A quick perusal of this list will show that in 17th position you will find a commercial heat treat group by the name of “Thermal Process Holdings”. Originally this group ranked higher in our rankings however over the years it has shrunk in comparison to others on the list.
One of the “crown jewels” of the company was “P & L Heat Treating” of Youngstown, Ohio which was acquired by “Thermal Process Holdings” in December of 2018 as you can see in the press release further down.
Today according to this release “P & L” was “re acquired” by the original owner “Mr. Bill Pociask”. Why “TPS” sold the company we don’t know but we are certainly pleased for Mr. Pociask as he certainly has a passion for the business.
The attached photo, taken by “The Monty Heat Treat News” in 2019 shows “Bill” third from the left.
“OCTOBER 1/2015; To our valued customers: I’m excited to share some important news after some time away from the business. I’m returning to P & L Heat Treating & Grinding Inc., and with our dedicated employees we will strive to continue in providing you with quality .
Thanks to a new opportunity, I’m proud to say that I’ve partnered with a local investment group to re-acquire the company and I couldn’t be more excited to be back. The group backing this purchase is based right here in the ‘Youngstown area and has long standing Mahoning Valley ties. Their interest in the business is rooted in a shared belief in the value of local industry, quality workmanship, and long-standing customer service. Together, we’re committed to keeping this business in the Mahoning Valley and continuing to serve our clients here for the foreseeable future. This is a long-term commitment to the region and the people who’ve supported P & L for decades in the past.
For those of you who’ve worked with us before and whom continue to work with us, I want to personally thank y for your continued support and loyalty. I look forward to reconnecting, rebuilding relationships, and delivering the same level of service and reliability that you’ve come to expect from P & L. For any potential new clients, I’m excited to show you what we’re all about and how we can meet your heat-treating needs with precision and care Warm regards, Bill Pociask.”
“DECEMBER 2018 PRESS RELEASE; Thermal Process Holdings Announces Acquisition; Thermal Process Holdings, Inc. (“TPH”) is pleased to announce its acquisition of P & L Heat Treating (“P&L”) based in Youngstown, Ohio. P&L is a high quality provider focused in particular on tool and die work. Bill Pociask founded P&L in 1978 and serves as President. P&L represents the fourth investment (and fifth heat treating facility) in our strategy to build a leading thermal processing company focused on value-added services. Central to this strategy is identifying and bringing together leading businesses that share a focus on safety, quality, service, and advanced technology.
John Hubbard, Chairman of TPH, said: “We are delighted to partner with Bill Pociask and the P&L team. P&L is a well-run heat treating operation providing high quality service. Both Bill Pociask and P&L are excellent additions to the TPH group.”Bill Pociask, founder and President of P&L commented: “I am excited to work with the TPH group of companies. There are many opportunities for us to help each other grow and continue to serve our customers. The future is very bright for P&L.”
ABOUT THERMAL PROCESS HOLDINGS, INC. Thermal Process Holdings was formed by Calvert Street Capital Partners and John Hubbard (former CEO of Bodycote, PLC) to pursue a buy-and-build strategy in the thermal processing industry. The team has a stated goal to build a diversified, professionally-managed thermal processing business generating over $100 million of revenue. TPH also owns and operates: Diamond Heat Treat, based in Rockford, IL; Certified Heat Treating, based in Springfield, OH; and Hudapack Metal Treating, based in Elkhorn and Franklin, Wisconsin. TPH is actively seeking other add-on acquisition opportunities.
ABOUT CALVERT STREET; Calvert Street Capital Partners is a Baltimore, Maryland-based private equity firm with a focus on investing in industrial service businesses in the lower middle-market. Since its inception in 1995, Calvert Street has partnered with skilled management teams of privately held businesses to drive profitable growth and organizational transformation. TPH builds upon Calvert Street’s experience in other high-value add industrial sectors, including testing and inspection and precision machining. For more information, please go to www.cscp.com.”
