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Barberton company unveils $14 million research center
By Marilyn Miller
Beacon Journal business writer
Published on Thursday, Aug 16, 2007
The Babcock & Wilcox Co. in Barberton celebrated the opening of its research center on Wednesday with a dedication ceremony and tours.
''Our founders had a real spirit of innovation,'' said Brandon Bethards, president of B&W's Fossil Power Group. ''They wanted to continually push the envelope and seek new and creative solutions in the field of steam and power generation.''
He said founders George Babcock and Stephen Wilcox, who started the company in 1867, would be proud to know their spirit remains a way of life for B&W employees.
''We can feel it across our company but it is especially present within the walls of our research center, where some of the world's foremost experts in areas like fluid dynamics and combustion technology devote their time, talents and energies to making a difference in the world,'' Bethards said.
B&W serves markets in electric power, nuclear power, pulp and paper, industrial, construction services and environmental areas.
The $14 million research facility replaced an outdated unit in Alliance. The bulk of the research has moved to Barberton, but the Alliance facility will maintain its clean-environment development research.
The new center will continue B&W's focus on oxy-coal combustion, power plant emissions reduction, post-combustion systems for control of sulfur dioxide and the testing of advanced materials for use in boilers.
Bethards said many people are concerned about the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but not at the expense of U.S. energy independence. ''These are serious issues, and right here in Barberton we're working hard to find solutions to them,'' he said.
Though the facility is complete, it is still just a building of concrete and steel unless it has a purpose, said Donald Langley, vice president and chief technology officer for B&W, who is responsible for research and development operations.
He dedicated the building to ''all the past, present and future employees and their technological expertise, commitment and inventive spirit. . . .
''Through their efforts, we generate powerful solutions to improve our world now and in the future.''
U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Copley Township, unveiled the dedication plaque. Her father spent his business career with B&W, retiring after 30-some years, she said.
Also in attendance were U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula, R-Navarre; John Stilliana, district representative for Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio; and Barberton Mayor Randy Hart.
Langley said about 50 employees work at the research center, and the company hopes to add 20 jobs in one or two years, including a key scientist.
''We have brought the building to life, and that is what we celebrate today. We have done that by assembling a team of world-class researchers, and the technicians that they rely on, and charged them . . . to innovate and create,'' Langley said.
''It is a diverse group of people from different cultural backgrounds, experiences and education, but they come here together each day to do this important work, just as those before them have done and those yet to come will do.''
The building was purchased in 2004 from a manufacturing company that cast tire molds.
''This is a beautiful, cutting- edge facility that will serve as a center of excellence for our technology development,'' said Stan Vecci, director of the center.
The lobby has a plaque with 339 names of researchers who held patents. Many have several.
The center's features include a new small boiler simulator, which is an integrated combustion and environmental control test system.
''It is cost-effective, and many experiments are conducted here. What comes out of here has a good chance to make it to a pilot program,'' said enthusiastic engineer S. Behrooz Ghorishi, who has been with the company for 15 years and calls it the ''Genesis Lab.''
Bethards said, ''Today, coal and nuclear power plants provide about 69 percent of all electricity in our country. We are proud that 38 percent of the coal-fired boiler fleet in the U.S. has been designed and manufactured by B&W.''
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or 800-777-7232 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.
The Babcock & Wilcox Co. in Barberton celebrated the opening of its research center on Wednesday with a dedication ceremony and tours.
Get the full article here.
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Posted 02:22 PM, 11/18/2008
I am looking for someone who's capeable of finding my employee records from B&W/McDermott co. I have got to be the only one that dosen't have a pension check because of lost employee records. If any one has any information on this will they please e-mail me at clmorrow14@bellsouth.net. Someone told me the company records went to MetLife Insurance No Luck So Far.
Thank You,
Ralph
