Pelican Products Spreads Its Wings With German Factory

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Pelican Products Inc. has prided itself in keeping all of its manufacturing operations in the United States, but business has been too good to keep that going.


The company, which has produced its trademark flashlights and water-tight cases in its Torrance headquarters for more than 30 years, announced last week it will open a manufacturing facility in Crottendorf, Germany, to serve the increasingly lucrative European market.


“Making everything here for the European market is both time consuming and costly,” said Chief Executive Lyndon Faulkner. “We’ve taken the same methodology and principals from our manufacturing in the U.S. and transferred it to Europe.”


The company, which has more than $200 million in annual sales, brings in about 30 percent of its revenue from foreign markets. This is the first non-U.S. manufacturing facility, but the company already has sales and distribution centers in 10 countries.


The new facility will initially produce six of the company’s cases. Pelican offers nearly 40 cases and a wide variety of flashlights, which have proven popular for military, industrial and police uses. The company was recently chosen by the Los Angeles Police Department to design and build a durable but lightweight flashlight.


Despite opening a new facility, Faulkner said the Torrance manufacturing center is still expected to produce 30 percent more goods this year than last.



Broader Vision

Known for its airport security checkpoint machines, OSI Systems Inc. is also making a name for itself on the battlefield.


The Hawthorne-based company received a $14 million contract last week from EDO Corp., a New York-based weapons maker, for the manufacture of electronic subassemblies to be used in vehicle-mounted electronic jammer systems. The devices will be used by the Department of Defense on battlefield vehicles.


“The contract underscores our capabilities in electronics manufacturing and our commitment to this important national security program,” said Manoocher Mansouri, president of the company’s optoelectronics and manufacturing division, in a statement.


The contract follows previous deals of $5 million and $22.1 million for work on the systems.


OSI recently won contracts from the Transportation Security Administration for its airport security technology, including X-ray machines and “backscatter” imaging systems used to inspect passengers.


The company last week also unveiled a version of its millimeter-wave imaging device used in airports that detects concealed weapons, explosives, liquids or other substances.


Shares of OSI closed $25.03 on Oct. 31, up nearly a quarter since the beginning of the year.



Getting Energized

Aerovironment Inc. has installed 18 wind turbines on a Wisconsin building as the company grows its electric energy systems business.


The Monrovia company, best known for its unmanned aerial vehicles for the military, derives about 20 percent of its $173 million in annual sales from its energy systems.


The company installed its so-called “architectural wind system” on the Beloit, Wis., manufacturing facility of Salem, Ore.-based Kettle Foods Inc.


The turbines, which helped the building earn a certification from the U.S. Green Building Council as an environmentally friendly structure, are expected to generate about 28,000 kilowatt hours of power each year.



Contract Trifecta

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., the $8 billion Pasadena-based construction company, announced a trio of new contracts last week.


The company won deals with the Texas Army National Guard, the Port of Tacoma in Washington and GlaxoSmithKline PLC. The financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.


Jacobs will provide architectural and engineering design services for an Armed Forces Reserve Center in El Paso, Texas. In Washington, Jacobs will help build marine terminals for the Port of Tacoma. The company will also provide construction services for a new data center for GlaxoSmithKline.



Certifiable Quality

Diesel engine maker Industrial Parts Depot LLC can officially say it uses quality manufacturing practices.


The Torrance-based company last week announced it has received ISO 9001:2000 certification from the International Organization for Standardization.


The certification, which is not required, affirms that the company meets international quality standards in its manufacturing operations.


The company, founded in 1955, said it sought certification to assert its commitment to customer satisfaction and quality assurance.



Staff reporter Richard Clough can be reached at (323) 549-5225, ext. 251, or at [email protected].

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