In this exciting episode of “The Heat Treat Podcast” our distinguished and very articulate host Mr. Carlos Torres talks heat treat fixturing with a personal friend of ours Mr. Jim Wilbur of Wm. Wright & Associates. Jim talks heat treat fixturing in general, delves into some specifics and also talks about his success importing alloy fixturing from India.
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KGO GMBH based in Wetter, Germany is pleased to announce that they recently shipped two gas nitriding systems to a customer in China. These furnaces are the latest generation from KGO and include a system to minimize ammonia consumption as well as optimizing process gas utilization-each has working dimensions of 1800 X 1200 X 1000 mm. In this photo we see Mr. Allan Chen of KGO, China (Wuxi) carrying out pre-acceptance of the furnaces. They are now on route to China with installation planned for just after the Chinese New Year.
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Solar Atmospheres in Souderton, PA, is currently commissioning two additional 2-bar vacuum furnaces, expanding its capabilities to meet increased demand in the aerospace, industrial gas turbine sectors, and for specialized hydride/de-hydride processing of Titanium, Tantalum, and Niobium. These vacuum furnaces, produced by Solar’s sister company, Solar Manufacturing, feature large working hot zones (45” x 45” x 72”) and are rated for operations up to 2400°F with a precise temperature uniformity of ±10°F.
Mike Moyer, Solar’s Vice President of Sales, commented, “We’re thrilled to add these advanced furnaces to Solar Souderton’s lineup. Equipped with Solar Manufacturing’s latest control systems, they ensure efficient, safe operation—meeting our customers’ needs for competitive pricing and fast delivery. This installation reinforces our commitment to consistently high-quality service.”
For additional information, contact Mike Moyer, VP of Sales, Solar Atmospheres at 215-721-1502 x1207, or [email protected], and visit www.solaratm.com.
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January 5th of this year “The Monty” in an industry exclusive, put together a list of commercial heat treat acquisitions in 2024. As it turns out a reader very politely pointed out that we missed on acquisition which took place April of 2024-Solar Atmospheres acquiring Metal Craft Inc. This has now been added to our list of acquisitions.
Bodycote Acquires Lake City Heat Treat. October 9, 2023 commercial heat treater Bodycote announced that they would be acquiring Lake City Heat Treat in Warsaw, Indiana-this deal was successfully completed on 19 January 2024.
Kittyhawk Inc., Acquires Stack HIP, LLC. March 7, 2024 Kittyhawk, Inc., backed by Trive Capital acquired Stack HIP, LLC in Albany, Oregon from Stack Metallurgical Group.
Solar Atmospheres Acquires Certified Metal Craft Inc. April 29th, 2024 commercial heat treater Solar Atmospheres of Souderton, PA acquired commercial heat treater Certified Metal Craft Inc., of El Cajon, CA, USA.
East-Lind Heat Treat Sold to California Group. In an acquisition which attracted little attention East-Lind Heat Treat of Madison Heights, Michigan, USA was sold to an unknown group based in California. The closing date was May 1 of this year.
Metals Technology Corp., to be Sold to SWD, Inc.After entering receivership in August of this year it was announced in October that a plating/coating company by the name of SWD Inc., had signed a letter of intent to acquire Metals Technology Corp., of Carol Stream IL. As far as we are aware this is planned for January of 2025.
HÄRTHA GROUP Acquires Donau-Härterei GmbH. In October of this year commercial heat treater HÄRTHA GROUP of Germany acquired another Germany based commercial heat treater by the name of Donau-Härterei GmbH.
Thermal Vac Sold to Tube Bending Technology. December 4th of 2024 commercial heat treater Thermal Vac of Orange, CA, USA was acquired by Tube Bending Technology also of California. This was the second heat treat acquisition by Tube Bending-the first being Scarrott Metallurgical which is mentioned above.
Paulo Products Company Sold to Aalberts N.V. And in the largest acquisition of all Aalberts N.V. has reached an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Paulo Products Company (Paulo), operating five facilities in the USA and one in Mexico, generating an annual revenue of approximately USD 105 million with 522 employees. This was announced December 30th with the deal set to be concluded the second quarter of 2025.
What will be the next acquisition? Well we know of a small one in Canada that will be consummated January 16th of this year if everything goes according to plan. Needless to say “The Monty” will be the first to give you news of any commercial heat treat acquisitions.
