BAgPIPERVOL. 51 | NO. 2 SUMMER 2021

ACHIEVEMENT BALANCE APPRECIATION

1

THE

Family Forum“Lead the Way!” This is Robroy’s

mantra and it’s been serving uswell. It’s often believed that leader-ship in business is only about deliv-ering profits. There is much more toit. A leading company creates a vi-sion. It builds, develops and inspiresa team. It stays out in front and in-novates. It faces adversity, adaptsand course corrects when neces-sary. It effectively communicates,engages and creates positive expe-riences. It also gives back. We chal-lenge ourselves every day to be aleader in everything that we do.Whether you’re a teammate, customer, vendor or community member,we want your experience with Robroy to be uniquely different andsomething special.

The past year has been a real test for leadership. During the height ofthe pandemic, safety and business continuity were the primary concerns.Today, the challenges are shifting. At the mid-point of 2021, the economyis rapidly opening back up. This brings on a whole new host of chal-lenges, but it also creates opportunities for leading companies. Thebiggest challenge we face is in the supply chain. Producers of raw materi-als are having trouble ramping up production fast enough to keep upwith demand. As a result, businesses are facing dramatic material short-ages and cost increases. This ultimately affects price and service to thecustomer. As leaders we need to manage these challenges more effec-tively than everyone else. This means being quicker and more agile thanour competitors. It means communicating better with our partners. It alsomeans finding solutions that address both short-term needs and long-term goals. If we do this well, we’ll grow stronger. If we “Lead the Way,”we’ll turn our challenges into big opportunities.

So far this year we’re off to a great start! All of our operations areachieving significant growth. Our large backlog of quotes and orders pro-vides optimism as we look forward to the balance of the year. We con-tinue to invest in our operations and in innovation. I would like to expressmy appreciation to our valued partners and teammates. We could nothave achieved our results without your contributions. We will continue tochallenge ourselves to “Lead the Way.”

Rob McIlroy | CEO

HEADQUARTERS

TIMBER!Many years ago, in the late 1990’s,

a microburst blew through Verona,Pennsylvania and the surroundingarea causing a massive amount ofdamage. The Headquarters campussuffered the loss of numerous largetrees. Those trees toppled over pulling their roots up with them. On Monday, May 24th another tree atHeadquarters toppled over landingacross the entrance road, but this timeit appears that old age was the culprit.

The tree was cleared, the stumpground, land leveled and grass seedplanted. Then, just a few days later,two more trees bit the dust in theback of the building. Headquarters isexperiencing a landscape change…planned or not!

A large tree blocked the entrance road to RobroyHeadquarters. Luckily there was more than one wayto get to the office building.

32

HEADQUARTERS

Charitable Givinggiving back is at the heart of the

Robroy culture. Whether it is goingthe extra mile in the work place orcontributing to the communitythrough charitable giving, you willfind Robroy Industries Associatessharing their time, talent and treas-ure helping others.

It was no surprise that VijayTahiliani, CFO, chose to donate his

GraduationThe Taware house recently celebrated a graduation. Actually, they have been celebrating for more than a year,

but COVID-19 restrictions prevented the actual convocation ceremony and party from taking place last May.Manohar Taware began a 30 credit master’s degree program in January of 2019. He earned that

degree in software engineering management from LeTourneau University in May of 2020 and the graduation cere-mony took place on Saturday, May 8, 2021.

Bhagyashree, Manohar’s wife, with the help of her neighbors, David and Natasha Duncan, made arrangementsfor a graduation party and pulled off a great surprise for Manohar.

A Sad Goodbye

Aileen Shaffer was honored at a going away gathering. She is seated at the head of the table.

Aileen Shaffer resigned her position at Headquarters. A surprise lunch was held in her honor at The Lot in nearbyOakmont, Pennsylvania. She has served the company since July 5, 2005 and for several years has held the position ofCorporate System Analyst.

Aileen will be missed by of all her colleagues and is wished the very best in her future endeavors.

Vijay Tahiliani’s Toyota Camry Bye-bye Toyota Camary. Hello special wish!

used vehicle to the Make-A-WishFoundation. He generously donatedhis Toyota Camry to the organization.

The mission of the Make-A-WishFoundation is “Together, we createlife-changing wishes for childrenwith critical illnesses.” The organiza-tion has granted wishes for 40years. A wish is granted every 34minutes. Wishes impact “wish kids,”

The Taware family, Swarali - daughter, Shubha – son, and Bhagyashree –wife, after Manohars graduation ceremony.

Manohar and Bhagyashree with neighbors, Davidand Natasha Duncan.

No celebration is complete without cake!

Enough posing for photos already! Let’s eat cake.

parents, volunteers, donors, spon-sors, medical professionals andcommunities. A wish can be thespark that helps a child believe thatanything is possible and gives thatchild the strength to fight harderagainst his illness.

What a wonderful donation,Vijay. Your gift to Make-A-Wish is in-spirational.