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Amidst a sea of announcements about closures in the North American commercial heat treat industry it is a joy to see an acquisition. “Metal-Tek, Inc.”, a small privately owned commercial heat treater in Fridley, Minnesota was acquired earlier this week by a local company by the name of “INCERTEC”;
“We are proud to announce that INCERTEC has acquired Metal-Tek, Inc., a trusted name in the heat treating industry for nearly 50 years. Now operating as Metal-Tek, LLC, the company will continue to serve OEMs across aerospace, military and defense, medical devices, automotive and industrial markets — now strengthened by” INCERTEC’s resources, certifications and customer support.
George Fuglsang, Metal-Tek’s long-standing leader, will remain on staff for a minimum of one year to ensure a seamless transition and continuity for clients.
This acquisition strengthens INCERTEC’s position in the Midwest heat treating market and adds several highly specialized capabilities to our portfolio. As a result, INCERTEC now offers the following:
Induction Hardening services — precision heat treatment that increases surface strength and fatigue resistance
Metal Straightening services — post-heat treat straightening to restore dimensional accuracy and geometry
Material Testing services — comprehensive metallurgical and non-destructive material testing to verify compliance and performance
For Metal-Tek’s valued clients, very little will change. Our priority is to keep service levels consistent while introducing additional benefits.
Staffing: All Metal-Tek employees remain in place, including George Fuglsang, who will support the transition
Facility: The same Minnesota facility continues operations under the INCERTEC umbrella
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October 22nd of this year Danfoss Engineered Solutions in Eden Prairie, MN, USA a manufacturer of hydraulic products and steering system components, will be having a major auction which will include what appears to be their entire heat treat department. It looks like everything is 1980’s vintage and includes several Lindberg batch IQ carburizing lines along with a Surface endo generator. Nothing wrong with the equipment, however our guess would be that it will attract minimal interest due to the age and the relatively small size.
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2025 has seen an unusually high number of commercial heat treaters in the USA closing their doors, “The Monty” now has word that two more, medium sized facilities in the US Midwest will be closing down for good, one almost immediately, the other over the course of the coming year.
As more details become available, we will update this story.
A relatively complete list of the USA commercial heat treaters closing in the past year (along with one Canadian firm) can be found below in an article published by; “The Monty Heat Treat News” June 30th of this year; “Why Are So Many North American Commercial Heat Treaters Closing”? In this article we summarize the many and varied reason that commercial heat treats close down.
“JUNE 30th 2025; Why are so Many North American Commercial Heat Treaters Closing?; If it seems like commercial heat treatment firms in North America have been dropping like flies over the past year you can certainly be forgiven for thinking so. Over the course of the past year “The Monty Heat Treat News” has mentioned at least 12 firms that have closed, with at least two more to be mentioned in the next few weeks. This prompts the question “Why Ae So Many North American Commercial Heat Treaters Closing”?
There are three schools of thoughts on this rather depressing trend; the first holds that manufacturers are bringing more heat treating in house leading to lower volumes going to commercial operations. The second suggests that uncertainty in the automotive sector and an overcapacity in the commercial heat treat industry is leading commercial treaters to adjust to these new realities. And the 3rd school of thought offers that large government subsidies during the Covid Pandemic kept many commercial operations afloat long after they should have closed down.
(To bolster the views of those in the first camp who believe manufacturers are bringing more heat treating in house leading to a decline in volumes for commercial heat treaters we would suggest this article; “More Manufacturers Bringing Heat Treating in House?” written by Mr. Marco Baretti of vacuum furnace builder “TAV”. Granted Marco wrote this from a European heat treat perspective but we believe that many of the thoughts are applicable to North America also).
The list below shows some but not all of the commercial heat treaters in North America which have closed in the past year-the team at “The Monty”looked at each one to determine why they closed down and we came to some very interesting conclusions-basically that there are a wide variety of reasons why heat treats close down. Our conclusions are below this list (please note that two firms on this list will be announcing their closures in the next few weeks, at this point in time we choose not to identify them).
Commercial heat treats close down for any number of different reasons, using the above examples these are the conclusions we came to;
Retirement; In the case of two of these firms including “Cambridge Heat Treating”the owners with no family members to take over the business and unable to find a buyer decided to liquidate the businesses. In both cases hard assets such as land, building and equipment was greater than the value of the business as a going concern.
