Holcim (US) has awarded a $25,000 Public Health Scholarship to Vincent Walford, a Morehouse School of Medicine student who will continue working in his
Holcim (US) has awarded a $25,000 Public Health Scholarship to Vincent Walford, a Morehouse School of Medicine student who will continue working in his community to aid the underserved. A 2005 graduate of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, Walford participates in several community initiatives, including PORTRAITS, where he mentors adolescents and young adults; IMPACT, a religious service organization; Stepping Out, a campus-wide university-sponsored program; and, Mission Waco, which targets youth living in public housing projects.
Holcim’s relationship with Morehouse began as a Katrina-related initiative that has grown into a partnership to help communities surrounding a number of Holcim plants. The Holcim (US) Public Health Scholarship provides financial aid to Morehouse School of Medicine public health or medical students to minimize their post-education debt load and better enable them to provide community health care and public health services consistent with the school’s mission.
In addition to the scholarship, Holcim (US) worked with the Morehouse School of Medicine this in summer 2007 to launch a new program to support health care in communities where the company operates. Six MSM students spent the summer working in medical practices and clinics for low-income patients near Holcim (US) plants in Alabama, South Carolina, and Mississippi.
Initial incentive for the MSM intern program dates to summer 2006 when local Holcim (US) employees in Theodore, Ala., made a commitment to help the community near the plant rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. Holcim (US) employees assisted in reestablishing the rural health clinic in Bayou La Batre, serving low-income residents in the Theodore vicinity. Destroyed first by the hurricane and rebuilt, the clinic later suffered another blow when it burned down the day before its scheduled reopening. Besides spearheading the effort to raise $120,000 to once again restore the clinic, including a $50,000 donation from Holcim (US), the company sponsored two medical students from MSM to serve at the clinic.
Roanoke Cement Co. was awarded the 2007 Energy Star, part of a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. The producer achieved a score of 98 percent, reflecting actual energy use as determined via the EPA’s energy performance indicator (EPI). Under that benchmark, a cement plant’s energy efficiency is rated and compared to that of the entire industry using basic inputs particular to a facility.
The only active cement plant in Virginia, Roanoke Cement is one of 10 operations Û out of 118 U.S. cement facilities Û listed by the U.S. EPA as Top Performing Plants nationwide. To save energy, the producer introduces preheated raw materials into the kiln. The plant’s preheater tower acts like a huge heat exchanger using the kiln’s hot exit gases, thus functioning as a tower of high-efficiency cyclones, delivering raw material into and through the kiln. Roanoke obtains approximately a 40 percent reduction in fuel consumption through the heat exchange.
Mid Atlantic Concrete Equipment, Inc., a dealer for Con-E-Co concrete plants and equipment in the eastern U.S., has expanded staff and services to meet growing demand. Filling the newly created position of eastern regional sales manager is Joe DeFrank, who previously spent 17 years with McNeilus, working most recently as operations and product support manager for Oshkosh McNeilus in Morgantown, Pa. His new sales territory includes western Pennsylvania, western New York, West Virginia and Virginia.
Other recent staff additions at Mid Atlantic Concrete’s Lititz, Pa., headquarters include Ken Stadden, operations manager; Marybeth Cramer, office manager; and, Melissa Wallace, administrative assistant. Earlier this year, Raymond Peterson, based in Danville, Vt., was hired as regional sales manager for all of New England and portions of New York. Additionally, Mid Atlantic recently expanded its parts and service telephone support to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. A live operator is available for night and weekend calls at the company’s toll-free number, 888/378-6223.
Matthew Boler has been named president and CEO of the Boler Co., Hendrickson parent company, succeeding John M. Boler. Matt Boler was previously vice president of corporate development and earlier served as general manager of Hendrickson Bumper and Trim.
Concurrently, Gary Gerstenslager has been named Hendrickson CEO, adding that title to his existing duties as president. He assumes responsibility for the entire Hendrickson global enterprise and will report to Matt Boler, as will James Colley, chief financial officer; Nancy Coons, executive vice president, administration; and, Michael Boler, president of Boler Financial Enterprises.
The Admixture Systems division of BASF recently announced the addition of two product managers to lead product marketing initiatives. Jim Reddy comes to BASF from the OM Group where he served the last eight years in various capacities, including Product Management, R&D Department management, and most recently, Market Development management. Chris Mazur joins the Product Management team, having spent the last two years working for Agtek Development Co. as an account manager. Both Reddy and Mazur will work out of the BASF Construction Chemicals office located in Cleveland.
Munich-based Wacker Construction Equipment AG and shareholders representing 90 percent interest in Austria’s Neuson Kramer Baumaschinen AG signed a merger agreement to create a global manufacturer of light and compact equipment with over 160 sales and service stations. According to company officials, the merger will significantly strengthen the compact equipment sector, including mini-excavators and wheel and telescopic loaders; leverage Wacker Construction Equipment’s AG’s global sales network; and, provide a springboard to capitalize on growth opportunities in the mainstream construction and landscaping markets.
Per Carlsson has been appointed president and CEO of Volvo Trucks North America Division, effective January 1, 2008. Prior to his current position at Volvo Powertrain Sweden, he was CFO at Volvo Trucks. He succeeds Peter Karlsten, who will assume the position of Volvo Powertrain president and CEO, starting December 1, as well as the role of Volvo Group senior vice president-technology, becoming also a member of the Group Executive Committee. Current CFO Lars Thoren will serve as acting president of Volvo Trucks North America.