Manohar, Swarali, Bhagyashree and Shubha

TIPS FROM IT

How To Recognize and AvoidPhishing Scams

Scammers use email or textmessages to trick you into givingthem your personal information. Butthere are several things you can doto protect yourself. They may try tosteal your passwords, account num-bers or Social Security numbers. Ifthey get that information, theycould gain access to your email,bank or other accounts. Scammerslaunch thousands of phishing at-tacks like these every day — andthey’re often successful. The FBI’sInternet Crime Complaint Center re-ported that people lost $57 millionto phishing schemes in one year.

Scammers often update theirtactics, but there are some signs thatwill help you recognize a phishingemail or text message. Phishingemails and text messages may looklike they’re from a company youknow or trust. They may look likethey’re from a bank, a credit cardcompany, a social networking site,an online payment website or app oran online store. Phishing emails andtext messages often tell a story totrick you into clicking on a link oropening an attachment. They may:

• say they’ve noticed some suspiciousactivity or log-in attempts

• claim there’s a problem with your ac-count or your payment information

• say you must confirm some personalinformation

• include a fake invoice• want you to click on a link to make a

payment• say you’re eligible to register for a

government refund• offer a coupon for free stuff

Here’s a real world example of aphishing email:

Imagine you saw this in yourinbox. Do you see any signs that it’s a scam? Let’s take a look.

• The email looks like it’s from a com-pany you may know and trust: Netflix.It even uses a Netflix logo and header.

• The email says your account is onhold because of a billing problem.

• The email has a generic greeting, “HiDear.” If you have an account withthe business, it probably wouldn’tuse a generic greeting like this.

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RACEWAYDIVISION

Robert Webbis from the Trans-Pecos area ofTexas, specificallyVan Horn. Whereis that you mightask? The termTrans-Pecos istantamount withfar west Texas andlies west of thePecos River. It ispart of the largest desert in NorthAmerica, the Chihuahuan Desert.

The School of Hard Knocks andon the job training are where Robertreceived his education. He spent 30years in the electrical industry man-aging projects both large and small.He supervised more than 250 crafts-men and women.

Robert says his wife, Elizabeth, isbeautiful and helpful. What a won-derful way to describe one’s spouse.Elizabeth raises miniature cattle andRobert enjoys serving his churchcommunity, sharing the gospel,hunting and fishing. The couple havefour grown children and three grand-daughters.

Robert is very familiar withRobroy products having used themmany times during his career. “I havenever had a problem with their prod-uct,” Robert said. “The Robroy namein the industry is near synonymouswith integrity.”

Brett Thrashergrew up inMansfield, Texas.However, he isvery familiar withEast Texas havinglived in this part ofthe state since2011. He earnedhis Bachelor ofScience degree inmanagement from the University ofPhoenix and a lean systems certifi-cate from the University of Kentucky.

Brett’s prior experience in supplychain management brings a great dealof expertise to his new position -Supply Chain Manager at the RacewayDivision. He spent six years withStemco serving the company in severaldifferent positions including: businessprocess excellence manager, advancedmanufacturing engineering manager –supply chain and systems, as well as director of supply chain. Most recentlyhe was employed by American WoodFibers in Marshall, Texas in the positionof general manager.

Brett and his wife, Lauren, are expecting their first child in August.As an avid outdoorsman, Brett enjoys camping, hiking, fishing,kayaking, hunting and horses.

The values of Robroy Industry attracted Brett to seek employmentwith the Company.

• The email invites you to click on a linkto update your payment details.

• While, at a glance, this email mightlook real, it’s not. The scammers whosend emails like this one do not haveanything to do with the companiesthey pretend to be. Phishing emailscan have real consequences for peo-ple who give scammers their infor-mation. And they can harm thereputation of the companies they’respoofing.

How to Protect Yourself fromPhishing Attacks

Your email spam filters maykeep many phishing emails out ofyour inbox. But scammers are al-ways trying to outsmart spam filters,so it’s a good idea to add extra lay-ers of protection. Here are four stepsyou can take today to protect your-self from phishing attacks.

Four Steps to Protect Yourselffrom Phishing1. Protect your computer by using se-curity software. Set the softwareto update automatically so it candeal with any new security threats.

2. Protect your mobile phone bysetting software to update auto-matically. These updates couldgive you critical protection againstsecurity threats.

3. Protect your accounts by usingmulti-factor authentication. Someaccounts offer extra security byrequiring two or more credentialsto log in to your account. This iscalled multi-factor authentication.The additional credentials youneed to log in to your account fallinto two categories:

• Something you have — like a pass-code you get via an authenticationapp or a security key.

• Something you are — like a scan ofyour fingerprint, your retina, or yourface.

Multi-factor authentication makes itharder for scammers to log in toyour accounts if they do get yourusername and password.

4. Protect your data by backing itup. Back up your data and makesure those backups aren’t con-

nected to your home network.You can copy your computer filesto an external hard drive or cloudstorage. Back up the data on yourphone, too.

What To Do if You Suspect aPhishing Attack

If you get an email or a text mes-sage that asks you to click on a linkor open an attachment, answer thisquestion: Do I have an account withthe company or know the personthat contacted me?

