Command Alkon has promoted Gustavo Vargas to vice president. Over 16-plus years, he has served as sales manager, account manager, director of Strategic Marketing, and currently leads the MOBILEconnect division, with additional
responsibility for Command Alkon’s Brazilian operations. Vargas holds a master’s degree in Business Administration and a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering.
Separately, Command Alkon has promoted Andrew Ellis to chief financial officer, two years after he joined the company as corporate controller. Ellis began his career with Deloitte & Touche, working with clients ranging from privately held to public, multinational companies in a variety of industries. A Certified Public Accountant, he holds a bachelor’s and master’s in Accountancy from the University of Alabama.
Bill Oberfield has joined Columbia Machine Inc. as key account executive. President and CEO of Ohio-based Oberfields’s Inc. Concrete Products from 1985–2011 and Oberfields LLC from 2011–2013, he has been a major industry presence and long active in the National Concrete Masonry Association, which he chaired in 1994 and awarded him Lifetime Achievement Award this year. With his knowledge of concrete production methods and technology, and passion for innovations, Columbia officials note, Oberfield will be a tremendous asset to the organization.
A strategic partnership with East Setauket, N.Y.-based Penetron Group positions Grace Construction Products to market, sell and distribute crystalline agents to impart waterproofing and permeability-reducing features in ready mixed concrete, plus related formulations for concrete maintenance, repair and retrofit.
“Partnering with Grace enables us to bring our innovative solutions to a wider customer base and better meet their specific construction challenges,” affirms Penetron CEO Robert Revera. “This allows us to grow our leadership position in the crystalline technology arena and add value to the Grace line, while maintaining the high level of support our customers have come to expect from us.”
Louisville, Ky.-based Charah Inc., a total solutions company for the coal-fired electric utility industry, has named Scott Ziegler vice president, Ash Sales and Marketing. Based in Bradenton, Fla., he brings 15-plus years’ experience in fly ash and cement, and will oversee activity in existing markets and develop new business for Charah. Ziegler is an American Coal Ash Association director and member of the American Coal Council and American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Pittsburgh-based Predictive Solutions has named Cummins Inc. this year’s recipient of the Robert W. Campbell Award, recognizing organizations that achieve excellence integrating environmental, health and safety management in business operations. A key part of Cummins’ safety program is the use of SafetyNet, a software system programmed to predict workplace injuries, along with safety culture change services.
“Predictive Solutions has been an invaluable partner for us on our journey to safety excellence,” says Cummins Distribution Business Unit’s Adam Tucker, director of Health, Safety and Environment. “Our collaboration goes well beyond technology and software solutions. They’ve helped us put our data to work by shifting the safety culture in areas that drive the most impact.”
Separately, Cummins Inc. was recognized with the 2014 United States Overall Best Heavy-Duty Truck Engines Product Leadership Award from Frost & Sullivan at the North American Growth, Innovation & Leadership Gala in San Jose, Calif. The award was based on the business consulting firm’s 2014 independent research survey of U.S. heavy-duty fleet, safety and service managers. Results indicated that the majority of respondents selected Cummins as the overall best brand of heavy-duty truck engines for their fleets.
The survey specifically highlights leadership in heavy-duty truck engine technology, including fuel efficiency, performance and reliability—driven by commitment to continuous product improvements and the total integration of critical components on the engine system. Cummins designs and develops everything from air handling to exhaust aftertreatment in-house, offering technology that is integrated and optimized to work together as a single unit. In addition to the recognition of leading engine technology, Cummins’ customer support capability was equally highlighted by survey respondents as brand preference driving force.
Notes Cummins North America Engine Business, Truck Executive Director Julie Furber, “This recognition is a testament to our commitment to deliver industry-leading engines backed by unmatched support that enables our customers’ success in all of the markets in which they operate.”
Mt Vernon, Mo., suspension manufacturer Reyco Granning has named John Stuart vice president, Engineering, with responsibilities across the company’s trailer, powered vehicle, aftermarket and research & development segments. With more than 24 years of experience in engineering for the transportation industry, Stuart has served in senior leadership positions for leading manufacturers in both the trailer and powered vehicle markets.
Atlas Copco has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 2014/2015. Ranking among the top tier in the Machinery & Electrical Equipment industry, it scores particularly well in Environmental Policy/Management Systems, Environmental Reporting, and Risk & Crisis Management categories.
The DJSI World Index assesses some 2,500 public companies, pinpointing 10 percent of them for the annual ranking. The index helps identify and measure the companies that represent an attractive investment opportunity by demonstrating an ability to manage sustainability issues, Dow Jones officials note. Companies are also analyzed on factors such as climate strategy, labor practices, occupational health and safety, and emerging market approach.
The DJSI ranking is based on research by RobecoSAM, a specialized and renowned investment group, in collaboration with S&P 500. Sustainability leaders are known to outperform their peers financially in the long term. Earlier this year Atlas Copco was ranked number seven globally in the Newsweek Green Rankings, one of the world’s foremost ranking on corporate sustainability. The company was also recognized by the annual Global 100 list, presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as one of the world’s most sustainable companies.