Conveyor Blog

For a low profile belt conveyor company — or any company for that matter — it’s always nice to start the year off on a good foot and everyone asks the same question, “How was the show (the West Pack show, that is)?” The answer lies in each one’s own perspective and how you perceive shows. We strive to proactively make shows great. We prepare and attack, we know no other way. The days of sitting on your hands and waiting for attendees to come by your booth are long gone. It is still amazing to see how many exhibitors do it.

So was the show a success for us? Yes, absolutely. It takes a lot of work to make sure you have a success, but this year we teamed up with Provoast Automation, a top selling pneumatic and hydraulic sales force in Southern California and came away with many high qualified projects.

Many potential customers raved about the new Tension Release Tail on our Automation Series conveyors. They included James Lowery, a Design Engineer from ITM in Texas, who said, “…simply phenomenal. Loved it. I can’t wait to talk it up with the other designers and use it as soon as we have an opportunity.” And this was long before I had the chance to show him our new Pivot™ rotatable drives and discuss our five year warranty. But as you know at shows you have all of about 30 seconds and you’re done.

So from our perspective, it was a great show! From the attendees perspective there was certainly a tremendous amount to learn. And as for the “Hand Sitters” well I hope you had a good show too!

John Mellencamp’s song Small Town said it best, “Well I was born in small town, and I live in a small town…”(come on sing along). Although 2009 hit the manufacturing sector hard, Press Automation is making it big in a small town — especially for their customers throughout Indiana and us here at QC Industries.

Elkhart, as we all know is in the heart of Indiana, and so is Press Automation, Inc., an extraordinary company that is making sweet music in a not so easy time to do so. Their lyrics are a bit different though, “Staying close to customers and listening to their needs,” said Budd Bowman, General Manager, “and oh yea, good old fashion hard work.” The song must be right as this company stands out as one of QC Industries’ top distributors every year and this year will be no different. As I talk to Budd about his business every year you just hear it in his voice, this small town company really cares about their business and their customers.

The family owned business was formed in 1979 by Carol and Don Bowman. Budd, their son is now at the helm and continues to thrive with the dedication of the entire Press Automation crew including the inside support team and the sales staff.

From a manufacturer’s perspective, one line in the song should say something to the effect of “we don’t try and do it all.” They listen to the customer’s needs and align themselves with high quality vendors.

This is a special company, one that probably doesn’t get enough press. They are hardworking, honest and one whose customers and vendors are lucky enough to be very much in harmony with. Sing along everyone, “prob’ly die in a small town, oh those small communities…”

Congratulations are in order for our very own award winning photographer, Chris Thompson. This year Chris walked away with the People’s Choice Award in the Defining Moments chapter and is the only photographer to win a chapter award from Capture Cincinnati three years in a row. This year’s photo was taken of Air Force One as it is preparing for take off at Cincinnati’s CVG airport. Great job, Chris!

Conveyer & Caster one of our progressive distributors continues to impress. They are now blogging.

Industrial Control our Michigan distributor provides a very nice presentation on their website of our new product line, our AS40 & AS65 automation series low profile belt conveyor line. This is a proactive company that customers want to work with. Their website also shows nice videos of many products and demonstrations on how to use them. Industrial Control incorporated in 1975 specializes in solutions to help save cost and reducing risk. Their business offers sensors, vision systems, motion control, bowl feeders, part handling – including our conveyors of course as well as services such as training, installations, consulting, testing and much more. If you are in Michigan in the manufacturing industries and need support, please give them a call at 1-800-878-6722.

Conveyer & Caster from Cleveland, Ohio also provides a nice presentation of our new product lines online. Since 1961 this organization has been providing solutions and improving efficiencies for customers in the material handling industry. They have offices throughout northern Ohio, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. I encourage you to review their website and invite them in for a visit. You can reach them at 1-800-836-0630.

It’s an odd time of year to talk about Christmas stories, but this one is worth the diversion. I recently learned that last year, when the Grinch stole Christmas on Broadway, they used QC Industries conveyors to support the production. Einstein Innovations owner Gary Schwartz told me last week at ATX East in New York that he “couldn’t have done it without a QC Industries conveyor! We actually used a manual hand crank to move one of the props/characters on and off the stage. The size, light weight, low profile and ease of use of the conveyor were very important.” Gary came by to thank us and to see our new Automation Series conveyor he had heard about. Be on the lookout for more of our conveyors in Broadway productions. Hopefully, with Gary’s help, you’ll be hearing about our first Tony award soon!

Photo by Paul Kolnik.

I’m excited to announce that QC Industries’ new Automation Series low profile belt conveyor has received one of New Equipment Digest’s Best of 2009 Awards. Our Automation Series was previously featured on the cover of NED’s March issue.

New Equipment Digest presents their awards annually in their June issue. This is the second time a QC Industries product has received a “best of” award. The first award from NED was for our 125Z Series in 2000.

The award is not one that you submit for consideration. NED says the award is decided by the readership through their level of interest measured by response card and web results for each new product. We’d like to thank the readers of NED for their interest in our new products!

Please welcome Hannah Reese Thompson to the world, born May 21, 2005, 8lbs, 2oz. 22″. Baby and mom are doing great. Nice job Chris!

With the ATX East Automation show just four weeks away, many of us exhibitors and everyone else associated with manufacturing are very interested to see how well that show will be attended. As this year has gone on, some exhibitors have dropped out, however my short list of marketing buddies are all still in and moderately optimistic.

I asked Albert Sabbah, Group Sales Manager for Canon Communications, for his thoughts. “Excited and nervous” were his two quick words of choice. “Since the show is wide spread through many industries from medical to automation to green, really many of the companies are having good years.” Albert was quick to show the numbers as well and they are up and down, depending on the show. I quickly summarized and noticed medical (MD&M), packaging (EastPack), and automation (ATX) are good; plastics industry, questionable.

The bundling effect of shows is working to Canon’s and our advantage. Let’s hope we can say the same come June 12th. Our jobs as marketers, bloggers, buyers, investors, etc. is to help proactively create a victory. Come on everyone, go to this show and buy something. Enough with the nervousness; we want to be excited.

IMPO is kicking off their first ever annual IMPOvation awards this year that will be determined by more than 75,000 experts in the field of innovation technology. The goal is to find the company with the product that contributes to the be the most productive, efficient and safest product line.  

Winners will be featured in IMPO’s 2009 July and August issues, recognized online on IMPOmag.com, promoted through their newsletters and email blasts and other nice PR goodies.

You can bet we are offering up our new Automation Series  platform of low profile belt conveyors – Game on!