October 2005 News

Around the shop… New products and jobs abound as numerous fabrication and stamping projects are added to our mix of manufactured items. These includes newly acquired stainless-steel Spider Boxes, which Crow worked closely with customer to reduce costs and make engineering improvements, as well as heavy-gauge offshore components, deep-drawn actuator diaphragm heads, ¼” thick steel fabricated pipe support boxes, and more. A tool and die storage room houses most of the tooling for many of these items as well, ready for immediate use when the customer places an order .

July 2005

New products everywhere!

An increase in new customers and products has added an interesting element to our production activities lately. These custom-designed products are a good match for Crow's diverse set of capabilities and the turnkey service has proven to be a very beneficial and convenient arrangement for our clients. These items include things like tramsmission tower lighting, metal signs, metal furniture, safety tools, and more. Some are even for sale if a stainless steel bed strikes your fancy!

Stainless steel headboard and frame designed by Z-Baze Metal Works. (currently for sale)

Older products and technology still robust!

Many of the refinery and oilfield products of years past are still widely used throughout the refinery industry and we continue to receive orders for many of them. Crow still owns tooling and equipment for the production of parts like:

tray bubblecaps and hardware packer plates gate guides and seat skirts heat-exchanges baffles transmitter brackets and other similar items For those companies that still use these products, getting them produced and delivered within a week or two is critical since we are experiencing such a volatile energy market and deadlines are so important. If you have a need, please call for quick delivery!

Deep-drawn bubblecaps during production

June 2005

Great turnout at the 2005 OTC Show.

Our participation in the 2005 OTC Show went good as many engineers and purchasing managers stopped by the Crow booth to discuss a multitude of projects and part requirements. Many companies expressed concern about the capacity of current suppliers and their ability to deliver critical parts on time. We have already been talking to many of these companies working on additional solutions for ensuring parts and components are consistently available and offering customers more choices. The general attitude at the show was definetely more positive compared to the previous few years, but new challenges abound. Since strategic suppliers are so important, Crow will be there to work with these customers on new solutions to help them maintain a competitive advantage.

Crow Sales Representative Bud Beymer working the Crow booth at OTC 2005.

May 2005

COIL, COIL, & more COILS!

Crow's metal stamping operation is in full swing as customers utilize extensive press capacity and quick turnaround for consistent supply of parts and components for OEM manufacturing activities.
	Customers' 18-wheeler unloading steel coils for several months of overflow stamping services.
Coils stacked in staging area awaiting production.	Coils ready for production.

Crow assist University of Houston Digital Fabrication project, precision laser cut parts on display.

Students from the Hines College of Architecture's Digital Fabrication class toured Crow's facility back in February (see February 2005 "News") and came back in March seeking help with laser cut components for their LiteBEAM class project. This project allowed architecture students to utilize digital design software to design and engineer the LiteBEAM fixture, then procure local fabricators to produce all components. This "concept to reality" approach provided a unique opporunity to take advantage of current digital design tools and learn some of the obstacles faced when attempting to have a product manufactured for the first time. After weeks of work, all components were fabricated and the completed piece assembled by students for presentation and display in the Hines College of Architecture's atrium on Friday, April 23rd. The official unveiling was well-attended by students, instructors, and guests. It was great to work with these students and help make them even better prepared to utilize the modern manufacturing technologies in place at Crow and how they can be applied in the world of architecture and design.

Close up view of LiteBEAM fixture.	Laser-cut support pieces on display.

Actual LiteBEAM on display at Hines School of Architecture atrium, Friday, April 23rd, 2005. Crow President Keith Jennings standing beside one of the many event posters on display.

University of Houston "Daily Cougar" Newspaper article on LiteBEAM unveiling.

2005 Offshore Technology Conference is here! For the sixth year in a row, Crow will be exhibiting in the 2005 OTC Show, May 2nd - 6th in Houston, Texas. This is the energy and offshore industry's largest tradeshow and Crow is excited to present an assortment of manufacturing services to these many outstanding companies. Some of the most interesting and well-known companies from around the world come to Houston and engage in an incredible lineup of activities and business. It's a wonderful thing! Go to www.otcnet.org for more information.

April 2005

Major appliance manufacturer turns to Crow for help.

One of the largest appliance OEM's in the US is again using Crow as a backup for their overloaded manufacturing facility. This has helped ensure that they have a constant stream of components available for their assembly line and this level of activity is expected to continue for some time. After a review of prints and specifications, all tooling was immediately shipped to Crow's facility and production was started within a couple of days. The parts consist mostly of panels, covers, and brackets for appliance, AC, and heating systems. The customer sends large coils of raw material which is set up for rapid part production in several large stamping presses. This type of work is an outstanding match for Crow and it has been great to be part of this company's success.

Two different panels currently in production. Parts are stamped from large coil and fed through progressive die for efficient production.