If the answer is “No,” it could bea phishing scam. go back and reviewthe tips in How to recognize phishingand look for signs of a phishingscam. If you see them, report themessage and then delete it.

If the answer is “Yes,” contactthe company using a phone numberor website you know is real. Not theinformation in the email.Attachments and links can installharmful malware.

What to Do if You Responded toa Phishing Email

If you think a scammer has yourinformation, like your Social Securitynumber, credit card or bank accountnumber, go to IdentityTheft.gov.There you’ll see the specific steps totake based on the information thatyou lost.

If you think you clicked on a linkor opened an attachment that down-loaded harmful software, updateyour computer’s security software.Then run a scan.

How to Report PhishingIf you got a phishing email or text

message, report it. The informationyou give can help fight the scammers.

Step 1. If you got a phishing email, for-ward it to the Anti-Phishing Workinggroup at reportphishing@apwg.org. Ifyou got a phishing text message, for-ward it to SPAM (7726).

Step 2. Report the phishing attack tothe FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Jeremy BisarraProduction Associate

06/29/21

Rick BoykinProduction Associate

04/01/21

John BrinkleyProduction Associate

03/04/21

Monroe grayMaintenanceTechnician

05/11/21

Corey Neal Production

Associate/Avinger04/01/21

Tywan ScottProduction Associate

06/29/21

Carlos VillamendezProduction Associate

03/11/21

Robert WebbApplications Specialist

03/11/21

Brett ThrasherSupply Chain Manager

03/29/21

The following information is from the Federal Trade Commission/Consumer Information. New Hires

The Raceway Division welcomed several new associates into the ranks this past spring. As they learn the responsi-bilities of their new position, each new associate is wished a long and successful career with Robroy Industries.

Aprill Riley hailsfrom Diana, Texasand earned herBachelor of Artsdegree in Englishwith a minor inspeech communi-cation from theUniversity of Texasat Tyler. Her 15years of teachingexperience in debate, speech, pro-fessional communication, Englishand theater will serve her well in theposition of Educational Specialist.

Aprill lives with her husband,Allen – a retired Army combat vet-eran, and two daughters, Jordan(14) and Matilda (6). Her eldestdaughter lives in gilmer with herfamily. Aprill’s busy life includesraising rabbits, embroidery, readingand puzzles. She enjoys the beach,coffee, wine and chocolate – notnecessarily in that order.

“I love teaching and working incommunication,” Aprill shared whenshe accepted the EducationalSpecialist position. “An opportunityto work within marketing is exciting. I am even more excited the more I learn about Robroy.”

May each of these new associ-ates find their Robroy experience rewarding.

Aprill RileyEducational Specialist

06/07/21

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RACEWAYDIVISION

Each Spring seven local civic clubs ask a young lady who residesin Upshur County and is completing her junior year of high school torepresent them as an East Texas Yamboree Queen candidate. Theseyoung ladies begin their Yamboree responsibilities long before theopening day of the Yamboree on October 20th.

The Queen’s Race is a 12-day event (June 21 – July 1) where eachcandidate along with her club and supporters raise money for theYamboree by canvasing the community on foot, making phone calls,sending letters and posting on social media and personal websites.The candidate who raises the most money is crowned YamboreeQueen. As queen, her duties begin before the Yamboree and con-tinue after the carnival leaves town on October 23rd. She will be anambassador to the community until a new queen is crowned in 2022.

This year the candidates raised $430,577 for the Yamboree fes-tivities. On July 2nd at the First Bank of Texas in gilmer, the Queenand princesses were announced. Hannah Jean Henson will be the2021 Yamboree Queen and Emma Warden and Sarah Warden will bethe Princesses.

Robroy Industries was happy to sponsor all of theselovely ladies in the 84th annual East Texas YamboreeQueen Race and presented each one with a donationtoward her goal. The Robroy Raceway DivisionAssociates look forward to enjoying the Yamboree fes-tivities this October.

A Baby in the VoelzkeFamily

Steve and Melissa Voelzke areelated to announce the arrival oftheir first grandchild, Ava RosalindShaw. Ava’s proud parents, Josephand Savanah Shaw, welcomed theirdaughter on June 1st. She arrivedweighing 8 pounds 2 ounces at alength of 21 inches.

All smiles for the Voelzke/Shaw family!

Ava Rosalind Shaw

Spoil her,grandpa. It

will be soeasy to do.

Hannah Henson – 20th Century Club

Holly Bledsoe – Beta Sigma Phi

Addisyn Montgomery– gilmer Rotary Club

Mia Pool – Kiwanis Club

Karlye Johnston – Lions Club

Emma and Sarah Warden –Bluebonnet Literary Club

Madyson Tate – garden Club

Yamboree Queens

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RACEWAYDIVISION

Rep SpotlightIn December 2020, the Raceway Division made an agent change in New

England, appointing David Role and Company (DR&C) of Woburn,Massachusetts to cover a critical 6-state territory. This agent was chosen prima-rily because of connections with the channel and contractors in that territory.

