Surprises Uncovered at a Groundbreaking
Companies customarily mark new construction with a groundbreaking ceremony. Such an event to celebrate Hydrotech Inc.’s expansion of its suburban Cincinnati headquarters, however, revealed some unexpected facets to this diverse fluid power and automation solutions provider.
Share
The honor of moving the first shovelful of earth at Hydrotech's groundbreaking belonged to CEO/Owner Pete Jones as other Hydrotech executives stand beside him.
Companies customarily mark new construction with a groundbreaking ceremony. Such an event to celebrate Hydrotech Inc.’s expansion of its suburban Cincinnati headquarters, however, revealed some unexpected facets to this diverse fluid power and automation solutions provider.
Because Hydrotech is a local company, taking in its recent groundbreaking was a convenient way for me to get to know the company better. I was partly motivated by the fact that, as the company has expanded, it is branching into areas of growing interest to metalworking companies. These include minimum quantity lubrication systems for environmentally friendly machining and a soon-to-be announced Internet of Things approach to preventive maintenance, for example.
These developments build on Hydrotech’s 48-year history of providing solutions to the hydraulic, pneumatic, lubrication, machining and automation industries.
The groundbreaking marks the commencement of the company’s 23,000 square-foot expansion to its headquarters in West Chester, a northern suburb of Cincinnati. Company officials explained that the expansion is necessary because the firm has grown 14 percent per year since 2010, has hired 35 people in the past five years (with 10 more positions to be added this year), and needs more room for offices and additional factory/warehouse space.
At least three other news items about the company caught my attention because they are not so typical of other groundbreaking events I have covered.
- As a family-owned company, Hydrotech actively supports the Goering Center at the University of Cincinnati. This center offers programs to help family and private companies meet the challenges that can keep them from growing and prospering. Hydrotech benefited from these programs and now mentors other companies that work with the Goering Center.
- Philanthropy is important to Hydrotech, as it often is for family companies who naturally feel compelled to give back to the community and the industry they serve. For example, at the ceremony, the company announced a donation of four new hydraulic training stands to Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. The stands represent a total value of $120,000. This marks the second major donation to this program. Last year, similar pneumatic training stands were also donated.
Four hydraulic training stands like this one are going to Cincinnati State's Electro-Mechanical Engineering program to help train technicians in the fluid power industry.
- Hydrotech has a sideline in educational, therapeutic and practical life products for children and teens living with autism. Called Got-Autism LLC, this business sprang out of an employee’s experience with finding resources for her son, who has a form of autism. With the parent firm’s support and investment, Got-Autism develops and distributes products that encourage individuals with various forms of this disorder to grow, learn and enjoy life. Proceeds go back to local and national autism charities.
Although it may a seem sideline unrelated to industrial hydraulics, company backing has put Got-Autism LLC into the mainstream of providing products and resources that help youngsters with autism.
It didn’t take much digging for me to discover these aspects at the event, but I would probably have missed them otherwise. Unfortunately, I am not able to get to many events like this. I was pleased by what turned up at this one.
Related Content
3 Ways Artificial Intelligence Will Revolutionize Machine Shops
AI will become a tool to increase productivity in the same way that robotics has.
Read More4 Steps to a Cobot Culture: How Thyssenkrupp Bilstein Has Answered Staffing Shortages With Economical Automation
Safe, economical automation using collaborative robots can transform a manufacturing facility and overcome staffing shortfalls, but it takes additional investment and a systemized approach to automation in order to realize this change.
Read MoreUsing the Toolchanger to Automate Production
Taking advantage of a feature that’s already on the machine tool, Lang’s Haubex system uses the toolchanger to move and store parts, making it an easy-to-use and cost-effective automation solution.
Read MoreFearless Five-Axis Programming Fosters Shop Growth
Reinvestment in automation has spurred KCS Advanced Machining Service’s growth from prototyping to low-and mid-volume parts. The key to its success? A young staff of talented programmers.
Read MoreRead Next
The Future of High Feed Milling in Modern Manufacturing
Achieve higher metal removal rates and enhanced predictability with ISCAR’s advanced high-feed milling tools — optimized for today’s competitive global market.
Read MoreIMTS 2024: Trends & Takeaways From the Modern Machine Shop Editorial Team
The Modern Machine Shop editorial team highlights their takeaways from IMTS 2024 in a video recap.
Read MoreInside Machineosaurus: Unique Job Shop with Dinosaur-Named CNC Machines, Four-Day Workweek & High-Precision Machining
Take a tour of Machineosaurus, a Massachusetts machine shop where every CNC machine is named after a dinosaur!
Read More