Discover some of the latest product launches and innovations happening within our region’s manufacturing companies.
Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) has announced it’s entered a strategic partnership with Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) in Schkeuditz, Germany. RFD officials say they expect the partnership to help both airports create mutual business development opportunities related to cargo strategies.
ABC Supply, the Beloit-based wholesale distributor of roofing, siding and other exterior building products, has opened a branch in Haines City, Fla., located between Tampa and Orlando. This is the company’s 45th location in Florida and one of more than 700 locations nationwide. ABC Supply also has been named one of the Best Places to Work by Glassdoor, a job and recruitment website.
Regal Beloit, a Beloit-based specialist in electric motors, electrical motion controls, power generation and power transmission components, has incorporated its Century motor line into a new mobile-first website. The new site delivers a more-robust product evaluation experience while better displaying sought-after features such as an energy savings calculator and a service center locator.
PCI Pharma Services, an international specialist in bringing pharmaceutical products to market, has announced its plants in Rockford and Pennsylvania are expanding their capacity to better hold controlled substances, including opioids, in response to calls for national opioid reforms. The company says its blister packaging of pharmaceuticals is a growing preference for dispensing opioid prescriptions in limited quantity unit doses with an aim toward preventing substance misuse.
Bergstrom Inc., a Rockford-based manufacturer of climate control systems for commercial vehicles, has opened installation centers in Tulsa, Okla., and Byron, Ga, to serve the school bus industry. Both locations will install and service the firm’s HVAC-related systems as well as its no-idle climate control and solar panel products.
Rock Valley College (RVC) and AAR, a global provider of aviation services, have announced an expansion of their joint agreement to help RVC students transition into a career at Rockford’s AAR aircraft maintenance facility. The new AAR EAGLE Career Pathway Program introduces job shadowing, mentoring opportunities, and academic support and monitoring to students in RVC’s aviation maintenance technology program. Students may be eligible for $15,000 in tuition reimbursements. This career pathway program is also being launched at AAR’s four other U.S. aircraft repair stations.
FCA U.S., which operates a Chrysler/Jeep assembly plant in Belvidere, has added a student loan refinancing program to its benefits package for salaried employees. The program, offered through CommonBond for Business, offers lower interest rates on student loan repayments.
Rock Valley College has won a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois to establish Ozobot coding workshops aimed at teaching basic coding skills to area youth. RVC expects to purchase 600 of the Ozobot robots to serve 600 local students in grades K-8. The Ozobot: Learn Coding with Robots program uses games to teach problem-solving, coding and science through real-world applications.
Taylor Co., a Rockton, Ill., specialist in commercial food service equipment, has introduced the Model 736 Countertop Soft Serve Heat Treatment Freezer, a dispenser of soft-serve, frozen desserts such as ice cream and custard. The Model 736 is designed for operations that need a small-footprint unit that can handle a high output – settings the company says are optimal in foreign markets.