Wayne J griffin Electric of Holliston, Massachusetts is one of the largest in-stallers of PVC-coated products in New England with offices in North Carolina,georgia and Alabama. A territory visit including a meeting/product presenta-tion with Bill Long, griffin Electric’s director of purchasing/estimating, tookplace during that visit in June. The Raceway Division provided “How toSchedule Education” brochures to DR&C for Plasti-Bond and Robroy Stainlessto be deliver to the contractors visited during the trip. griffin Electric immedi-ately asked Lindsey White of the marketing team about installer training re-garding these products for their installers and estimators. The first training forPlasti-Bond was then scheduled for July 22nd.

great job on the part of this new agent, DR&C, and the marketing team for“Leading the Way” with a strategic contractor and making education happen.

Product UpdatesROCKET RACK®

“Rocket Rack is designed toprovide proven sanitary safety witha flexible system that improves theinstallation while cutting labor timeand costs,” reported Steve Voelzke,president of Robroy Raceways. “Our new Rocket Rack catalog ismore than a product showcase. Ithighlights the extensive capabilityof the platform, details key benefitsincluding our patented slot designthat enables fine adjustments andassures perfectly straight conduit or pipe runs anywhere along theslot. Rocket Rack is reusable andsustainable. When re-tooling orreconfiguring a plant layout, linescan quickly and easily be added,and existing racks can bedisassembled and re-installed again and again.”

Engineered for hygiene andstrength and manufactured fordurability, Rocket Rack meets themost demanding load requirementsfor any project where sanitaryinstallation is required. It can beused in any application looking forsanitary design within their support

Sara goulart –Promoted fromReceptionist/HRSupport to HR

Specialist.

Bobby Hubbard –Promoted from

Material Handler toShipping and

Receiving Team Lead.

Ashley Laffey –Promoted from

Executive Assistant toHR Specialist.

PromotionsSeveral associ-

ates at the gilmerfacility recently received promo-tions. As they assume their newroles, be sure tocongratulate themand show themyour support.

systems such as food and beverage,pet food, cosmetics andpharmaceutical or even applicationswhere ease of installation and laborsavings are key. It can also be usedwith process piping in mechanicalapplications.

Rocket Rack provides the followingsafety benefits:

• Complies with hygienic designprinciples and meets standardsset forth in the 2016 Food SafetyModernization Act. Rocket Rackproducts have been tested andcertified under the Food Safetyand Quality Product/SystemCategory to NSF/ANSI/3-A 14159-1 - assurance that Rocket Rack isin compliance with standardsevaluated by one of the world’smost respected independentcertification organizations

• Ensures that no metal filings fromrack fabrication willcontaminate the customer’sproduct. Production areas arekept neat and clean.

• Patented slot design and customhardware eliminate harboragepoints because there are no

recessed spaces or exposedthreads.

• Eliminates hand or eye injuriescaused by traditional fieldfabrication methods of cutting,drilling or threading.

• Provides additional safety by theuse of radius corners.

• The ease of installingprefabricated Rocket Rack resultsin significant cost savings andenables projects to be completedon or ahead of schedule. Sleeklines, radius corners and a buffedfinish create an aestheticallypleasing installation, suitableeven for high-end residential orcommercial projects featuring anopen ceiling design.

ROBROY STAINLESS™Robroy Stainless provides users

of electrical raceways with the firstcomplete electrical infrastructuresystem featuring stainless steelconduit, fittings and accessories tominimize both corrosion andcontamination. Because RobroyStainless products fight the risingcosts of corrosion, perform reliably

in diverse temperature ranges, plusprovide environmental protection,mechanical strength and appealingaesthetics, these systems are idealfor applications in wide-rangingmarkets.

Due to differences withinenvironments, Robroy Stainlessoffers two innovative stainless steelproduct families, “Traditional” and“Hygienic,” to optimize value bybest meeting the conditions ofspecific applications.

Robroy Stainless TraditionalThis product solution is for the

highest level of corrosion protectionin the harshest environments. TheTraditional line is ideal for industriessuch as wastewater, petrochemical,chemical, nuclear, infrastructure andtransportation, power plants andpulp and paper mills.

Among its many benefits:

• An electro-finish polish onconduit bodies improvescorrosion resistance, enhancescleanability and providesaesthetically pleasingappearance.

• Center aligned threading ofconduit ensures environmentaland safety rating conformance ofthe installed system.

• Oversized stainless steel coverscrews are designed to maintain asuperior environmental rating andeliminate the hassle associatedwith screw breakage.

• Conduit bodies include nitrilegaskets rated for protectionagainst dirt, rain, sleet, snow,windblown dust, splashing waterand hose-directed water.

Robroy Stainless HygienicThis product solution is for the

highest level of corrosion protectionin environments where hygienic(sanitary) performance is critical.The sealed system provides ingressprotection against dust and highpressure/high temperature spray foradded safety and sanitation withinplant operations. Easily identifiableby the Robroy® Hygienic symbol,these products feature a patentedhygienic-designed conduit body

and cover to maximize cleanabilityand minimize buildup ofcontaminates within the installedsystem. Conduit body lids comewith FDA-compliant blue (non-foodcolor) silicone gaskets and utilizemechanical stops to guaranteeoptimized compression forenvironmental ratings. The Hygienicline offers the added benefit ofingress protection and sanitarydesign making it perfect for foodand beverage, pet food, cosmeticsand pharmaceutical.

