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Memphis-based HVAC/R company makes lucrative acquisition Memphis-based Kele, Inc. announced its acquisition of AC Controls and AC Technical Services on February 26. AC is a distributor and rep of industrial process and combustion applications. The acquisition "continues to expand Kele’s footprint within the industrial automation market," the company noted in a press release, adding that "ACC will become an integral part of the industrial offerings of The Kele Companies which includes Lesman Instrument Company (Bensenville, IL) and A-tech Inc. (Tulsa, OK)." Kele President and CEO Danny Lyons said, “ACC adds another leading industrial automation company to the Kele Companies. ACC is an industry leader with a focus on valve automation, field service, systems integration, and technical support. Along with its geographical coverage and strong line card, ACC is a natural fit with our Lesman Instrument and A-tech businesses.” President of Kele Industrial, Mike DeLacluyse, had this to say, “Jim and his team have done a fantastic job growing ACC into a highly respected organization and we are thrilled to have them as our partner. ACC brings us added capabilities that we look forward to expanding throughout our geographies.” “AC Controls is proud to join forces with the Kele Companies as it will provide our team with additional resources to serve our customer base. Kele’s culture closely aligns with ours, creating a growth opportunity for our employees, customers, and vendors,” said AC Controls President, Jim Borders. AC Controls offers systems integration services, field technical services, and distribution of industrial controls, instrumentation, and valves. The company serves customers in the process and power industries in the southeast. This marks Kele’s sixth acquisition in the last six years.

New developments in the company's applications Stay up to date on the industry companies that matter: such as Worldwide Electric's petrochemical line. For those who didn't know: the same Worldwide Electric motors, controls, and speed reducers you're familiar with also support the processing and production of various materials, from gases, liquids, and gels to bulk solids, powders, and granules. Chemical and Petroleum processing is essential to a wide variety of industrial and consumer products, such as paints, coatings, adhesives, plastics, detergents, pesticides, and fertilizers, to name just a few. Worldwide's products support the production processes and the facility operations needed to manufacture these substances. These products can help crush, convey, lift, pump, blow, extract, mix, and a great deal more.

Register now for HECO's vibration analysis course From May 6-9, HECO's Predictive Services Group is hosting a training for maintenance professionals. Vibration Condition Monitoring and Diagnostics Category I is an introductory course on vibration analysis that provides the foundational knowledge required to pass the Vibration Analysis Category I Certification Exam. Register and find out more here. This course will provide technical definitions of vibration terminology, introduction of vibration and analysis theory, instruction on proper vibration data collection techniques, and recognition of quality readings. This course is intended to provide introductory knowledge and prepare attendees for the Vibration Analysis Category I Certification Exam.

EASA's new Online Learning Center is up and running Ahead of the annual EASA convention (Vegas, baby, Vegas!) which is coming up in late June, the organization rolled out its latest Online Learning Center. EASA recently launched the Online Learning Center, an online platform offering a wide range of industry-specific training. Purchase your subscription(s) now and remain ahead of the curve on employee training. Also New in the Online Learning Center: The Electromechanical Repair Technician (ERT) Certificate Program. This program provides new, existing and potential employees in the electromechanical repair industry with a structured learning path to become a well-rounded service center technician.There are three annual subscription options: 1. General Learning Library 2. ERT Certificate Program 3. Company Manager/Reporter For highlights, pricing information or to purchase access, visit easa.com/training/online. Have questions or need help purchasing access? Contact EASA Member Services at easainfo@easa.com or learn@easa.com or call +1 314 993 2220.

Company names Nitin Kulkarni to dual posts The Helwig Carbon Products, Inc. Board of Directors has selected Nitin Kulkarni as the next President and Chief Technology Officer.  Nitin has an extensive educational background with Bachelor and Masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering, a Masters degree in Business Management, and an Executive MBA. Further work experience with two motor manufacturers provided a strong base of knowledge on rotating electric machines and systems that use the company's products.  Nitin has been at Helwig Carbon for the past 19 years leading a wide range of technical projects while continuously learning more about Helwig's products and markets. As Vice President of Engineering he has been the lead coordinator for research, product design, and application troubleshooting. Kulkarni has presented and authored many technical papers on various aspects of electrical motors and material science. He also serves on the Technical Committee of The Electrical Apparatus Service Association, Inc. (EASA). Per Helwig's press release, "For Business Development Nitin has initiated and maintained hundreds of relationships with customers, suppliers, and key Helwig partners in the industry worldwide.  We are confident that Nitin’s leadership will allow Helwig Carbon Products to continue for many years ahead as a leading supplier of high-quality, innovative sliding contacts."