Tariffs; One of the companies on this list, “Amac Industries” closed because new US tariffs meant their largest customer found it made more sense to keep the heat treating in Canada as opposed to sending it to the US.
Consolidation; Three of these closures were the result of multi-location commercial heat treaters consolidating operations.
Older Technologies; We always had a high opinion of “Amercian Steel Treating” in Perrysburg, Ohio which at one time was an industry leader in automated pusher furnaces. However, the firm never moved beyond what has become an older technology and that combined with the fact that their fortunes were tied to the auto industry proved to be too large a challenge for the company.
Lack of Profits; In a couple of cases firms found that their margins on heat treating were so small that the decision was made to pivot away from commercial heat treating in favor of other business units.
Stupidity & Incompetence; And of course in at least two cases sheer incompetence, stupidity and greed led to the demise of what were once good solid businesses.
While it would appear to be doom and gloom in the commercial heat treat industry in North America, at the end of the day we can’t lose track of the fact that there are over 500 commercial heat treat locations in North America and a failure of even 15 commercial heat treats represents a very tiny % of the overall market.
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Just yesterday we had this news item; “USA Captive/Commercial Heat Treat Adding More Equipment”which broke the story about the brand new “VAC AERO” facility in Greenville, South Carolina, USA adding the second of four vacuum heat treat furnaces.
It is rather a coincidence that courtesy of commercial heat treater “Bodycote” we have this photo of their recently updated facility also in the Greenville, SC area. Going back a number of years, this facility was part of “Carolina Commercial Heat Treating”, a family owned, multi location firm which was acquired by Bodycote a number of years back. At the time of acquisition, it was entirely an “atmosphere” plant which meant relatively dirty and smoky.
Over the years Bodycote has updated and modernized this location, of the original building little remains but a new addition houses “HIP” and vacuum furnaces and the older, oil quenching batch IQ’s are a distant memory.
Bodycote claims this is the only the only full-service thermal processing site on the East Coast, and quite possibly in the entire U.S in that it offers HIP, heat treatment, EDM, and testing all in one place. It is rather cool to see in person.
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Recently “The Monty Heat Treat News” had a series entitled; “Robotics & Automation in the Heat Treat Industry”-this series can be found at the links below-each of which features a different company.
We are very fortunate that Mr. Dennis Beauchesne, General Manager of ECM USA reached out with these thoughts and comments.
“Hello Gord, I really enjoyed speaking with you about the additions you have recently had about robotics on “The Monty “. In that conversation we talked about how the heat treat industry is finally starting to look at advanced automation with robotics as part of the answer to labor issues or shop efficiency. I can confidently say, Gord, the era of robotics in heat treat is now and here to stay!
FORD coined the phrase “Have you driven a FORD lately?” Well, we now ask “Have you looked at integrating heat treat robotics lately?” Let it be known industry wide – ECM can integrate robotics and advanced automation on new or existing furnace installations of any manufacturer.
ECM has included robotics in our proposals now for over 7 years. This experience comes from our ECM Robotics division that has been very active in the Semiconductor and Solar Panel (PV) business – with over 20 years experience and over 100 installations!
Since then, I am amazed at how fast the technology has grown! Not only in the robot mechanisms but the learning software working together with vision systems. Even with the systems we have installed in North America for vacuum carburizing (LPC), technology has significantly changed in just a few years. The transition from 2D to 3D vision has been innovative to say the least. This now allows robots to further integrate with heat treaters’ needs.
I have had numerous conversations with heat treaters stating, “we could never use robots – we have too many different parts each day” or “most of my parts come in bins and the robot would never be able to pick up the pieces in different orientations”. I can now tell them that these situations are possible with self-teach modes and 3D vision to look at the bin and understand how to approach a part to pick it and even understand where it will be loaded in a fixture or basket. And as far as multiple types of parts per day- this is also possible without hours of special programming. To see ECM Robotics in action and integrated on an ECM NANO vacuum furnace installation, view our newest customer testimonial video with SEW-EURODRIVE in Lyman, SC:
As envisioned in the original plan this facility is continuing to expand with the second vacuum furnace recently installed and in operation, a third system will be arriving shortly and a fourth will be added in the very near future. The attached photo shows the two installed and operational furnaces. The original press release dated May 14th, 2025 can be found below.
