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The settlers of Essex were either disbanded or discharged soldiers who remained to become farmers, minor officials, craftsmen, merchants, or fur traders.
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Company ProfilesBartel Machine
LEAMINGTON - Microphone hardware that improves sound quality for TSN and a device surgeons use to fix hip replacements have helped Bartel Machine thrive, even as the auto sector it once relied on struggles. The small custom, one-off design and machine shop tucked away on Talbot Street is "very solvent, but we're also uncomfortable because the business around us has changed," said owner Ron Bartel. "A lot of our work has traditionally been in the auto sector, but they've cut back and we've been forced to diversify." The company, which Bartel founded in 1983, started out working with the auto sector and local food processing plants. Since then it has added customers in the agriculture, wine, printing and medical sectors. Initially housed in a small garage bay, it grew into a second, then a third and is now completing an expansion in an adjacent building. "I opened up during a recession and while the manufacturing sector is going through tough times now, there are still opportunities for companies such as ours who have created a niche for themselves," Bartel said. Bartel Machine has only six employees, including Ron and his son, Steve, the lead designer. Rather than mass manufacturing, they design and build troubleshooting devices for a wide variety of long-term clients. "We're not a manufacturing company and we're not a production shop," said Steve Bartel, a graduate of the University of Windsor's engineering program. "We design and build one-off solutions and almost 100 per cent of what we do is custom work." The microphone hardware designed for TSN/CTV will enable the network to record high-quality sound during NHL games. Steve Bartel declined to describe the device in more detail because of the proprietary nature of the project. "Let's just say that with the increased usage of high-definition video, our hardware will enable the network to more easily produce high-definition quality sound." In the medical field, the Leamington company has created a piece of equipment for Stryker Canada which helps surgeons release artificial hip-socket cups that need to be replaced or adjusted. "It allows for the extraction of the cup from its retainer without difficulty for the surgeon or any undue strain on the patient," said Ron Bartel. "It also means the retainer, which has now fused with the adjoining bone, doesn't need to be removed." Another recent project was a high-tech router for Liqui-Force Services, a company which cleans out blockages in sewer pipes from the inside without tearing up pavement. Powered by air jets, the router has four prongs which help position it in the centre of the pipe. High-speed diamond cutting heads clean out debris and a nose-mounted camera allows operators to see what's happening in the pipe. "Customers bring their problems and requirements to us and we find solutions by designing and manufacturing prototypes," Ron Bartel said. "Our one-off designs help enhance our client's services and products by making them more efficient." Designs are generally the result of some old-fashioned lunchroom give-and-take involving all members of the team. "When a company comes to us with a problem, we all sit down and kick it around and it becomes a six-person brainstorming session," said Steve Bartel. "Our shop floor people are all skilled tradesmen and their strong points are design and innovation. Once the ideas have been kicked around, the design phase starts on the company's three-dimensional CAD/CAM system. That eventually leads to the manufacture of one or more prototypes before a final design is reached. In addition to developing design solutions, Steve Bartel said the company also acts as a "mechanical emergency room," providing support for companies seeking adjustments, repairs and upgrades to their existing systems. "We want to embrace these opportunities and build on the strengths we're acquired over the past 25 years," said his father. Article Credit Contact Bartel Machine: |
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