Former Aftermarket Engineering Director to Lead Equipment Upgrade Offering

Wheelabrator, a Norican technology, has appointed shot blasting industry veteran Mike Reaves to head up its North American EMP ("Equipment Modernization Program") team as a technical specialist.

EMPs upgrade, modify, and optimize existing shot blast equipment—both Wheelabrator and non-Wheelabrator—to increase capacity, reduce maintenance downtime, lower running costs, or adapt to new applications or requirements. They can complement, delay, or even replace a new machine purchase by bringing old machines up to the state of the art.

Mike was an early proponent of the power of EMPs and was instrumental in the development of upgrade services at Wheelabrator. He now returns to shape Wheelabrator’s EMP offering for a new era – faster, smarter, more digital.

Following a tour of duty in the Marine Corps, Mike graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in engineering. He started his career as a design engineer, joining Wheelabrator in 1997. He spent almost 20 years at Wheelabrator, initially designing new equipment, before becoming Engineering Manager, along with roles in Engineering Services, Quality Assurance, and New Product Development, leading to his ultimate role as Director of Aftermarket Engineering.

During that time, Mike was on the development team for products like the revolutionary EZEFIT® blast wheel, which lives on in today’s EZX® wheel technology. He also gained an MBA from Columbus State University, ultimately prompting his move into a Chief Operating Officer role outside the shot blast industry in 2017.

Marcus Montie, Senior Vice President of Norican North America, comments: "If machines last decades, innovation can’t wait until the next equipment purchase. Mike saw this early on and built products and services around it. He pushed the limits of what you can get out of existing machines and was part of some of the most successful aftermarket developments of the past decades. He rejoins us at a time when digital tools and innovative wear parts enable us to inject new technology into existing shot blast equipment almost continuously. Mike will ensure customers get maximum performance and value from their installed machines. It’s great to have him back."

Mike adds: "I'm proud to be back at Wheelabrator, the original shot blasting brand. We have incredible products, which we constantly improve, and an enormous global reservoir of technical experience in every kind of shot blast application. Our customers today must adapt and improve all the time, so being able to do that with their existing equipment is incredibly rewarding. I’m excited about the innovation that’s come out of our R&D team recently. It’s up to me and the Engineering team now to get them out to customers – and transform their production."

For Information: 

Wheelabrator / Norican

1606 Executive Drive

LaGrange, GA 30240, USA

Tel. +1.706.884-6884

E-mail: sales.NA@norican.com

www.wheelabratorgroup.com