INDUSTRY FACES
Wilson Family Reacquires Brewton Iron Works Earle Wilson Jr. has a history with
Brewton Iron Works Inc., Brewton, Ala., that goes back more than a century. His grandfather joined the facility as its man- ager in 1903 and became its sole owner in 1922. Now the third generation owner of the metalcasting facility, Wilson recently reacquired the foundry specializing in me- chanical power transmission components on New Year’s Eve 2013. In 2002, Allied-Locke Industries, a major customer of Brewton Iron Works, purchased minority shares of the stock, and Wilson Jr. sold his remaining inter- est in 2006 due to financial hardships. In 2013, Allied-Locke president Bill Crow- son offered the company back to Wilson, who raised the necessary funds with help from a group of local investors. Wilson is owner/VP of sales and his son, Rick Wilson, handles day-to-day operations as president. Te Wilson family is happy to be back at the helm of
“Every time, it’s reestablishing sales—that’s the key,” Wilson said. “When reacquiring the company, we need to focus on establishing our sales force. We need to get our organization squared away, reach out to customers and let them know we are back as sole owners of the company.” Despite the economic turbulence of the past decade, Wilson believes his company is poised for success. “Because we’re so heavily involved in water and waste treatment, I think we have a very bright future,” Wilson said. “Tose industries are not going away. Tey’re going to grow over the next few years, so our company is in a good spot.” Another trend, this one industry
Earle Wilson Jr. (seated) and his son Rick Wilson reacquired Brewton Iron Works on Dec. 31, 2013.
wide, may mean greater success for Brewton Iron Works. “Te industry has changed quite a
Brewton. For Earle Wilson Jr., though, the reacquisition process was one that he had experienced before. In 1974, Wilson’s father sold the company to Allied Products Corp., Chicago, before the family bought the company back four years later. Wilson Jr. identifies relationships with custom- ers as crucial to reestablishing the company and the family, just as it was 40 years ago.
PERSONALS
Clare Gallaher has been hired as a sales representative for Decatur Foundry Inc., Decatur, lll. Astech Inc., Vassar,
Travis Baur
Mich., recently added three new engineers to their staff: Travis Baur, en- gineering manager;
Lenard Noel, metallur- gist/quality engineer; and Cody Wessels, product engineer.
Lenard Noel Carole Koz has re- Carole Koz
joined Blast Cleaning Technologies, New Berlin, Wis., a division of Metcast, as its new account development manager, where she will be responsible for
new account development, man- agement of corporate accounts and marketing. Palmer Manufacturing &
Supply Inc., Springfield, Ohio, has added Carpenter Brothers
OBITUARIES Jerry Alan Nagel
died May 6, 2014. He was 52. Nagel began working for Canfield & Joseph Inc., in its Kansas City, Kan., location in 1984. Nagel then transferred to the Fort Worth, Texas, division in 1995, and later became president of the company. He was an active member of the Texas chapter of the American Foundry Society (AFS), where he served in a number of posi-
Inc., Norton Shores, Mich., for additional sales coverage. Thomas R. Gaeding, Jay Morrison, Lee Simonson and Dan AuBuchon will be regional sales managers for Palmer’s four regions.
bit. Foreign competition is lessening some,” Wilson said. “A lot of people that sent patterns to China are bringing them back into the country. Tat is enhancing our opportunities. We’re able to look toward the future because a lot of our product was made overseas but is returning to the U.S.” Brewton Iron Works produces components for use in water
and sewage treatment, and it also manufactures low volume gray and ductile iron parts, flame cut steel and UHMW plastic components for a variety of industries.
tions on the board, most recently as its chairman. Arthur John Karam died May 12,
Jerry Alan Nagel
2014. He was 96. After receiving his metallurgical engineering degree from Michigan Technological Univ., Hough- ton, Mich., Karam began a 34-year career with General Motors’ Central Foundry Division, where he served as plant manager of Saginaw malleable iron and director of foundry and government relations. He was active with the Ameri- can Foundry Society and Saginaw Valley Industrial Executives Club.
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