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In the North American heat treat industry Mr. Mark Podob is a very well known fellow both for his time with furnace builder Ipsen and subsequently as owner of Metlab Heat Treat in Wyndmoor, PA, USA-a commercial heat treat which had the distinction of having the largest commercially available pit carburizing furnaces in North America. Unfortunately, Metlab closed down last year at which point we lost track of Mark. Fear not though we have now found Mark. Turns out that he is now Director of Sales and Marketing at commercial heat treat Vacu Braze in Quakertown, PA.
Want to know more about Mark? Two years ago, Mark discussed “Ultra Large Gear Carburizing” with Mr. Carlos Torres on the “Heat Treat Podcast”, a discussion which can still be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7JiXwaip-U
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Magellan Aerospace Limited is a global firm involved in the aerospace industry who just happens to have heat treating in many of their locations including one way out in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. According to this press release and our own knowledge at “The Monty Heat Treat News” this location recently added a Despatch drop bottom oven as part of an ambitious investment plan.
“The Manitoba government is investing $17 million in the province’s aerospace sector through Magellan Aerospace to create highly skilled jobs, increase investment in the province and maximize trade relationships, Premier Wab Kinew and Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation Minister Jamie Moses announced today.
“By working together with Magellan, we are showcasing Manitoba as a leader in the aerospace sector and creating good high-paying jobs for Manitobans,” said Kinew. “We’re growing the economy and securing the future of Manitoba as an aerospace hub.”
The $17-million investment includes an $8-million grant and a $9-million loan to be repaid over 12 years. The funds will be used to complete transformational projects including establishing an advanced state-of-the-art machining centre, support ongoing collaboration with Red River College (RRC Polytech) and establishing a new test environment that will support new space product development, noted the premier.”
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Furnace builder “ROHDE Schutzgasöfen GmbH” of Hanau, Germany is pleased to announce that they have partnered with “Shanghai Advanced Metallurgical Technology Corp.”, (SAMT) to better service the Asian market. Jörn Rohde, CEO of the company had this to say; “I am proud to say that over the years we have sold Thermal Processing Systems to countries all over the world and this includes the growing Asian market. This made it necessary to find a partner in Asia that could service and support our equipment-I am very pleased to say that we found the perfect partner in SAMT.”
Mr. Shen Li, Managing Director of SAMT is a former Bodycote employee who has done a tremendous job of positioning the company as one of the foremost heat treat suppliers in China and certainly the foremost when it comes to introducing technologies from companies in Europe and North America. Mr. Shen Li had this to say; “For a number of years we have known Rohde and the quality of their offerings and we are very proud to be working with the company on a formal basis.”
This agreement became effective January 1, 2025.
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“Lockheed Martin has opened a 16,000-square-foot facility dedicated to meeting the company’s additive manufacturing goals; Lockheed Martin hopes to bring additive manufacturing (AM) to “new heights,” supported by the new Texas facility. Heavily stocked with cutting-edge technology, the site will house heat treatment and inspection equipment, as well as some of the largest-format multi-laser machines in the state, according to Lockheed.
Why Additive Manufacturing?; The biggest benefit 3D printing brings to Lockheed is speed, and the firm suggests that its designers will leverage the equipment to quickly integrate their latest designs into the factory floor. Cost is also a factor, according to Tom Carrubba, vice president of production operations at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, the plant where the AM hub is housed. Investing in this technology, said Carrubba, “allows us to create affordable and modular designs that can simplify both high and low-volume production processes.” Using large-format machines to make parts also reduces machining and material waste because it allows Lockheed to manufacture parts that are a nearly finished product.”
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On a regular basis we have articles from “Josh Hale” and “Jessica Maier” of “International Search Partners” about hiring practices and salaries in the North American heat treatment industry. This article entitled “Do companies pay higher salaries in coastal areas or in bigger cities like in California vs. lower cost of living areas like the Midwest?” is sure to strike a chord amongst all captive and commercial heat treaters.
Once a quarter, Managing Recruiter, Josh Hale and/or Sr. Recruiter, Jessica Maier, will address questions that come up regularly from industry professionals (email questions for future editions to [email protected]). The most common questions that come up are about salaries, so for this first article of the year, Josh addresses the question:
Do companies pay higher salaries in coastal areas or in bigger cities like in California vs. lower cost of living areas like the Midwest?