“MAY 14th 2025 VAC AERO invests $5.8M to open its first US operation in Greenville, SC, partnering with Meyer Tool to deliver advanced heat treating solutions.
We are excited to bring our expertise in vacuum heat treating directly into the heart of one of North America’s most respected regions for power generation and aerospace component manufacturing” — Brent Davis, President and COO of VAC AERO U.S. Inc.
GREENVILLE, SC, UNITED STATES, June 16, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — VAC AERO International Inc., a Canadian owned global leader in vacuum heat treating and advanced thermal processing solutions, is proud to announce a $5.8 million investment in Greenville, South Carolina. VAC AERO will establish a new “shop-in-shop” facility within Meyer Tool Inc.’s Greenville location. Together, the two companies bring over 140 years of special process expertise to deliver industry-leading capabilities and results to customers.
This strategic partnership marks VAC AERO’s first operational presence in the United States and underscores its renewed commitment to global expansion. The “shop-in-shop” model enables VAC AERO to operate a fully integrated vacuum heat treating, brazing, and coating operation within Meyer Tool’s advanced manufacturing environment. These services will also be provided to third party customers.
“We are excited to bring our expertise in vacuum heat treating directly into the heart of one of North America’s most respected regions for power generation and aerospace component manufacturing,” said Brent Davis, President and COO of VAC AERO U.S. Inc.
Dan Godin, Executive Vice President of Meyer Tool, “This collaboration is leveraging our combined expertise to offer the customers better control of their Value Stream.”
The new facility will initially feature VAC AERO’s industry-leading vacuum furnaces, with a defined roadmap to introduce advanced coating technologies. The Greenville team brings a combined 185 years of experience in vacuum heat treatment and brazing from day one. This facility will serve as a model for future embedded partnerships, setting a new standard in aerospace, power generation, and high-tech manufacturing.
Vac Aero’s expansion is supported by RBC Global Capital Markets. About VAC AERO; Founded in 1959, VAC AERO is a leading vacuum furnace manufacturer, vacuum heat treating and coatings service provider to aerospace and high-tech industries worldwide. Recognized by major aerospace prime contractors, VAC AERO is one of the world’s largest subcontractors for landing gear processing. With decades of experience and a commitment to innovation, the company delivers high-performance, cost-effective solutions backed by expert engineering and technical teams”.
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To this press release we need to add that the target of this acquisition “Lindberg Process Equipment” is a completely separate entity from well-known furnace builder “Lindberg MPH” in Riverside, Michigan, USA.
“HOUSTON, Sept. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Relevant Industrial, LLC (Relevant), a recognized leader in industrial equipment and engineered solutions, is pleased to announce its acquisition of Lindberg Process Equipment (Lindberg), a provider of industrial heating and combustion systems. This acquisition strengthens Relevant’s geographic presence in the Midwest while expanding its ability to support customers with local inventory and sales expertise. Lindberg’s operations will combine with Relevant’s New Brighton, MN location, adding an established thermal solutions partner in a key industrial region. The move allows the company to provide faster response times, improved product availability, and more tailored support to industrial customers across the Midwest. “This acquisition reinforces our commitment to being close to our customers and equipping them with the products and solutions they need to keep their operations running efficiently,” said John Carte, CEO of Relevant Industrial. “By expanding our thermal solutions capabilities in a key geography, we’re better positioned to deliver timely, practical support to our customers.”
The acquisition broadens Relevant’s ability to serve customers across the United States, particularly in the Midwest, South, and Southeast regions, while continuing to build on its strategy of evolving from a product distributor into a solutions-focused partner.
About Lindberg Process Equipment; Lindberg Process Equipment specializes in industrial heating and combustion systems, including burners, valves, pipe trains, controls, and custom control panels. Since 1981, the company has delivered reliable, high-quality solutions across a broad range of industries. For more information, visit lindbergprocess.com.
