Visit MODERN CASTING’s Late-Breaking Metalcasting News at www.moderncasting.com Personals


Pier Foundry & Pattern Shop Inc., St.


Paul, Minn., has restructured its man- agement team, with Matt Grilz being made president and chief operating offi- cer, Nick Grilz becoming vice president of operations, Joe Kranz becoming vice president and chief financial officer, and Nate Reinke being named vice president of business development.


Holly Harp was made customer service manager by Astech Inc., Vassar, Mich.


Penn-Mar Castings Inc., Hanover, Pa.,


promoted Tracy Siegle to sales manager. Richard Winsemius joined the cor-


porate advisory board of Powerit Solu- tions, Seattle.


B&L Information Systems announced


the following promotions: Doug Hin- man to senior vice president of research and development, Matt Gacek to vice president of business development, Brenda Povlock to vice president of client services, and Ron Thomas to vice president of administration.


Industry Faces Metalcasting Facility Owner Ray Robbins Tapped to Run for Alabama Senate


Ray Robbins was approached by neighbors concerned about losing their jobs at Talladega Foundry and Machine Co. Inc., Talladega, Ala, in 1990. He purchased the company himself in 1991 and has run it faithfully for the past 20 years. In early September, Robbins was


swayed by the call of community again— this time to run for the Alabama Senate. Robbins, who gave up a 20-year-old


law practice to enter the metalcasting business full-time two decades ago, has been tapped by the Alabama Republican Party to campaign for the state’s District 11 Senate seat, replacing retiring incumbent Jim Preuitt. “This situation is challenging in


that we are less than 60 days from the general election,” said Rep. Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn), chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. “However, we believe [Robbins] will be a fresh conservative face who will give us an


MODERN CASTING / October 2010


excellent opportunity to win this seat.” In order to campaign for the open


seat, Robbins currently is away from his sand casting facility, which pours primarily gray and ductile iron com- mercial castings, but also produces some aluminum ornamental pieces. According


to Laura Robbins, the candidate’s daugh- ter, Talladega Foundry would continue to operate as usual if her father were to win the November election. “We have a good staff in place and


each one knows his or her job well,” she said. “We’re a family here.”


MC Stork Testing & Metallurgical Consult-


ing, Houston, has made Mike Sherman its new sales manager.


MC Obituaries


Carl R. Loper Jr., Madison, Wis., died Sept. 7. He was 78. Loper received de- grees of BS, MS and PhD in metallurgical engineering from the Univ. of Wisconsin- Madison in 1955, 1958 and 1961. While studying at the university, he was named a Foundry Educational Foun- dation (FEF) fellow, a Wheelabrator fellow and a Ford Foundation fellow. Loper gained industry experience


Carl Loper


through employment at Pelton Steel Castings Co. and Allis-Chalmers Manu- facturing Co. He joined the Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison as a professor in


INDUSTRY NEWS


1961 and taught there until his retire- ment from academia. A long-time member of the American Foundry Soci- ety (AFS), Loper shared his knowledge through talks and technical papers pre- sented at industry meetings and events held around the world. In addition to his published body of technical and scientific work, he held nine patents. Loper was chairman of the ductile


iron division from 1969-72 and 1976-77, he served on the AFS Wisconsin Chap- ter’s board of directors, and he was the faculty advisor to the AFS University of Wisconsin-Madison Student chapter. Loper was also the FEF Key Professor at the university. Loper’s accomplishments earned him the AFS Howard F. Taylor Best Paper Award in 1967. In 1972, he was awarded the Penton Gold Medal in recognition of his “significant and meri- torious contributions to research and technology in cast ferrous metals and to education on behalf of the industry and the society.” He was the Hoyt Memorial Lecturer in 1992.


MC


Ray Robbins, owner of Talladega Foundry and Machine, is running for Alabama Senate. 13


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