In today’s hiring landscape, the traditional approach of adjusting salaries based on geographic cost of living is shifting. At International Search Partners, where we recruit for companies in various locations across North America, we frequently encounter candidates questioning whether their location impacts their earning potential. While at face value, it may seem like this is a significant factor (and to be fair, in the past it did carry more weight), data and empirical evidence suggest that geographic salary adjustments are becoming less pronounced than one might be prone to think.
These days, companies are increasingly adopting market-based compensation strategies, paying employees based on their skills, experience, and the job’s market demand rather than the local cost of living. This shift is particularly evident in sectors where competition for top talent is fierce (like heat treating). For instance, a furnace design engineer in Iowa may earn nearly as much as one in California if their skills align with market needs.
In 2023 Glassdoor conducted a study which highlighted this trend nationwide, noting that the finance, technology, and manufacturing sectors were the most common industries to see a convergence of salary ranges regardless of geography. Additionally, the Mercer 2022 Salary Benchmarking Survey revealed that salaries for most positions vary only by 7-10% across regions. This is a stark contrast to the 20-30% regional gaps seen a decade ago and parallels empirical data from ISP’s placement history.
Of course, the rise in remote work has influenced much of this cultural shift with many companies now offering standardized pay for WFH roles, recognizing that talent is no longer confined to high-cost hubs. Some of companies in higher cost of living areas are responding to this trend by offering alternative compensation or relying on other means to attract candidates, such as extra PTO or flextime, etc.
Additionally, candidate expectations are evolving. Workers are increasingly demanding pay equity irrespective of location. Another recent report found that a whopping 62% of employees expect their salaries to remain the same if they relocate to a lower-cost area. Companies adjusting salaries downward for remote workers have faced backlash, leading many to adopt national pay bands instead of regional guidelines.
Of course, forcertain industries like healthcare or retail, where services are tied to physical locations, salaries may still be more aligned with local costs. Similarly, junior or entry-level positions may experience greater regional variability.
For candidates, this evolution in salary structures means they can focus more on finding roles that align with their career goals rather than worrying about geographic pay disparities. For employers, this trend underscores the importance of staying competitive by offering equitable compensation that attracts top talent—regardless of location.
The key takeaway? The job market is leveling the playing field, proving that location matters less than ever for many skilled roles, and the simple fact is that where one lives is going to have much less to do with their income than their job function, skill, and experience.
Josh Hale has collaborated with companies to identify, engage, and hire top performers as a professional “headhunter” where he’s focused exclusively on the heat treat industry as part of International Search Partners since acquiring the firm in 2015. He works closely with Jessica Maier to support the practice, and, together, they’ve helped nearly a hundred companies and almost a thousand candidates find the right match within the industry, including for roles such as engineering, sales, quality, metallurgy, management, and more. For additional information on recruiting or job search services, please email [email protected] or call 619-465-9621.
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Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT), a recognized leader in heat treat services, announced a building expansion at its Monroe, Michigan facility. Groundbreaking for the project took place on November 27, 2024 with construction anticipated to be complete by Summer 2025.
The new production space will house two additional pieces of equipment, a gas nitrider and an ion nitrider, with room for more equipment and possibly new services in the future.
“The building expansion and new equipment demonstrate our sustained growth and forward-looking investments as we continue to adhere to our mission of ‘exceeding expectations with UltraGlowing® results’,” said Mike Woods, President of Advanced Heat Treat Corp. “The additional nitriding units will increase our nitriding capacity and enable faster turnaround.”
AHT is collaborating with local contractors Davison Building & Development to bring this project to fruition, further supporting the local community and its businesses.
AHT has four locations: one in Monroe, Michigan; two in Waterloo, Iowa; and a fourth in Cullman, Alabama. Between the four locations, they offer over 20 surface treatments including gas and ion nitriding/nitrocarburizing, UltraOx®, induction hardening, stress relieving, and more. AHT Michigan has the unique capability to nitride parts up to 31-feet in length.
For more information about Advanced Heat Treat Corp. or its services, please visit www.ahtcorp.com or call 319-232-5221.
About Advanced Heat Treat Corp. Established in 1981, Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT) is a recognized leader in providing heat treat services and superior metallurgical solutions to companies across the globe, with locations in Alabama, Iowa and Michigan. Their UltraGlow® family of processes includes plasma ion nitriding, ferritic nitrocarburizing (FNC), gas nitriding, UltraOx®, through hardening, carburizing, carbonitriding, induction hardening and many more.
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