Additional attributes include:

• The use of center alignedthreading of conduit and acircular gasket ensuresenvironmental and safety ratingconformance of the installedsystem.

• A specially designed captivescrew retention and gasketsystem eliminates risk of ingressand contamination.

Both Traditional and HygienicRobroy Stainless products use anoxidative thermo process formarking instead of traditionalcasting insets, etchings orstampings. This eliminates recessesand niches, preventingopportunities for particle or waterretention. The high-contrastmarking does not affect productsurfaces and remains legible evenafter numerous cleanings.Additionally, the oxidative thermoprocess eliminates the risk of apaper label fading or peeling tobecome foreign matter.

“I am extremely pleased withthe feedback on our Stainlessofferings,” stated Steve Voelzke,President of Robroy Raceways.“There is growing focus andconcern for food safety. Preventingboth contamination and damagefrom corrosion in facilities is criticalto our customers. Our stainless steelraceway systems were developed,with the guidance of many actualend-users, to fight those specificchallenges and reduce thesignificant risks that can result infines, fees and products recalls. Ourfocus is on ensuring the customer

has the best possible installedsystem and not just individualcomponents. Users of the RobroyStainless platform of products knowthat their electrical infrastructure isprotected.”

Features of Both Lines• “H” symbol easily identifies

products that are hygienic.• Robroy Stainless is third party

certified to industry-recognizedstandards for sanitation, hygiene,environmental ratings andelectrical safety including NSF®,UL and IEC. Robroy Stainless ismanufactured by RobroyIndustries, an ISO 9001:2015certified company.

• Rocket Rack complies withhygienic design principles setforth in the 2016 Food SafetyModernization Act. Rocket Rackproducts have been tested andcertified under the Food Safetyand Quality Product/SystemCategory to NSF/ANSI/3-A 14159-1 - assurance that Rocket Rack isin compliance with standardsevaluated by one of the world’smost respected independentcertification organizations.

• Free installer certification isavailable to ensure effectiveinstallation through use of propertechniques and tools. BothRocket Rack and RobroyStainless systems are cost-effective choices because of easeof installation and reduced laborcosts.

A BUSINESS SUCCESS CASESTUDYWhy Ron and Julie Meyer soldRocket Rack® to Robroy Industriesand why they are glad they did!

Ron and Julie Meyer

RACEWAYDIVISION

1110

“Deciding to sell Rocket Rackwas a tough decision,” says RonMeyer, “but I know we did theproper thing and Robroy Industrieswas the right company to sell to.”

To appreciate Ron’s statement,it’s necessary to understand thehistory of Rocket Rack.

BEFORE THE DECISION TO SELL

“The ROCKET RACK sanitarysupport system was born out ofboth necessity and frustration,” saysRon.

“I was an IBEW electricianworking on a particularly difficultinstallation and needed a bettermethod to securely support theelectrical conduit that wassuspended overhead. My crew hadbeen fabricating each support rackone at a time on site. That was aninefficient use of time. It was alsodirty and dangerous. I knew therewas a better way. I had beentinkering around with a new type ofsupport rack—a section of stainlessangle with a slot in the center andmounting holes on each end. Thisnew design would allow us toposition the conduit much morequickly, safely, and precisely. I had afew made and used them on thisfast-track job. The installation wasfinished in record time and resultedin significant cost savings. My wife,Julie, and I saw this as something tobuild on.”

And that is how Rocket Rackbegan in 2008. The business, whichwas originally housed in a farm shedowned by a friend, was operatedefficiently by Julie who also beganworking on the first of five eventualproduct patents. Ron continued towork full time as an electrician, butas orders began pouring in, Ron andJulie realized they needed to focusfull time on Rocket Rack.

The business became verysuccessful and grew to become aleading choice for food-grade andbeverage manufacturing facilities,pharmaceutical and cosmeticsplants, plus diverse other operationsseeking more sanitary ways ofinstalling process pipe and conduit. 

THE BEGINNINGS OF THE DECISION TO SELL

Why did Ron and Julie Meyercome to a decision to sell theirthriving company?

“A lot of reasons came intoplay,” explains Ron. “Julie and I werededicated to growing Rocket Rackas a brand, but we realized that wecouldn’t have done it by ourselves.”

Julie Meyer adds: “To growbeyond where we were, somethingbig would need to be done. Wewould need to expand our facility.We would need to hire many morepeople. We were at the point in ourlives where the time to sell seemedright. We were both closer toretirement age than we were to theage of being able to run a companythat was past its start-up stage andneeded to keep growing. It wasreally a matter of timing and, mostimportantly, who we were willing tosell to.”

WHY ROBROY INDUSTRIES?Both Ron and Julie were familiar

with Robroy Industries.“After working in the industry as

an electrician for a very long time,”says Ron, “I knew Robroy Industrieswas a very good company with thebest quality electrical products. Theyhave a long-standing reputation as aleader in the PVC-coated conduitand enclosures markets. Of directimportance to us, Robroy launched afull line of stainless steel conduit andwas using Rocket Rack as a supportsystem for their systems. That was ahuge factor. We began to graduallythink that maybe there was a match.”

