In its commitment to growth in the North America region, RHI Magnesita has invested more than $35 million in technology, infrastructure and equipment upgrades.
“The North America region has a dedicated team encompassing over 1,400 employees across the United States, Canada and Mexico. They are committed to safety, sustainability, quality, continuous improvement, and value creation for our customers,” said Craig Powell, North America regional president. “Our investment into the region is an integral part of the strategy as we encourage the team to continue paving its way in providing the best technology, research and development, delivery performance, and sustainability solutions to our customers!”
Recent North America investments aimed at enhancing the customer experience and further solidifying the company’s leading position include:
- Customized machinery designed to automate the application of refractory materials to support better ergonomics and safety for site personnel.
- Systems designed to increase operational safety, complementing the operator analysis of refractory materials.
- Specialized equipment and commissioning, providing precision repair of the Electric Arc Furnace.
- Increased recycling technology, providing CO2-reduced refractory solutions and contributing to the environmental sustainability of the industry.
- Expanded manufacturing capacity region-wide to increase domestic production availability.
- Upgraded and modernized facility in Lexington, Ky., for high quality, complex slide gate fabrication.
- Established industrial training center in Lexington, Ky., to facilitate hands-on training for refractory technicians.
- New, state-of-the-art production line in Huron, Ohio, creating a domestic source for Blast Furnace Tap Hole Clay, which is currently being imported.
- Upgraded press infrastructure in Ashtabula, Ohio, increasing capacity, reducing lead time, and supporting growth of highly complex refractory production.
- New CNC lathe in Ashtabula, Ohio, improving dimensional accuracy, increased flexibility, and response time.
- Rotary and tunnel kiln modernization in York, Pa., to support high quality production, decreased downtime, and stronger, more reliable output.
- Equipment and infrastructure improvements in York, Pa., for mining site, optimizing material flow, and preparing for long-term growth.
- Research and development lab upgrade and expansion in in York, Pa., to support product enhancements and new developments.
Additional global investments, planned over the next two years and exceeding $90 million, will provide benefits to the North America region, including:
- Process automation to increase employee safety and ensure quality standardization.
- Digitalization and rebuilding of IT infrastructure, including a state-of-the-art ERP system implementation, modernizing technology and suiting the organization for continual growth.
- World-class supply chain planning upgrades to increase supply chain reliability and delivery performance.
