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POWDER COATING, February 2018 13 Echo Engineering acquires plastic injection molder INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.—Echo Engi- neering and Production Supplies Inc. has announced the recent acquisition of Ammex Plastics, a full-service plastic components manufacturer based near Detroit. Moving forward, Ammex Plas- tics will operate under Echo's umbrella. Echo's extensive resources, coupled with Ammex's domestic injection molding capabilities, will allow Echo to increase its product offerings to new and existing customers of both compa- nies, as well as their market share within the automotive plastics industry. Ammex Plastics, Monroe, Mich., is a plastic injection molding company pri- marily serving the automotive industry by manufacturing fluid routing, fasten- ing, interior, and suspension system components. Echo provides custom and catalog parts that focus on masking, protecting, and hanging, as well as rub- ber and plastic OEM components. Paley-James sculptures wow the crowd CHICAGO, Ill.—At the most recent FABTECH this past November, the Paley-James Sculptures were revealed and displayed throughout the show. These unique sculptures were born out of an extraordinary partnership be- tween two artists with diverse styles: the world-renowned sculptor Albert Paley and Jesse James of West Coast Chop- pers fame. The sculptures have since been auctioned off with sale proceeds going to the five FABTECH co-spon- sors, AWS, FMA, SME, PMA, and CCAI, to support grants and educa- tional opportunities for careers in the metal working trades. UPDATE:Suppliers Jesse James and Albert Paley used their unique styles and collaborated to make two sculptures, with each artist starting one sculpture and finishing the other. This is the first and only time that Paley has collaborated with anyone. The finished sculptures are Raiden (left), which was started by Paley and finished by James, and Ambiguous Equation (right), which was started by James and finished by Paley. This extra- ordinary collaboration makes these pieces truly one-of-a-kind. Vogel Paint hosts grand opening, starts third phase of expansion ORANGE CITY, Iowa—In late Octo- ber, Peridium Powder/Vogel Paint wel- comed over 400 guests to celebrate the completion of the first two phases of a 5-year, $29.3 million expansion plan for its powder coating manufacturing operation located at the company's headquarters in Orange City, Iowa. At- tendees heard remarks from Orange City Mayor Deb De Haan, Orange City development president Daryl Belt- man, Vogel Paint president Jeff Powell, Vogel Paint vice president of business development Mark Vogel, and Vogel Paint chairman and CEO Drew Vogel. The first and second phase of the pro- ject involved the doubling of the com- pany's powder coatings production fa- cility, which included a 91,000-square- foot addition that allows for doubling its output capacity in the years to come, as well as the first portion of equipment for the new production lines. This in- vestment is valued at an estimated $19.5 million. The climate-controlled, state-of-the-art plant is completed, and production has commenced.