“It turned out to be a perfectmatch at just the right time,” agreesJulie. “It has been a great fit. It waslike it was meant to be.”

How exactly did this perfectmatch at just the right time come tobe? Julie Meyer explains: “SteveVoelzke, president of RobroyRaceways, reached out to usthrough LinkedIn, of all things. Wehad a phone conversation, and onething led to another, that was lateAugust, 2018, and things proceededvery rapidly. Robroy flew us to their

manufacturing location in Texas andwe couldn’t have asked for betterpeople or better communications.We actually began by discussingprivate labeling but soon decidedthat an acquisition was best for all.Then, of course, the vetting processbegan. That can be a daunting taskwith a huge checklist, but weworked directly and very easily withRobroy’s CFO, Vijay Kumar Tahiliani.Sometimes, I would have to callVijay many times a day and he wasalways as nice and helpful as hecould be. He made a potentiallypainful process as painless as itcould be. I was so happy with theresponsiveness. Vijay did notdelegate to others – he answeredemails and phone calls promptly. Hewas Johnny-On-The-Spot at allhours of the day and evening toanswer my questions.”

Ron agrees, “We were veryhappy with the communications andthe way we were treated. We were avery small company and we couldn’tprovide some of the things Robroywas asking for because those thingsjust didn’t exist. They were veryunderstanding about that as well.All of that was important to usbecause about a year prior, weactually had entered intonegotiations to sell our company toa large multinational company thatmade a lot of promises thateventually turned out to befraudulent. In hindsight, I think thathappened for a reason. We are somuch happier that the earlier dealdidn’t go through and that Robroycame along when they did.”

THE IMPORTANCE OFFINANCIAL STABILITY ANDEXCELLENT FISCALMANAGEMENT

What other issues sold thesellers on Robroy Industries?

“Robroy Industries is afinancially sound company, saysRon. “They’ve been around for morethan 115 years. That says a lot rightthere. Being in the electricalbusiness, I knew that everyelectrician calls PVC-coated conduit:

“Robroy.” It’s like everyone callstissue paper “Kleenex.” Robroy isthat well known. They’ve stayed ontop as that brand name and it’s ahuge thing.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF AHEALTHY, BALANCED CULTURE

“Robroy has a strong corporateculture,” adds Julie. “It is a very solidcompany. For two years from thestart of the acquisition process untilthe end, Ron was employed byRobroy and was impressed by theway management interacted with allemployees. Everybody seems to bean integral part of the company.Everybody takes ownership in theirwork and knows their products in-side-and-out. Everybody is very,very committed.”

THE RESULTS OF RON ANDJULIE’S DECISION TO SELL TOROBROY

Today, Ron and Julie Meyer areenjoying Ron’s retirement and haverecently celebrated their 25th wed-ding anniversary. They enjoy theirhome and property in Missouri andspend time gardening, taking careof family and being involved withtheir daughter who is about to startgraduate college.

Are Ron and Julie Meyer satis-fied with their decision to sellRocket Rack® to Robroy Industries?

“Robroy gave us exactly whatthey promised. At times, they wentabove and beyond what they saidthey would do. I can’t speak highlyenough about that. I’ve never sold abusiness before, so I have nothing tocompare it to - but the process wasas painless as possible. I really feel,still today, that we made the rightdecision when we sold to Robroy,”stated Ron.

Julie confirms, “I don’t have anyregrets. I don’t have a minute’sworry or rumination. We did theright thing.” 

Robroy Industries Raceway Division recruited two teams to participate inthe Battle of the Business - Slow Pitch Softball Tournament on June 26th. Theevent was sponsored by the gilmer Area Chamber of Commerce and the pro-ceeds benefited East Texas CASA. Raceway associates and their family mem-bers had a wonderful time supporting a great cause.

Rumor has it that there were many sore individuals the day after the event!

Casa Softball Tournament

Team 1 from left to right, back row – Bryan Wood, Cecil Craver, Lucas Campbell, Ronnie Bolden, grady Whitney,Carlos Haywood, Laura Medrano; middle row – Heather Hodges; front row – Jason Coulter, McKenna Wood,Snehal Patel, Bailey Bewley

Team 2 from left to right, back row – Drew Hector, Jason Perry, Bobby Hubbard, Adalyn Davidson, Chandler Allen,Larry Jordan; middle row – Corey Neal, Kristen Edge, Rick Boykin, Michelle Hector; front row – Noel Edge, MallyDavidson, Lee Floyd

ENCLOSURESROBROY

1312

Golden Ticket/Raffle Program

The Enclosure Division started anew program for referrals. Each per-son who refers a person receives agolden ticket for each full week theirreferral completes. Bonnie Mroczek(HR Manager) delivers the goldenTickets in her purple cape eachweek. In mid-December goldenTickets will be randomly drawn forthe chance to win cash and otherprizes. To date, a total of 28 goldenTickets have been distributed.

