Robot Occupation

As human workers decide to go remote, super-smart robots are “manning” the workplace As disruptive as the pandemic has been, it has taught manufacturers some valuable lessons that they’re now acting on. Two major players — Swiss industrial giant ABB and Milwaukee-based Rockwell Automation — have made recent investments in robotics as a way to […]

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Sunshine in the coal fields

Dominion Energy is teaming up with The Nature Conservancy to transform the site of a former coal mine in Southwest Virginia into a 50 MW solar project. One of the first utility-scale solar projects on former surface mines in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia is being developed by an unusual partnership between Dominion Energy and The […]

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The world’s largest all-female factory

Ola Electric’s CEO Bhavish Aggarwal is excited about the co’s Tamil Nadu e-scooter factory, which will be run entirely by 10,000 females. In a blog post, Aggarwal presented the mission behind the idea: “This is the first in a series of initiatives we are undertaking at Ola to create a more inclusive workforce and provide […]

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Three industry leaders

The electromechanical industry lost three respected leaders this summer –  Michael G Pence, noted especially as the recipient of the 2013 EASA Exceptional Service Award …Jay Industrial’s founder Carl Jernigan … and Electrowind’s Stu Lamers. Additional information will be published as obituaries in the October 2021 Electrical Apparatus Carl Jernigan, 94, died peacefully at his Birminngham […]

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Three billion on the table

Manufacturers – having trouble hiring? Worried about a dearth of skilled workers? If your company could benefit from a tailored training program that would save or create jobs for you and your community — you just might be able to get one funded by the federal government. Here’s the deal – The Economic Development Association […]

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Birds are to blame

Augusta Montana’s disruptive power outages are traced high, in the sky – it’s a bird!  Half a century ago,  it was the osprey that fell prey to humans – or more accurately, to the DDT that humans used to control crops.  The species was officially deemed endangered.  Then DDT was banned and the osprey population […]

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A first for Colorado and the US

The Centenenial State is the first in the nation to pass labor-backed electrification legislation for home energy efficiency Legislation that was signed June 22 by Colorado Governor Jared Polis makes Colorado the first state in the nation to pass an electrification policy with support from both climate change groups and organized labor. The Colorado BlueGreen […]

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EASA: Monday research

An annual survey informs best practices for service shop growth Jerry Peerbolte’s annual presentation is unfailingly one of the best attended EASA convention sessions, and this year was no exception.  And Peerbolte, who is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Arkansas’ College of Business and principal of J. Peerbolte & Associates, Fort […]

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Phil It Up: BDS Makes Two Acquisitions

Philadelphia-based bearings company acquirers two area repair ops and distributors Bearing & Drive Solutions (BDS) of the Philadelphia region, a familiar name in the world of industrial distribution since 1978, has acquired two more stalwarts in the industry: Philadelphia Ball and Roller Bearing (that of 400 N. 6th St. in Philadelphia) and Universal Motor Distributors, […]

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Copper thieves

Thefts around the country call attention to an ongoing problem Copper wiring can be sold as scrap, so public infrastructure can an attractive incentive for thieves.  When the theft is from a farm, utility, or transportation system, there’s also the possibility of collateral damage of repairs, downtime, and unpredicted service disruptions. Here is an assortment […]

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