wheel is designed to reduce flat spotting by continuing to rotate even while being dragged laterally. The inclusion of the Pemco Tensioner helps reduce the chances of runaway shopping carts. Designed to provide lasting performance and safety – the SuperKat Tensioner is in-stock, at a great price, and features:
  • A high-performance natural rubber tread, specially designed to make the SuperKat resistant to flat-spotting
  • Durability, lasting 64% longer than the competition!
  • Non-marking and quiet rolling
  • Resistant to chemicals and oils
  • Built-in tensioner ring increases parking lot safety by helping hold unattended carts and reducing the risk of runaway shopping carts
Visit www.pemcocasters.com/series/superkat-shopping-cart-wheels/ to explore the SuperKat series and to download CAD models and product datasheets for the NEW SuperKat Tensioner wheel today. A valid, free CasterPass account is required for CAD downloads. Do not forget to log-in or register. Request quotes, samples, and pricing at www.pemcocasters.com or call your Colson Group USA representative today.

Albion Launches Improved and Expanded Full-Line Caster Catalog

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 Catalog marks launch of newly-redesigned USA Made 310 & 410 Kingpinless Series casters

  ST. JOSEPH, Michigan – October 10, 2016 | Albion, the leading heavy-duty caster brand of Colson Group USA, has just published its newest full-line catalog, which features a portfolio of over 60 unique product series designed to handle even the most challenging of applications. The catalog, which includes an industry-leading offering of industrial casters and wheels along with cutting-edge custom designs and expert advice, is available in PDF and enhanced eCatalog formats. Hard copies of the catalog can also be ordered. The refreshed Albion catalog offers engineers, designers and purchasing agents a comprehensive and detailed professional reference library of heavy-duty and material handling caster solutions and specifications. There are helpful icons designating key features and applications and a visual table of contents for easy viewing. The interactive online version of the catalog provides quick page links and is mobile ready. The new catalog also includes the addition of new maintenance free and stainless steel sections as well as expanded spring loaded and dual wheel sections featuring a variety of new series. “For more than 70 years the Albion brand has been a problem-solver to industry mobility challenges for customers worldwide,” said Colson Group USA Director of Marketing and Communications Brad Kish. “We believe that this new Albion catalog, with an improved and expanded portfolio including new products such as our USA-made 310 & 410 Kingpinless Series casters, is a reflection of that ongoing commitment.” The release of the Albion Catalog marks the official launch of the company’s newly-redesigned 310 & 410 Kingpinless Series casters, which are now built in Colson Group’s two Michigan manufacturing plants following a series of advanced manufacturing investments. The new designs are laser cut and feature a variety of product improvements, including: new innovative brakes and toe guards, weld eliminations for a stronger more integrated part, smoother edges, industry leading zinc finish with clear coat, and thicker 3/8” AISI 1045 heat treated steel leg construction – all backed by an upgraded three-year warranty. To request your new Albion catalog and start utilizing the online version today, click here.
About Albion As material handling and heavy-duty experts for over 70 years, Albion’s proven mobility solutions are capable of the most challenging applications. From the largest offering of industrial casters and wheels handling over 30,000 lbs. per caster, to cutting-edge custom designs – Albion’s experience and technology ensure that every solution meets the performance and safety requirements unique to each customers’ needs. For more information, visit albioncasters.com. About Colson Group USA Colson Group USA is a subsidiary of Colson Group, the largest global manufacturer and supplier of caster, wheel and mobility solutions. For over 350 combined years, the drive and experience of Colson innovators have led to some of the most trusted and advanced mobility solutions in the world, including some of the most renowned brands: Colson, Albion, Shepherd, Jarvis, MedCaster, Pemco, Faultless and Bassick. Colson Group’s products and solutions are backed by its unmatched customer service and supply chain optimization strategies. For more information, visit colsongroupusa.com.

Investing in the USA: Albion Advances Popular 310 & 410 Kingpinless Caster Series

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USA-made, laser cut and upgraded three-year warranty

ALBION, Michigan – Sept. 15, 2016 – Albion, the leading heavy-duty caster brand of Colson Group USA, has made a major new advancement in its product offering, which reinforces its commitment to U.S. manufacturing. After significant capital investments in its two Michigan manufacturing plants, Albion has unveiled a series of product advancements to its already popular 310 & 410 Kingpinless Series, which leverages the new investments to deliver added customer value and create new opportunities.

Recent purchases and installations of a new laser cutter, computer numeric control (CNC) bender, multiple robotic welding cells and CNC machining equipment paved the way at their Michigan plants for a laser cut redesign of the 310 & 410 Series steel components and accessories. The products’ transition to USA-made also allows Albion to deliver and respond to the market needs faster than ever, reducing lead times by as much as 70 percent.

“Investing in U.S. manufacturing to produce the quality heavy-duty products the industry has known Albion for is an important strategic initiative at Colson Group,” said Heavy-Duty Product Director Scott Fisher. “We have an aggressive heavy-duty growth plan and we are excited to deliver the new product improvements on the USA-made 310 & 410 Series as the first step of our plans.”

The new designs and technology allowed for a variety of product improvements, including 3/8-inch thick legs on the 310 Series; weld eliminations for a cleaner part, smoother edges for safety; an industry leading zinc finish with a clear coat; and newly designed innovative brakes and toe guards – all backed by an upgraded three-year warranty. The 310 & 410 Series is constructed of high quality, heat-treated AISI 1045 laser cut steel and features a precision-machined raceway for improved ergonomics and superior strength in rugged and towed applications. The legs are fully welded inside and out to handle the shock impact and higher load capacities traditional casters might not withstand. With a large variety of 2-1/2” and 3” wide wheels, brakes and accessory options, the 310 & 410 Series offers load capacities of up to 5,400 pounds per caster, depending on the selected rig, wheel and bearing combination.

“We are committed to our initiatives to optimize our heavy-duty segment, including product portfolio and all support services. We are continuing to invest heavily in our USA heavy-duty team and manufacturing plants,” said Colson Group CEO Tom Blashill. “Through the combination of competitively manufacturing the best product close to our customers and providing world-class support, we will continue to expand our value proposition to the market and generate growth with our strategic partners.”

The new USA-made, laser cut 310 & 410 Series brochures are available online and in the new Albion catalog that will be available for shipment late this September. Multimedia files can be accessed here.

Watch the Installation of the new laser cutter machine:

About Albion

As material handling and heavy-duty experts for over 65 years, Albion’s proven mobility solutions are capable of the most challenging applications. From the largest offering of industrial casters and wheels handling over 30,000 lbs. per caster, to cutting-edge custom designs – Albion’s experience and technology ensure that every solution meets the performance and safety requirements unique to each customers’ needs. For more information, visit albioncasters.com.

About Colson Group USA

Colson Group USA is a subsidiary of Colson Group, the largest global manufacturer and supplier of caster, wheel and mobility solutions. For over 350 combined years, the drive and experience of Colson innovators have led to some of the most trusted and advanced mobility solutions in the world, including some of the most renowned brands: Colson, Albion, Shepherd, Jarvis, MedCaster, Pemco, Faultless, and Bassick. Colson Group’s products and solutions are backed by its unmatched customer service and supply chain optimization strategies. For more information, visit colsongroupusa.com.