By TOM MARINER //
“Metco has been here for 91 years?”
This was my surprised retort to Ed Sottile and Nicole Hernandez of Oerlikon Metco, when I found them talking up students and educators at their Long Island Manufacturing Day information booth and they mentioned Metco’s impressive longevity.
It began in 1933, when Rea Axline – a graduate of the California Institute of Technology – founded the Metallizing Engineering Co., later shortened to Metco.
In 1994, Swiss industrial firm Sulzer Ltd. acquired Metco, and in 2014, another Swiss-based global technology firm – OC Oerlikon, a worldwide leader in surface solutions boasting more than $3 billion in annual sales – took over and made Metco its U.S. headquarters.
Tom Mariner: Surface area.
Through the years, Axline’s original idea – excellence in surface engineering, specifically thermal-spray and coating technologies – remained constant. And lately, with Oerlikon at the wheel, that dedication to greatness has been supercharged by tireless outreach to other manufacturers (and future manufacturers) here on Long Island.
Metco’s thermal-spray coatings enhance the durability, corrosion resistance and performance of various materials. They’re crucial in industries such as aerospace, medical technology, automotive and manufacturing – industries where machines and components are often exposed to high temperatures and other extreme environments, and to lots and lots of wear-and-tear.
Protecting aircraft turbine blades, improving the bone adherence of artificial joints, extending the life of power equipment, enhancing automobile wear resistance – you can easily understand the importance.
Metco moved to its current Westbury location in 1954 and has spent the intervening years at the leading edge of these important technologies. It’s not just the center of Oerlikon’s U.S. operations; it’s a major hub for surface-coating research and development (not to mention the only one of Oerlikon’s 207 locations in 38 countries manufacturing consumable parts such as spray guns, feeders and related controls).
On-the-job training: Metco Equipment Operations Manager Nicole Hernandez clues in a potential intern at Long Island Manufacturing Day.
The Westbury site manages operations, oversees customer support and drives innovation for all of the multinational’s U.S. activities. And to make sure the facility is stocked with the necessary talent, Sotille and Hernandez devote considerable time to events that routinely welcome student visitors to the Nassau County plant.
It’s that kind of vital dedication that ranks Long Island’s student-oriented Manufacturing Day among the most active in the nation. Sottile and Hernandez are thrilled to watch the interns they recruit and teach develop into the future design, manufacturing and application engineers the regional manufacturing sector so badly needs, whether or not they stay with Metco. (They often do.)
After graduating from CUNY’s Queensborough Community College and Farmingdale State College, Sottile has spent his entire career with Metco, serving now as director of manufacturing engineering. Hernandez got her master’s degree in electrical engineering in Puerto Rico and is now the equipment operations manager.
Ed Sottile: Forward-looking.
Both are at the forefront of plant operations. And both recognize that their personal involvement in recruitment moves the company forward, both economically (by fostering a local workforce and gaining community trust) and internally (by enhancing employee morale and inspiring innovation).
At a recent HIA-LI Manufacturing Committee meeting held at Oerlikon Metco, we met four interns, ranging from high schoolers to college graduates. All were enthusiastic and, even better, said working at the Westbury facility was “fun.” Why? Because they could point to a car or airplane and tell their friends, “I’m a part of that!”
In addition to influencing the Farmingdale State curriculum, Sottile runs a “shadow program” with Nassau BOCES and advises Suffolk County Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Center. His motivations behind these myriad educational efforts are clear – and clearly benefit Metco, it’s international parent and the Long Island innovation economy.
“It’s an excellent avenue for candidates who want to find a career as a machinist, programmer or quality inspector, and then – if they choose to – to go on to get a degree,” Sottile says. “We have a tremendous need for candidates, and these credentials enhance their qualifications and employability.”
Tom Mariner is the executive director of Bayport-based Long Island Bio.
