Management

Versevo Inc., Hartland, Wis., a manufacturing and services provider for the cast metals industry, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. "Whether you have been here 1 month or 20 years, the commitment and determination that goes into a business and making it successful is important," said Terry Moon, founder, president and CEO of Versevo, when addressing employees at a celebratory luncheon. "But it's the collection of all of us that make this work."

Advanced ceramics producer Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corp. (KICC), Tokyo, announced the creation of a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Kyocera Precision Tools Inc., that consolidates its North American cutting tool operations in the indexable, microtool, and printed circuit board (PCB) cutting tool markets.

EMAG LLC, a Farmington Hills, Mich.-based machine tool supplier, has launched an apprentice training program to encourage continuing growth in Michigan's mechatronics manufacturing industry and ensure an advanced workforce to close the sector's skills gap. Developed in conjunction with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Oakland Community College and Henry Ford Community College, the program offers high-school graduates a career in machine mechatronics, a discipline incorporating electrical, electronic and mechanical studies, providing all graduates an advanced associate's degree.

After more than 30 years of working together, collet chuck producer BIG Daishowa Seiki Co. Ltd. (Osaka, Japan) and tooling provider KAISER Precision Tooling Ltd. (Rümlang, Switzerland) have solidified their longtime partnership in the European and Asian markets. The two companies have come together to create a mutually beneficial distribution network similar to the decade-old US-based BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc, Hoffman Estates, Ill. BIG Kaiser Germany ran as a pilot project to test efficacy of such a model in the European market and the company's success paved the way for a larger European partnership executed through KAISER Switzerland. 

Students in the University of Washington's mechanical engineering program successfully petitioned the Dean of Engineering for a new furnace at the school's Engineering Instructional Shop as a replacement for an antiquated, unreliable, smaller unit. The new furnace, a model HL7-P36 from Lucifer Furnaces Inc., Warrington, Pa., with a work chamber of 18"x24"x36", will allow students to heat treat more parts in-house.

Jenoptik Industrial Metrology has announced a 2014 event, The Better Parts Challenge., where U.S. manufacturers send their part quality challenges  to be reviewed by the Rochester Hills, Mich.-based metrology manufacturer's experts. These challenges will be reviewed  at "road shows" across the U.S., showing how Jenoptik measuring devices and software can help manufacturers make better quality parts and potentially reduce the cost of production.

A mobile digital edition app to view Cutting Tool Engineering magazine on smartphones and tablets is now available.

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), Fairfax, Va., announced that it awarded a record number of credentials last year to individuals seeking to enter into or advance in jobs in the metalworking industry. In 2013, NIMS issued 13,888 industry-recognized credentials, representing a 58.8 percent increase from 2012.

Minneapolis machine shop NTM Inc. was named a partner in the KOMET SERVICE network and will provide localized tool regrinding and refurbishment services for tools from KOMET and other toolmakers, as well as sell standard and special KOMET solid-carbide tools.  

Seco Tools, Troy, Mich., was recognized for participating in the John Deere Cost Reduction Opportunities Process (JD CROP), part of Deere & Company's Achieving Excellence program. The toolmaker received the honor for the quality of its cost-reduction ideas and for demonstrating its commitment to continuous improvement, according to Seco.