Global company names a new leader, and a loyal employee marks a milestone.

New Managing Director at Avire

Avire has named Rob Lewis managing director. He joins Avire from another Halma company, Fortress Interlocks, where he served as managing director for the past six years. During this time, he was lauded for his success in growing sales and innovating products. Prior to this, he held various operations and site leadership positions in GKN’s automotive and aerospace divisions for 11 years. Lewis studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cambridge and earned his MBA from London Business School. Lewis stated:

“I’m looking forward to building on Avire’s founding values and traditions and to gaining a deeper understanding of our global customer base. There are exciting times ahead for Avire as we look to new technologies and launch new products into the marketplace.”

Cation Marks 50 Years at Peelle Plant

Welder Don Cation marked 50 years at The Peelle Co.’s factory in Brampton, Canada, on April 4, only the second employee to do so in Peelle’s 116-year history. He started working at the plant in 1966 at the age of 17, earning US$2 an hour. At that time, he observed, there was much less automation and much more manual labor. He worked under all four plant managers and has seen the facility grow from 25 to nearly 100 staff. Calling Peelle “a number-one place to work with great people,” Cation said he has no plans to retire, following the lead of his mother, who, at 94, still lives on her own and walks daily.