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Due to an increase in customer demand, Crow will begin accepting all major credit cards for payment of services. This will include acceptance of VISA, Master Card, American Express, and Discover, and will ensure a more efficient purchasing and procurement system for our customers.

Crow's metal stamping business has experienced a substantial increase in activity since the end of 2004. While this business was steady during most of last year, many larger manufacturers have increased their production levels and have outsourced more work to the smaller suppliers. Due to Crow's extensive inventory of stamping presses, material handling equipment, and experienced stamping personnel, combined with a rapid response system that allows us to acquire the tooling and get into production quickly, we are able to help customers maintain a competitive advantage. This quick response and short lead-times makes us a great choice to handle higher-volume stamping requirements or as a back up to OEM's whose production requirements are on the rise.

Stamping line on the south side of shop.

Stamping line on the north side of shop.

Coil feed set up for high-production with heavy-gauge material.

March 2005

Biomedical products become latest addition to Crow's laser marking services.

Crow recently began working with a leading biomedical manufacturer by providing laser-marking services on some of their biomedical tools and components. This has included product identification on both electronic components as well as composite surgical tools. Prior to finding Crow, this company was procuring these services from several parts of the US and was able to consolidate some of these services to Crow Corporation's Houston facility. This has allowed for the quick response that has become necessary when serving the medical field. The work has been interesting and we are looking forward to expanding our laser solutions into such an important industry.

University students tour Crow plant to learn about modern manufacturing technologies.

For the second year, students from the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and another group from the Rice University School of Architecture recently visited Crow for a facility tour and study of the manufacturing and fabrication technologies utilized by industrial fabricators. They observed in-process CNC fabrication activities, as well as stamping and machining activities.

The use of these technologies in architecture and structural design, as well as the greater use of metals in general was discussed as a main topic of interest. Many interesting questions and ideas were brought up and everyone seemed to be enthusiastic about opportunities to employ cutting edge technologies new to the architecture industry. Thanks to Wes Hiess from Rice University and Joe Meppelink and Patrick Peters from University of Houston for including Crow Corporation in their class projects.

Please see their linked sites for more information on their innovative designs and activities around Houston.

Crow president joins local Chambers of Commerce groups for lobbying trip to state capitol.

Keith & fellow Tomball Chamber members pose with

Texas Comptroller Carolyn Keeton Strayhorn, who is also

"mom" to President Bush's Press Secretary Scott McClellan.

Crow president Keith Jennings recently joined the ANHOC group (Alliance of North Houston Chambers) including the Tomball Chamber, to lobby state legislators on behalf of Tomball and the Houston business community. The group represented a total of over 4,300 business in the region. The trip included meetings and discussions with Senator Jon Lindsay Representative Joe Crabb, and the Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn each of whom made time to discuss numerous important issues affecting the represented businesses and organizations. Attendees later spread throughout the capitol and presented official packages from each Chamber of Commerce directly to Senators and Representatives and emphasized the groups interest and scrutiny of legislative action. Some of the hot topics were Workers Compensation Reform, public school financing, community college financing, escalating property taxes, and lots more. The trip and meetings were informative and a great opportunity to ensure our elected officials are paying attention to 4,300+ North Houston businesses.

For more information: See "ANHOC members lobby in Austin."

February 2005

Crow machining services featured in industry magazine.

Crow's machine shop and CNC machining services were featured in a recent issue of

Cutting Tool Engineering magazine. The article, titled "Reel Momentum," was published in the "Staying Sharp" section and highlighted the processes and tooling required to manufacture aircraft seatbelt spindles that Crow has been producing for several years. These parts are components to aircraft seat belt systems that are designed and sold by Aircraft Belts Corporation, a supplier to numerous aircraft manufacturers. This part was chosen due to its unique application and unusual dimensions and we are proud to have been featured in a respectable industry publication such as Cutting Tool Engineering.

Surge in RFQ's and new orders making things busy.

January and February have been hectic with a noticeable increase in quotes and new part production. Existing business is also on the rise with numerous customer projects moving forward. As a result, Crow's production schedule has increased and hiring has returned, but so far lead-times have remained around 7 - 10 business days on most orders. Adjustments have been made to accommodate the increased demand for contract manufacturing services and we anticipate this continuing for a while. Internet-based RFQ's have become common and we are glad to be able to accommodate the diverse group of companies who are contacting us via Internet and e-mail.

Crow officially booked in 2005 Offshore Technology Conference.

For the sixth year in a row, Crow will be exhibiting in the 2005 OTC Show, May 2nd - 6th in Houston, Texas. This is the energy and offshore industry's largest tradeshow and Crow is excited to present an assortment of manufacturing services to these many outstanding companies. Some of the most interesting and well-known companies from around the world come to Houston and engage in an incredible lineup of activities and business. It's a wonderful thing! Go to www.otcnet.org for more information.