Florida group fights for shade against stifling heat conditions Working in the heat outdoors can make even the simplest jobs difficult. Multiply that when the job is already laborious. While OSHA offers advice and technically mandates protections for workers in high temperature environments, many say these aren't enforced. Which has led organizations like Florida's Fair Food Program to address the issue. Beginning last summer, following weeks of research, data collection, and discussion, the Fair Food Program stepped into this breach and established important new heat safety standards for farmworkers under the FFP’s protections. These are, as of February 2024, finally beginning to take effect. Antonia Rios Hernandez provided her testimonial to the Fair Food Program as part of the effort to combat overheating for outdoor workers in high temperature conditions. In consultation with the Fair Food Standards Council (the third-party monitor that enforces the Fair Food Program Code of Conduct on Participating Farms), and with Participating Growers on the FFP’s Working Group (a collaborative body at the heart of the FFP that provides essential feedback on emerging issues necessary to develop practical regulations designed to remedy those issues), the CIW set forth enforceable standards requiring mandatory breaks; comprehensive, trilingual training; and emergency response protocols, effective immediately, on all Fair Food Program farms. On top of the FFP Code of Conduct’s existing provisions guaranteeing workers access to shade, water, and elective rest breaks, the FFP’s new “Heat Stress Illness Awareness, Prevention, and Response Plan” adds several key new protections, including: From May 1 – October 31 Mandatory Cool-Down Rest Breaks: All crews engaged in harvesting must take rest breaks of no less than 10 minutes every 2 hours (due to the logistical challenges of managing large crews in expansive fields, breaks can be taken slightly before the two-hour mark or slightly after, but no longer than 2.5 hours from the last break) Increased Monitoring: Crewleaders and HR staff will review with crews the plan’s heat stress prevention measures, actively scan employees for symptoms of heat stress, and identify and closely monitor new employees during their first three weeks on the job as they acclimate to the heat. Effective year-round Education and Training (trilingual): Employees and supervisors will be trained on the requirements of the plan, on the signs and symptoms of heat illness, and on the responses to symptoms of heat illness, as required by the plan. Responding to Heat Stress Symptoms: Any employee who reports or is identified by a supervisor as showing signs or symptoms of heat illness will be immediately relieved from duty to hydrate and rest in shade, as well as have the right to receive medical care if requested (including being taken to a clinic or emergency room), with the particular response always to be in keeping with the OSHA standards for appropriate first aid to be given for particular symptoms. This is, of course, not the first time the FFP has responded quickly and concretely to unforeseen, emerging threats to workers’ health and safety.    The COVID-19 pandemic represented another such threat that — unimaginable just a decade ago when the Fair Food Program’s original Code of Conduct was drafted — required the quick and effective promulgation of new standards to prevent the spread of the deadly virus on FFP participating farms.

Two months until Hannover trade fair; special offer from EA available here Electrical Apparatus is fortunate enough to have friends across the pond who are providing us with a special offer for our readers this year: free tickets to a major European event. Hannover Messe, one of the largest trade shows in the world (so much that it's often referred to as a 'trade fair') is set to take place again this year in Hannover, Niedersachsen, Deutschland (Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany) from April 22-26. Having attended various iterations of the event over the years, EA can attest to its magnitude and value. It's a show of vast scope that showcases the latest in manufacturing technology and industrial innovation. We understand most of our North American readers are unlikely to be able to make the trip, so we're emphasizing here that there is an eTicket component to this offer We are routing responses to those interested in the free eTickets through our advertising director, Barbara Wachter. If you or anyone at your company is interested, please contact barbara@barks.com and place Hannover Messe in the subject line. We have a limited number of tickets, so these will be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. Upon contacting us, you will be provided with a link that takes you straight to the eTicket registration/activation website. After registration, each guest receives a personalized ticket by e-mail. The ticket is valid for direct access to the exhibition on-site as well as for the digital participation on https://www.hannovermesse.de/en/. Tickets are only valid upon online registration/activation at https://www.hannovermesse.de/en/ticketregistration, before the show. The 2022 edition of Hannover Messe.--Electrical Apparatus photo

News from the training sector From the University of Nevada-Reno, Electrical and Biomedical Engineering Associate Professor Hao Xu has received a $350,000 grant from the Air Force Research Lab to develop a technology to help support decision-making in military operations. The project, TITAN: a Novel Trust and Efficient AI-based Hierarchical Heterogeneous Planning and Scheduling at Tactical Edge, is expected to be completed in 2025. "Military situations have become increasingly complex, and now can include activities in cyberspace as well as traditional domains such as air, land and sea," the school said in a press release. "With those changes, Xu wrote in his grant application, “the complexity of the battlefield decision process (planning and scheduling) is significantly increased.”

