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Schneider Electric Canada announces the appointment of Daniel Peloquin as president. He replaces Gary Abrams, who has been appointed to the position of transformation leader with the Schneider Electric North America IT Transformation Initiative. In this role, he will lead the deployment of IT systems in North American manufacturing and warehousing operations.   His background includes extensive executive leadership in general management, engineering, sales, marketing and operations. Joining Schneider Electric in 2010 as vice-president of services and projects, he has a wealth of experience in leading and managing large teams of people for many large, global organizations in the electrical…

Over the past three years, Barrick Gold Corp. has been on a maintenance improvement journey, taking important steps to improve its maintenance function. Here’s why and how. Barrick is the world’s largest gold mining company by production and reserves. It’s a Canadian company with its head office in Toronto, but Barrick is truly a global company with 26 operating mines and numerous development projects and exploration activities worldwide. Its vision is to be the world’s best gold company by finding, acquiring, developing and producing quality reserves in a safe, profitable and socially responsible manner. The Maintenance Challenge It should not…

As the lead sponsor of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum’s national conference June 3 to 5, 2012, Suncor Energy is committed to being part of the conversation on building skilled talent across Canada.   “Suncor’s support showcases the importance of apprenticeship to the future of the skilled trades workforce,” says Pat Blackwood, Chair of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum and National Representative at Canadian Auto Workers.  “The involvement of high-profile employers like Suncor brings attention to the importance of collaboration among business, labour, education, government and others.  The national conference is an opportunity to highlight great programs, discuss common challenges and establish…

Fluke Corp. introduces the Fluke 805 vibration meter, a portable multifunction vibration screening tool that provides quantifiable information on the bearing and overall health of motors and other rotating equipment. It is ideal for frontline mechanical troubleshooting teams that need reliable and repeatable measurements of rotating equipment to make imperative go/no-go maintenance decisions. The Fluke 805 measures: Overall vibration – The 805 measures overall vibration from 10 to 1,000 Hz and provides a four-level severity assessment for overall vibration and bearing condition. Bearing condition (CF+, or Crest Factor Plus) – The 805 Vibration Meter detects peaks in the vibration signal…

OTTAWA — Business optimism in Canada is rising sharply as the gloom of the winter months appears to be giving way to better expectations for sales, hiring and investment, a new Bank of Canada survey suggests. The quarterly survey of senior management from 100 representative firms, conducted over four weeks in February and March, found the outlook for future sales among the most positive since the recession. It showed 58 of the respondents expected higher sales in the next 12 months, as opposed to 23 that expected fewer. The Bank of Canada's important measure of business confidence was positive 35,…

O.W. Eric Nowlin has been named to the position of president of Acklands-Grainger Inc., Grainger's Canadian subsidiary with 2011 revenues of Cdn$982 million. In this role, Nowlin will oversee the growth and performance of Acklands–Grainger and will report directly to Mike Pulick, senior vice-president and president of Grainger International. "Eric brings an impressive track record of delivering results and developing talent that will benefit the Acklands–Grainger team and our customers," Pulick said. "The business is performing very well and I'm confident Eric will help Acklands–Grainger advance its goal of helping businesses be more efficient and keeping employees safe on the…

The hard fact of running any facility is that no equipment lasts forever. No matter the make, model, degree of use, or quality of maintenance, every thing eventually reaches the end of its useful lifecycle. This can end in costly repairs or full-out replacements. How a facility manages this transition differs from industry to industry, but for those in the financially constrained healthcare industry, an extra effort must be made to find solutions with financial, environmental and energy efficiency benefits. This was the challenge for British Columbia’s Kootenay Lake Hospital, when its management was faced with deciding the fate of…

Triple M Metal Corp., a Brampton company that recycles metal, was fined $75,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was injured. On May 25, 2010, at the company's facility in Hamilton, a worker was using a torch to cut a railcar coupling. The coupling contained a cylinder that held compressed hydraulic fluids. The torch pierced the cylinder, allowing the hydraulic fluids to escape and ignite. The worker suffered second and third degree burns. A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the company's procedures to identify hazardous materials failed to ensure that objects containing…

For the third straight year, Imperial Oil is rewarding loyal customers of Mobil 1 and Mobil Delvac. Mobil customers in Canada can enter for a chance to win one of three Hawaiian Escapes worth approximately $8,000 each. During the long Canadian winter, imagine an opportunity to jet away to a warm, sunny climate like Hawaii – a possibility with this year’s Win with Mobil promotion. As well, there are 90 Netbooks to be won through the daily instant prize giveaway. Imperial’s Win with Mobil contest runs between Feb. 1, 2012, and April 30, 2012. “Our Win with Mobil promotion gives…