Gilmer All Star Team

gilmer 10U All Star Team

The Raceway Division sponsoredthe gilmer 10 and Under All StarTeam. The team finished second in thedistrict and advanced to the regionaltournament in Paris, Texas in July. 

SafetySafety is the cornerstone of the

Raceway work place. Through theSHIELD Program and incentiveevents, Raceway Associates areencouraged to promote their safetyand the safety of their colleagues atall times. The Safety Jackpotchooses a winner quarterly andSarah Brooks became the mostrecent recipient. It looks like Sarahintends to stay comfortable thissummer. That’s cool!

On May 6th, the Raceway Divisionin Avinger achieved a new milestone.They have accumulated 2,500 days(6.8 years) without a recordableinjury. This facility takes safetyseriously! Congratulations, well done!Sarah Brooks - quarterly Safety Jackpot winner!

RACEWAYDIVISION ENCLOSURESROBROY

RetirementAfter 33 years of dedicated serv-

ice, Debbie Hannah decided retire-ment was her future. She served theCompany faithfully as a MaterialHandling and Shipping Associateproving to be an asset throughouther Robroy career.

On Debbie’s last day of employ-ment, her colleagues shared cup-cakes with her and presented herwith gifts. She is wished the best inher retirement. Flowers for the retiree-to-be.

An enclosure to always remind Debbie of heremployment for the past 33 years.

“What can I say?” Cards and cupcakes!

Purple caped Bonnie Mroczek presented a goldenTicket to gage Shilling (1st Shift gasket).

golden Ticket recipient Ryan Wetzel (2nd Shift Mold Lead). Ryan is receiving referral cards to recruitmore people.

ScholarshipsTwo students from Belding High School were chosen for the Enclosure

Division’s yearly scholarship program. Applicants for the scholarships submit-ted essays based on the following questions:• How did you decide on a career path to pursue in college?• Are you considering a career in manufacturing?• Have you heard of Robroy?

The first was Allyson May who carries a 4.277 gPA. She is the president ofthe Student Council and Business Professionals of America and vice presidentof the National Honor Society. This young lady does volunteer work and helped

raise funds for the Leukemia andLymphoma Society. She plans to attendthe University of Michigan to earn a de-gree in chemistry and will pursue a ca-reer in pharmaceutical research.

The second winner was EmilyWardell with a 3.8 gPA and volunteersat the Belding Library. She is planningto attend Montcalm Community Collegeand then transferring to a 4-year col-lege to obtain a degree in education.

Emily Wardell was awarded a Scholarship from Robroy Enclosures.

Amanda Calvo presented a scholarship to Allyson May.

his new position, Allen is expected tobe an integral part of the EnclosureDivision’s purchasing team.

Mike Whorleyhas served theCompany for nineyears, most re-cently as the 1stShift Mold Lead.Because of hisleadership, Mikereceived a promo-tion to 3rd ShiftSupervisor.

Joe Dallerworked as a PressOperator afterjoining theEnclosure Divisionsix months ago.He has alreadyearned a promo-tion to 2nd ShiftSupervisor.

ENCLOSURESROBROY

1514

New HireIn March, Melissa Manley joined the Enclosure Division as the Front Desk Receptionist. She grew up

in Holt, Michigan and graduated from Holt High School. Following nine years as a data analyst with NewYork Life Insurance Company, Melissa worked from home as a fulltime stay-at-home mom for sevenyears, prior to joining Robroy.

Melissa’s husband, David, also works for Robroy Enclosures. The couple has four children, Codey,Taylor, Lucas and Adalyn. When Melissa is not at work, she spends most of her time cheering on herchildren in their sports endeavors including track, basketball, wrestling, soccer, baseball and football.David and Melissa volunteer their spare time as the president and secretary of the Belding YouthFootball League. When the family is not busy with sports, they enjoy boating, bowling, game nights andspending time with family and friends.

Welcome to the Enclosure Division, Melissa.

PromotionsMost people

who follow theBagpiper knowJohn Moody asBuck Moody thehunting enthusi-ast. We have fol-lowed Buck andhis family on their hunting venturesfor years. Buck has been anEnclosure Division Associate for 14 years and recently received a promotion from gasket Operator toMethod Analyst.

Buck has always been a greatteam player and will prove to bestrong contributor in the areas ofcontinuous improvement andprocess efficiencies. His knowledgeand expertise will help the EnclosureDivision to grow.

Allen Wizorekserved as the 3rdShift Supervisorfor the past twoyears. He accepteda promotion toScheduler/Buyer/Expeditor. In

Resin tank removal from the SMC Area.

Renovation is the name of the game at the EnclosureDivision these days. Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) iscurrently being manufactured by IDI rendering the SMCRoom unnecessary. This area was cleared to make roomfor a new press, which will be installed in November of thisyear.

Louver installation in the Mold Room.

Another project was completed to regulate the tem-perature of the Mold Room within five degrees of the out-side temperature. New louvers were installed to facilitateair flow.

Enclosure Division Under Reconstruction

Demolition of the SMC Room.

