INTERNATIONAL UPDATE Canadian College to Enhance Its Trades Facilities Camosun College in British Columbia, Canada, expects to receive more than $29 million from the Ministry of Advanced Education to renew and enhance its existing trades facilities at the Interurban Campus. John Yap, minister of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology, and Ida Chong, minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, announced the funding, which will assist the college to create a state-of-the-art Trades Learning Centre for Excellence. The facility will include a new marine and metal trades center to house welding, sheet metal, metal fabrication, and shipbuilding and repair programs; new mechanical trades center to house heavyduty, commercial truck transport and automotive service technician programs; repurposing of the Jack White Trades Building to house electrical, plumbing and piping trades, and future renewable energy programs; repurposing of the John Drysdale Trades Building as a new technology and innovation center that will also house a general-purpose classroom space and trades equipment storage; new central student commons facility to serve the combined trades centers; expanded and reconfigured trades yard space, outdoor storage, and construction project areas with improved accessability; and upgrade to electrical service for existing trades buildings. The new facilities, according to Yap, will “encourage more and more young people to consider careers in the trades.” Genesis Systems Opens New Office in Japan Genesis Systems Group, a robotic workcells integrator, recently announced the establishment of a sales office in Nagoya, Japan. Genesis Systems Group Japan, KK, will lead the company’s efforts to strengthen its global footprint and better serve new and existing Japanese clients. The office will be led by Tadaji Seko, who served Toyota Corporation as a trainer of the Toyota Production System, manager of Production Engineering, and deputy chairman of information discussions, and Junko Fukutome who started with Genesis in 2005 and most recently has worked as its liaison in Japan. Wheelabrator Group Expands to Mexico Wheelabrator, a provider of equipment-support services, opened WG Plus de Mexico, a new 34,000-sq-ft manufacturing and aftermarket parts and service facility, in Monterrey. The facility supports regional original equipment manufacturing and aftermarket sales as well as equipment manufacturing operations for the global customer base. This expansion provides heavy-duty manufacturing, secondary light assembly operations, and aftermarket support to service the increased demands for all of the Americas. Robert E. Joyce Jr., president and CEO, Norican Group, said, “Our investment plans are to continue to expand our company globally to meet the growing demands and needs of our customers.” Canadian Fabricator to Build Plant in Montana ADF Group, Inc., a fabricator of structural steel and steel components in Montreal, Canada, approved an estimated $24 million plan to build a new 100,000-sq-ft structural steel fabrication complex on 100 acres of industrial land located in Great Falls, Mont. Its annual fabrication capacity is estimated at more than 25,000 tons. Adjacent to the new facility, ADF will set up a large structural steel fabrication and preassembly yard to rapidly and effectively serve new sectors and fast growing markets. In addition to expanding westward, the investment will give ADF access to the U.S. public infrastructures market segment. Jean Paschini, chairman of the board and CEO, said, “During the past months, we have studied many other sites to set up a second plant, and we have chosen Great Falls in Montana for its strategic geographic location. Situated at 160 km from Alberta’s border, the city of Great Falls will allow ADF to pursue its development both in Canada and the United States.” The new plant, equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, is expected to be operating by the second half of 2013. ♦ Camosun College student Jenny Albrecht prepares Advanced Education, Innovation & Technology Minister John Yap and Aboriginal Relations & Reconciliation Minister Ida Chong for a welding demo. Wheelbrator opened a new 34,000-sq-ft service facility in Monterrey, Mexico. Artist rendering of ADF’s structural steel fabrication plant to be built in Great Falls, Montana. 12 JANUARY 2013
Welding Journal | January 2013
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