Hold Your Temper: Heat Treating Moves In-House to Build Wheelbarrows
A new heat-treating furnace and industrial oven will be used to bring heat-treating in-house at this just-in-time facility in Harrisburg, PA, that manufactures wheelbarrows and other lawn and garden tools.
Posted: September 10, 2010
Lucifer Furnaces, Inc.
(Warrington, PA) recently shipped two heat-treating units to Ames True Temper (Camp Hill, PA), a leader in non-powered lawn and garden tools. Both the heat-treating furnace and the industrial oven will be used to bring heat-treating in-house at the company's just-in-time facility in Harrisburg, PA, where the primary products are wheelbarrows.
These units both have chambers sizes of 12 in x 14 in x 18 in with 4.5 in of energy-efficient, lightweight fire-brick insulation and mineral wool block. Heavy-gauge, low-watt-density heating elements are mounted in easily removable sidewall panels, while a ceramic hearth plate supports the work load and protects the floor brick. All instrumentation is mounted in separate NEMA 1 control panels on the side of the units. Horizontal swing doors with multilayered ceramic fiber insulation, heavy-duty hinges and a cam lock ensure a tight seal. The oven features a high-volume fan mounted through the rear for uniformity and heats to 1200 deg F. The furnace heats to 2200 deg F.
Heat treating, also known as tempering, has always been an integral part of the manufacturing process for The Ames Company, recognized as the world?s oldest manufacturer of shovels. The original business started in 1774 in West Bridgewater, MA, by Captain John Ames. In 1808, Oliver Ames, the youngest son of Captain John Ames, moved the business to Easton, MA, and over a hundred years later, in 1932, the main office was moved to its current location in Parkersburg.
The Ames and True Temper Companies merged in March 1999 after U.S. Industries, Inc., Ames? parent company at the time, completed the purchase of True Temper Hardware Company from Huffy Corporation. True Temper Hardware Company dates back to 1808 when it began as ?The Old Stone Forge,? which later became The American Fork and Hoe Company. The company?s name was changed in 1949 to True Temper reflecting the newly developed process of tempering steel.
The company moved from Wallingford, VT, to Cleveland, OH, in the early 1900s and relocated to Camp Hill in 1981. In January 2002, WindPoint Partners, a private equity firm, purchased Ames True Temper from U.S. Industries. Since that time, three acquisitions have been completed to complement the Ames True Temper product portfolio and enhance sourcing capabilities. In November 2002, Dynamic Design, the market leader in foam and plastic planters, was purchased. Outdoor Inspirations, marketer of garden hose featuring MicrobanTM antimicrobial protection, was acquired in May 2003. And finally, Greenlife, a marketer of lawn and garden tools, was acquired in August 2003.
In June 2004, Castle Harlan, a New York-based private equity investment firm, purchased Ames True Temper for a purchase price of $380 million (excluding fees and expenses), subject to working capital adjustments and certain other adjustments. Combined manufactured and marketed products include long handle tools, short handle tools, repair handles, pruning tools, wheelbarrows, lawn carts, hose reels, garden hose, snow tools, striking tools, decorative accessories, and planters. Ames True Temper is North America?s largest manufacturer and marketer of non-powered lawn and garden tools. The company celebrated its 225-year anniversary in 1999 as the oldest continuing manufacturing business in the hardware and lawn and garden industry.
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