Duane Rondeau, a 30-year Besser Co. veteran, has been promoted to executive director of Sales – Masonry & Hardscape, responsible for national and international sales teams. Upon graduating with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Michigan Technological University, Rondeau joined the Besser Engineering team in 1988, later moving into sales administration and ultimately a leadership role in international sales in 2012.
He will oversee an experienced and diverse sales team focused on providing industry-leading customer service, working especially with North American and International Market Directors John Reedy and Mike Munro.
As powertrain heavyweight Detroit observes its 80th anniversary in 2018, parent company Daimler Trucks North America LLC is marking another important achievement: Production of its one millionth heavy-duty engine platform (HDEP) engine. The engine is a shared milestone between Detroit’s Redford, Mich.-based manufacturing facility and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim, Germany.
Introduced in 2007, HDEP was jointly developed in Germany, Japan and the United States. HDEP engines have 90 percent shared parts worldwide, which has resulted in significant cost savings and uptime efficiencies. The first HDEP engine in North America was the Detroit DD15 engine, which today leads the industry with more than 60 percent market penetration and best-in-class fuel efficiency. The DD13 and DD16 engines were later introduced to meet the needs of additional heavy-duty applications.
“Detroit will continue to leverage the power of Daimler’s global resources to push the envelope with transformative technology and products so that we can exceed customer expectations in all dimensions,” affirms DTNA Powertrain Engineering Head Rakesh Aneja.
Meritor, Inc. has opened a fourth North America aftermarket distribution facility, the Eastern Canada Regional Distribution Center in Mississauga, Ontario, to fulfill orders from warehouse distributors and dealers. The facility stocks Meritor Aftermarket’s complete brand portfolio for customers in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec. Unit-down orders in these provinces will be fulfilled from the Mississauga warehouse. Meritor’s Edmonton, Alberta, facility will continue serving western Canada aftermarket customers. The Florence, Ky., location fulfills orders in the eastern United States, and the West Coast Aftermarket Distribution Center in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., serves U.S. warehouse distributors and dealers in 13 Western states.
Fox Blocks, Nebraska-based insulating concrete form manufacturer, has adopted the Helix Steel Twisted Steel Micro Rebar, a three-dimensional concrete reinforcement solution, in its specification. The product will provide Fox Blocks customers added strength, resiliency and durability in ICF walls. Over the past year, teams from Fox Blocks and Helix Steel, Ann Arbor, Mich., have collaborated from a design and engineering perspective, culminating in a strategic partner alliance.
“The combination of Fox Blocks ICF and Helix Steel allows us deliver more resilient, durable and sustainable concrete structures to our customer base,” says Fox Blocks Vice President Mike Kennaw. “By including Helix Steel in our wall, slab and footing designs, our customers will realize the benefits of increased shear capacity, three-dimensional concrete reinforcement and achieve elevated FEMA ratings for hurricane and tornadic activity.”
iQ Power Tools, a manufacturer of concrete- and masonry equipment with integrated dust collection, has appointed Vince Hollis as national product training manager. He will be in charge of product information and training for dealers and field representatives; serve as trainer at industry gatherings; and, participate in regional events with Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, International Masonry Institute and Mason Contractors Association of America.
