×

Five stories that grabbed your attention this year

Photo submitted to Times Observer A videographer working with the Fox Business Network’s Manufacturing Marvels shoots video at Betts Industries in Warren.

Editor’s Note: This is the first of five stories highlighting some of the most-read stories in the Times Observer during the past year. Today’s series focuses on area businesses.

As it turns out, one of the year’s most-read stories made ripples across the state.

Details emerged in March regarding the closure of the BLST Operating Company’s distribution center in Irvine. The closure was the seventh-largest closing in Pennsylvania this year, affecting 232 employees. BlueStem began moving inventory out of the facility in February — and it didn’t take long for the process to end.

“This was a difficult decision based on reduced inventory levels years in the making and an expensive lease with limited options,” according to a 2020 letter from Bluestem to employees.

Operations that had been handled at the IDC will moved to Bluestem’s Eatonton, Ga., Distribution Center.

Photo provided to the Times Observer Kyle Knotowicz, lead engineer on Superior Tire’s AgriTraxx AirCore project, with Joseph Peterson, Superior’s vice president of engineering and quality. The product earned the company a R&D 100 Award alongside entities like DuPont and MIT.

A NEW SHOPPING LOCATION

Readers also found themselves interested in happier news north of the state line with this fall’s announcement that Target will open a store in the Jamestown area.

The former Kmart building in West Ellicott has been purchased by Target, bringing to an end the nearly two-year search for a new tenant for the former West Ellicott K-Mart location.

While there is no information yet on when Target will open its new area location, company officials recently shared their plans for the building.

Ellicott town Supervisor Pat McLaughlin said in a recent interview that Target, which recently purchased the property, does not plan to tear down the existing building. Rather, the company plans to renovate the existing structure.

submitted photo how-america-works

“I believe their intent is to basically redo the parking lot and the entrance there on Southwestern Drive,” McLaughlin said. “They have indicated that probably 75 to 80% of the work that is going to take place is going to be inside. The existing building will be there, but obviously to get that building up to what would be Target standards versus — let’s say the last few years of the Kmart — needs a lot of work.”

TIME IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A longtime Warren Company will be spotlighted during an upcoming episode of Manufacturing Marvels.

Betts Industries designs and manufactures a range of valves, manlids, pressure/vacuum relief valves, accessories and lighting systems for multiple liquid tank, dry bulk and industrial applications. It was a perfect fit for Manufacturing Marvels, which shines a light on North American companies in a series of two-minute videos.

“We are extremely proud to be featured on Manufacturing Marvels,” Charles (Chad) Betts, president and CEO, said. “This program gives us an opportunity to shine the light on our dedicated employees and loyal customers. It is especially fulfilling that we are featured as we celebrate our 120th year in business. The entire Betts family and our team is excited about this opportunity to share our company’s history and our ongoing commitment to ‘Do What’s Best’ in every situation,” Betts said.

PROBLEM SOLVERS

The story of Superior Tire & Rubber Corp.’s R&D 100 Award was also one that was popular with readers when news broke in the fall of the local company’s breakthrough in high-performance gauge wheel tires for use by farmers.

The R&D 100 Awards are given by the industry entity R&D World. The awards were first established in 1963 and, according to R&D World, is the “only science and technology awards competition that recognizes new commercial products, technologies and materials for their technological significance that are available for sale or license.

Seeder tires used for planting fields are normally made out of rubber, but those tires often are punctured when farmers cut a previous year’s crop down to stubble and then plant over the top of the old crop. The no-till approach is better for the soil, gives better crop yields and better equipment fuel consumption, but is much worse for most tires — until Superior Tire came along.

The solution started with what Kyle Knotowicz called a “wooden contraption.” The parts were sourced from Lowes. Production has evolved to a computer controlled mold. The contraption though was enough for the team to feel “comfortable going to the next step,” he said, which was developing a prototype machine and molds. And tests after tests. That was followed by three years of field trials.

“We had a customer that had a Goldilocks problem,” Tony Hasselman, Ag business unit manager explained. “The ideal product could help validate no till farming as the all-around better way to produce crops by increasing yields, reducing soil erosion, and reducing expensive costs that were jeopardizing the less-common farming method. The hollow design AgriTraxx AirCore improves mud shedding and reduces tire weight for cost and freight benefits.”

There are about 5,000 of these tires in the field currently.

Knotowicz called it a “good group team effort,” highlighting involvement by sales, engineering, operations and mold making, saying everyone had a hand in the process.

“Our innovations have led us to expanding into new opportunities in molding technology which the company will be investing in with a completely new product line in second quarter of 22022,” Hank LeMeur, CEO of Superior, said. “We’re always looking for creative minds to join our team – our doors are always open to those who want to make a difference.”

EXCELLENCE IN ENERGY

Television cameras found their way to Warren County a second time this year when the Fox Business Network show, How America Works, narrated by Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs fame, featured Cameron Energy of Warren County.

“We’re proud of our job of providing natural gas to local homes and businesses and supplying oil to the ARG refinery in Bradford,” Cameron vice president and head of operations John Stewart said. “The producers were interested in how that process works.”

In April, a film crew came to Warren County and cameras captured people doing their jobs — with a twist.

“Over the course of filming, Cameron staff did normal tasks, but with the unusual assignment of explaining what we were doing to TV cameras,” Stewart said. “The scenes they filmed were real, warts and all. It’s amazing what didn’t make the final cut,” he said. “The film crew filmed dozens of hours of material for a one-hour show, including a lot of Cameron jobs that are left out of the final cut altogether. In the end, the producers decided to showcase five Cameron employees,” Stewart said.

He was one. The others were: Alex Grubbs — director of service and plugging, Brad Bawden — director of eell tending, Larry Faul Jr. — head roustabout, and Kyle Johnson — head mechanic.

“The end product is satisfyingly real,” Stewart said. “The producers took the time to get to know us and that comes across in the final product. We’re especially happy the producers took time to learn about oil and gas,” he said. “It’s popular today to talk about other forms of energy, but 95 percent of the world’s transportation is powered by oil, and natural gas is what actually keeps us warm in the winter.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today