ABB rearranges executive structure ABB has announced that the Board of Directors will propose Johan Forssell and Mats Rahmström as new members for election at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on March 21, 2024. They will reportedly replace Jacob Wallenberg and Gunnar Brock, who have decided not to stand for re-election, according to a press release sent to Electrical Apparatus. Jacob Wallenberg has been Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2015 and a non-executive member since 1999. He is a member of the Governance and Nomination Committee. Gunnar Brock joined ABB’s board in 2018 and is a member of the Finance, Audit and Compliance Committee. “On behalf of ABB and our entire Board of Directors I would like to thank Jacob for his significant contribution to ABB’s success as a leader in electrification and automation over the past almost 25 years. At the same time our thanks also go to Gunnar who has played an important role serving on our board over the past six years. I wish both of them well for their future endeavors. We are looking forward to welcoming both Johan and Mats. With their experience as seasoned senior leaders with particular focus on industrial companies and decentralized operating models they will perfectly complement the competencies of our board,” said ABB Chairman Peter Voser. Johan Forssell has been President and CEO of Investor since 2015 and joined the company in 1995. He has decided to step down from his current position as of May 2024 and will in future be assigned to Investor as an industrial advisor with a particular focus on board assignments in industrial companies. He currently serves on the boards of Atlas Copco AB, Epiroc, Wärtsilä and EQT. Johan Forssell was born in 1971 and is a Swedish citizen. Mats Rahmström has been President and CEO of Atlas Copco Group since 2017 and joined the company in 1988. He has decided to step down from his current position as of April 2024 to focus on board work and industrial advisory roles going forward. He is currently chairman of the board of Piab AB, board member of Wärtsilä and member of The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Mats Rahmström was born in 1965 and is a Swedish citizen. The board members standing for re-election are: Peter Voser, David Constable, Frederico Fleury Curado, Lars Förberg, Denise C. Johnson, Jennifer Xin-Zhe Li, Geraldine Matchett and David Meline. ABB will publish its invitation to the 2024 AGM on February 23, 2024. Further details on ABB’s current Board of Directors can be found here.

European Oil & Gas giant announces major moves Global energy giant Shell recently announced it will stop fueling hydrogen passenger cars in California, the only U.S. state where the fuel is available feasibly for mid-to-long distance driving ranges. Andrew Beard, Vice President of Shell Hydrogen, said the company's fuel trading entity stateside - Equilon Enterprises - will no longer be operating "hydrogen light duty passenger fueling stations" in California due to "supply complications and other external market factors." Beard also announced the permanent closure of seven hydrogen stations in the state, most of which happen to be in the San Francisco Bay Area. Given there are currently only 55 hydrogen passenger retail fuel stations statewide, Shell's decision effectively knocked 12% of fueling options offline for drivers of hydrogen fuel cell cars in California. Shell also announced on January 16 that it has reached an agreement to sell its Nigerian onshore subsidiary The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) to Renaissance, a consortium of five companies comprising four exploration and production companies based in Nigeria and an international energy group. Completion of the transaction is subject to approvals by the Federal Government of Nigeria and other conditions.

UL expands verified healthy building program UL Solutions, specialists in safety science, announced a new UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for New Construction, which reportedly "empowers building owners and industry professionals to differentiate their new construction projects and support the health and wellness of future occupants." The new verification service is said to be available for various new construction, redevelopment or tenant improvement projects, including commercial, industrial and multi-family residential buildings. “People are becoming more aware of how indoor air, water and other factors can affect their health, from potential tenants considering an apartment lease to global companies searching for office space. Demonstrating a commitment to better indoor environmental quality can add value for new and redeveloped buildings, helping to differentiate a project among future occupants and meet rising expectations for better health and wellness in the built environment,” said Joel Ritschel, director of Enterprise Sustainability in the Healthy Buildings group at UL Solutions. As part of the process toward verification, UL Solutions says it will enlist developers to make key choices to optimize indoor environmental health and wellness from the early stages of a project, potentially avoiding more costly and time-consuming changes after completing construction or improvements. Through the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for New Construction program, customers can reportedly achieve one of four verification options: UL Verified Healthy Building for New Construction Core and Shell UL Verified Healthy Building for New Construction Indoor Air UL Verified Healthy Building for New Construction Indoor Air and Water UL Verified Healthy Building for New Construction Residential

Bank announces decarbonization initiative Barclays recently published a revised "Climate Change Statement" which it said will "progress its climate strategy and continues its focus on clients actively engaged in the energy transition." Following Barclays’ commitment to finance $1 trillion of Sustainable and Transition Finance by 2030, the company also released a Transition Finance Framework to support meeting that target and facilitate the transition finance needed to decarbonize high-emitting sectors. The updated Climate Change Statement outlines: No project finance, or other direct finance to energy clients, for upstream oil and gas expansion projects or related infrastructure. Restrictions for new energy clients engaged in expansion. Restrictions on non-diversified energy clients engaged in long lead expansion. Additional restrictions on unconventional oil and gas, including Amazon and extra heavy oil. Requirements for energy clients to have 2030 methane reduction targets, a commitment to end all routine / non-essential venting and flaring by 2030 and near-term net zero aligned Scope 1 and 2 targets by January 2026. Expectation for energy clients to produce transition plans or decarbonization strategies by January 2025. In the International Energy Agency NZE scenario, new long lead time upstream oil and gas projects are not required on a 1.5°C-aligned pathway. For current and future (declining) global demand to be satisfied, investment is needed to support existing assets while clean energy is scaled. "Barclays will continue to support an energy sector in transition, focusing on the diversified energy companies investing in low carbon and with greater scrutiny on those engaged in developing new oil and gas projects."