Thompson Tractor tour 08/27/2009 5 - 7 pm

Thompson Tractor looks forward to hosting the Birmingham SME group on Thursday afternoon, 08/27/2009 from 5:00 to 7:00pm. The event will take place in the Building 1 Auditorium, located on the east side of the Highway 79, Tarrant facilities at 2401 Pinson Hwy, Tarrant, AL 35217. The tour will target the Component Rebuild Center of Thompson Tractor along with the Caterpillar Certified Rebuild process, including a look at contamination control, the flow of materials, and internal processes developed from years of experience.

Planned Schedule:

5:00 - 5:30 Welcome

5:30 - 5:45 Thompson Tractor Company overview

5:45 - 6:00 Society of Manufacturing Engineers overview

6:00 - 7:00 Thompson Tractor Company facility tour

Thompson CAT is the full-line Caterpillar equipment dealer serving Alabama and panhandle Florida and represents Mitsubishi Caterpillar forklifts across most of Georgia. This Tarrant campus is the corporate headquarters for Thompson Tractor.

Please, bring Safety Glasses. Membership, please, RSVP. If you would like to join us for this tour or if you would like to join us on future tours, email BrianE@PrecisionGrinding.com or Blane.Vines@BhamFast.com for more information. Please, consult http://www.sme.org/ for more information about the SME and the benefits of being associated with our group.

July & August SME Plant Tours set

Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa has invited SME Birmingham members to tour their Steel Production facilities on Thursday, July 30, 2009 from 4:30pm - 6:30pm. Early arrival for Social time begins at 4:00pm. Please, report to the Guard Shack. There you will be given a brief safety introduction along with directions to the meeting building. For those who choose to socialize afterwards, Dinner will follow at Wintzell's Oyster House from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. Dinner costs are $20.00 for members and for guests. Please, RSVP email to Blane.Vines@BhamFast.com in order to confirm your reservation to dine with us. As always, we would like an accurate count of attendees for our hosting restaurant.

With a business philosophy committed to safety, productivity and profitability, Nucor maintains strong business ethics while promoting excellence in environmental stewardship. Nucor has always been committed to producing superior quality. Demonstrating their committment to leading the industry, Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa was the first mill in the US to install Steckel Mill machinery, leading the whole steel industry toward improving production efficiencies while reducing costs. This new innovation provided a better technological implementation for incorporating "scrap steel" into the production process, while also maintaining higher flatness standards and greater consistencies for their plate products. Jon Walton, a Process Metallurgist will be conducting the facilities tour.

Directions: Go to http://www.bing.com/maps
Nucor: 1700 Holt Rd. NE, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404
Wintzell's Oyster House: 1 Bridge Ave., Northport, AL, 5 miles SW (on the Banks of the Black Warrior River)

Please, remember to bring your PPE Safety Gear: safety glasses, hard-hat, steel-toed boots.


Thompson Tractor Company has invited us to tour their Tarrant facilities on Thursday, August 27, 2009. Thompson CAT is the full-line Caterpillar equipment dealer across Alabama and panhandle Florida and represents Mitsubishi Caterpillar forklifts across most of Georgia. While Thompson has always stood tall promoting Safety, Training, and Construction Partnerships, today, additional attention is being devoted to Promoting Environmental and Energy efficiencies. This Birmingham / Tarrant, Pinson Valley Parkway (Hwy 79) location is the corporate headquarters for Thompson Tractor. Details about this event, along with a time to meet is forthcoming.

Please, remember to bring your Safety Glasses for this tour.


Please, consult http://www.sme.org/ or email BrianE@PrecisionGrinding.com if you would like to know more about SME Chapter 143, Anniston, Birmingham, Gadsden, Tuscaloosa, AL.