Melissa Manley -Receptionist

Buck Moody – Method Analyst

Jeremiah Souza -Assembly Lead

Stephanie Dunham -1st Shift Material

Handler

Ryan Wetzel - 2nd Shift Mold Lead

Mark griffioen - 2nd Shift Backup Mold

Lead

James Hopkins - 1st Shift Mold Lead

gage Shilling - 1st Shift gasket

Allen Wizorek -Scheduler/Buyer/

Expeditor

Mike Whorley - 3rd Shift Supervisor

Joe Daller – 2nd Shift Supervisor

Additional promotions include:

ENCLOSURESROBROY

1716

There are people who refuse towear green on St Patrick’s Day. Somecall them the Orangemen. OriginallyOrangemen in the late 1700’s weresupporters of William of Orange, aProtestant political group in Ireland.

However, at Robroy Enclosuresthere truly was the wearing of thegreen on St. Patrick’s Day this year.Some wore a lot of green, others justa little. Every shade of green wasrepresented. Participants were re-warded with a chance to win a pot ofgold for wearing green to work thatday. Participating associates receiveda scratch-off lottery ticket.

Buck Moody (Methods Analyst) Jamie Arnett (Assembly)

Jason Pawloski (2nd Shift Material Handler) Joe Daller (2nd Shift Supervisor)

Kiesha Coon (Scheduler/Buyer/Expeditor) Linda Wilcox (3rd Shift Back-up Mold Lead)Brendan Zahm (2nd Shift Press Operator)

Mike Carstens (1st Shift Supervisor) Mike Hill (1st Shift Material Handler)

Jeff Hall (Plant Engineer)

Mark Austin (2nd Shift N-Series)

Pat Kelly (Maintenance) Josh Blair (N-Series)

Amanda Calvo (HR Assistant) Dave Manley (3rd Shift gasket Operator)Aaron Reeves (CNC Operator)

ENCLOSURESROBROY

1918

The Enclosure DivisionAssociates celebrated Cinco deMayo, May 5th, with a taco lunch.Amanda Calvo (HR Assistant) ped-dled her taco cart throughout the fa-cility handing out prepackaged tacolunches for each associate to enjoy.

RECIPE

“Summer is a great time to try newsalads. This recipe was given to memore than 25 years ago and I use itover and over again with rave re-views.”

—Sue Clark, Bagpiper Editor

COMBINE:1 pound fresh baby spinach – stems

removed1 pint fresh strawberries – hulled and

quartered1 small onion minced

DRESSINGblend for 30 seconds:

• 1/3 cup white vinegar• ¾ cup sugar• 1 tsp dry mustard• 1 tsp salt• 1 ½ tbs minced onion (optional)

add and blend:

• 1 cup vegetable oil• 1 ½ tbs poppy seeds

Strawberry SpinachSaladFrom Marie Emanuele –Headquarters Retiree

Senor Rudy Alvera (Assembly) received his lunchfrom Amanda Calvo.

Senora Amanda Calvo (HR Assistant) distributedtaco lunches to all associates.

Senor Mike Hill (Material Handler) on route tograbbing his taco lunch.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Quien quiere tacos?

Elizabeth Wiggins (3rd Shift Press Operator) Erin Byrne (Assembly)

Rick McQueen (3rd Shift Press Operator)Larry Warner (Assembly) Ron Mier (Material Handler)

Joern McHale (3rd Shift Mold Lead) and Mike Whorley (3rd Shift Supervisor)Rudy Alvera (Assembly)

BULLETIN BOARDBENEFITS

SERVICE AWARDS

Enclosure DivisonKiesha Coon . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 yearsJen Ullery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 yearsDeb Mills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 yearsBrian Knoerl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 yearsMike Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 yearsLorrenda Ellsworth . . . . . . . . 10 years

20

Kiesha Coon Jen Ullery Mike HillDeb Mills Brian Knoerl

Lorrenda Ellsworth Shane Feazel Shawn ThibodeauxSarah Brooks Brandon Keel

Shawn Thibodeaux. . . . . . . . 10 yearsCourtny Colvin. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 yearsJeremy Rodgers . . . . . . . . . . . 2 yearsLee Floyd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 yearsTyler Boles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 years george Mize. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 years Melissa Allen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 years

Shane Feazel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 yearsAllen Wizorek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 yearsCharles Kenney . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 yearsTony Brace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 years

Raceway DivisonSarah Brooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 yearsBrandon Keel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 years

It is hard to believe that Open Enrollment will be here before you know it. This is a good time to make sure your infor-mation is current. Also start thinking about if you want any changes to your current benefits. Open Enrollment is the timeto do this! Below are simple things to make sure your information is current.

n Is your address current in our HR Payroll System?

n Is your beneficiary information current?

n Have you had any changes to your family unit?

Also start thinking about your retirement options. Do you want to make any changes to your current 401k contribu-tions, if applicable? Changes for 401k can be made anytime. What about HSA? What a good option to help with medicalexpenses. It is always best to plan for the unexpected instead of being caught off guard. You can always contact yourlocal HR Department for any information you might need.