About Relevant Industrial: Relevant Industrial, LLC was formed in 2010 to acquire Wilson Mohr, which traces its roots back to 1965. As the first Honeywell thermal channel partner in the U.S., Wilson Mohr quickly established itself as an expert in burner management, fuel trains, and other critical thermal solutions for a growing customer base. Since 2010, the company has grown organically and through numerous acquisitions, expanding its product portfolio and engineered solutions to a wide range of customer end markets. Relevant Industrial brings together the industry’s top problem-solvers: skilled technicians, engineers, designers, and experts across various fields dedicated to finding solutions and delivering results. While we sell parts and services, our mission goes beyond that—we help customers discover new and efficient ways to enhance their operations. With over 30 locations across the U.S. and sales representation in more than 30 additional territories, Relevant serves key markets, including Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels, Semiconductor, Refining, Chemical/Petrochemical Processing, OEM, Food Processing, Upstream Oil & Gas, and Municipal sectors. Our offerings span instrumentation and automation, rotating equipment, purification, and thermal equipment.”
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Earlier this year furnace builder “Nitrex” announced with great fanfare that they had received an order from a European provider of automotive brake rotors for a semi-continuous FNC furnace (the original story can be found below and at “FNC of Brake Rotors-A New Approach”).
We can now say that the system in installed and ready for production-on time is our understanding which is impressive for what is a new concept.
“For a number of years now heat treating of automotive brake rotors has involved Ferritic Nitrocarburizing (FNC) in large tip up furnaces (generally but not always we will stress).
It would appear that “Nitrex” has come up with a different approach, one that will be in production in the very near future.
The furnace system you are seeing in these photos is in the final stages of testing at the Nitrex facility in Poland. The furnace is designed for around 600,000 rotors per year based upon 46 weeks/year, 5 days a week/24 hours a day with a “charge” every 2 hours. The furnace will be the first of two destined to be installed in Northwestern Europe. This system has exceeded all design criteria from heating rate, cooling rate and layer thickness/uniformity.
As mentioned the system with be doing Ferritic Nitrocarburizing with consistent oxide layer and color.
In addition to these photos a video can be viewed below.
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“SECO/WARWICK, a global manufacturer of metal heat treatment and metallurgy solutions, has signed a new contract with a leading Chinese company from the advanced aviation technology sector. The partner is one of the global leaders in the production of engine components and structural parts for international aircraft manufacturers. The order includes two devices – a Vector vacuum furnace and a JetCaster furnace for Directionally Solidified (DS) and Single Crystal (SC) castings. These devices will be used to produce highly advanced components used in aircraft engines.
The VIM JetCaster furnace with a capacity of 25 kg enables users to melt nickel and cobalt alloys at temperatures up to 1700℃, enabling the production of directional and single crystal castings. This solution meets the highest global standards, and the DGCC (Developed Gas Cooling Casting) technology guarantees process repeatability and high casting quality.
“The device ensures a low percentage of casting defects, both macro and microstructural, as well as a significant reduction of the directional solidification casting process compared to the classical process due to increased mold withdrawal speeds. JetCaster was designed specifically for the aviation, energy, and defense industries. Another partner from Asia specializing in the aviation industry confirms that JetCaster has its permanent place in the machine parks producing components for the aviation sector,” said Sławomir Woźniak, CEO of SECO/WARWICK Group.
The latest jet engines use advanced blades cast using single crystal technology. The user-friendly control system ensures precise processes: casting, temperature control, as well as comprehensive data collection. SECO/WARWICK furnaces are equipped with intuitive control systems that guarantee the repeatability and unparalleled throughput so crucial for the aviation industry.
The second device ordered by the Chinese partner is the Vector vacuum furnace, designed for aging and solution heat treatment processes. It achieves a maximum temperature of 1400℃ with a uniformity of ±5℃ and can handle components with a total mass of up to 800 kg. Thanks to a high level of vacuum (up to 10⁻³ Pa), processes take place without intergranular oxidation, resulting in excellent surface quality of the components.”
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