ARC Specialties, Inc., Houston, Texas, a manufacturer of automated and robotic welding systems, has hired Ithamar Glumac as Welding Engineer for ARC's Engineering & Consulting division.  Glumac graduated from LeTourneau University with a B.S. in Materials Joining Engineer Technology. Glumac interned at Arc Specialties during the summer of 2012 , during which time he received a scholarship from Arc Specialties for the 2012 fall semester.

Recently, more than 50 junior and senior Carver High School students in Eric Hirtriter’s computer integrated manufacturing classes visited ARC Specialties, a manufacturer of custom automatic and robotic equipment.

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Companies Offer An Array of Cool Perks 

Some companies host employee picnics. ARC Specialties takes its 65 employees and their families on annual trips, including cruises to Mexico, weekend getaways to San Antonio and deep-sea fishing expeditions in Port Aransas.

In June, employees and spouses spent a few days at a resort in Cozumel, with all expenses paid.

"I like the people who work here," said ARC Specialties' president, Dan Allford, who started his robotics company in his garage in 1983. "I enjoy watching them having a good time."

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High School and Middle School robotics tends to burn out teachers. Thyrun Hurst is a remarkable exception to this. He is the only teacher ARC Specialties has worked with continuously since we began mentoring teams in 2001. In 2011, Thyrun was the principal of Wood Creek Middle School and the sponsor of a Texas BEST robot team. The kids won their first event which is remarkable for rookies particularly middle students competing against high students.

This year Thyrun was promoted to Principal of Summer Creek High School where he sponsored a BEST team. The two teams now work together in the Wood Creek shop. The collaboration worked splendidly with mentors floating between the teams as needed. The final result at the South East Texas (SET) BEST event were impressive. The High School finished 1st with an average score of 22 points per round. The Middle School finished 7th.

ARC Specialties commends Thyrun Hurst for creating sustainable robot teams in numerous schools over the last 11 years. It is educators like Thyrun who inspire kids to study Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Photo of the winning High School team and their pole climbing robot with 2 axis arm with servo gripper holding a game piece.

(as seen in The Welding Journal)

The Houston, Texas-based ARC Specialties specializes in welding and cutting machines, of which approximately 90 % are employed in the oil and gas industries. ARC Specialties can count several globally-active oil and gas OEMs headquartered in the Houston area as significant customers. “The ARC Specialties team strives to manufacture best in class custom automation equipment with standard, off-the-shelf technologies that ensure longterm availability”, says John Martin, Sr. Project Manager, ARC Specialties. “Our company’s control philosophy is centered on systems that are open by design,” adds Gary Ewin, Chief Electrical Designer, ARC Specialties. “Many of our competitors manufacture their own proprietary controls, which can be a fine solution for a few years, but several years later this can be a major problem considering support and repairs needed to maintain the control system.”

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John Martin was recognized today for 10 years of excellence and dedication as Sr. Project Manager for ARC Specialties.  President Dan Allford presented Martin with a commemorative watch given to all employs on their 10th year anniversary.

ARC Specialties, Inc., Houston, Texas, a manufacturer of automated and robotic welding systems, has hired Richard Holdren, P.E. as Senior Welding Engineer.  Holdren has over 35 years of experience as a welding engineer and is a specialist in the area of manufacturing technology for improved quality and productivity.  Holdren’s areas of expertise include:  welding standards interpretation and application, engineering analysis, procedure development, failure analysis, expert witness testimony, mechanical testing, fabrication technology, and visual and nondestructive examination.  Holdren serves on several AWS technical committees and is currently Chair of the AWS Technical Activities Committee.