January 19, 2007 — ESCO Corp. has appointed a new president of its Turbine Technologies business unit. Franois Baril succeeds Perry Harvey, who is retiring February 1, and reports to ESCO president and chief operation officer Larry Huget.

Baril joined ESCO in 1997 as a district manager for its Industrial Casting division, and has proceeded through a series of management positions in the years since then. He has been a business unit leader for the Industrial Casting unit, manager at ESCO Ltd. in Port Hope, ON, and managing director for ESCO Engineered Products Europe. He was named to vice president of ESCO Turbine Technologies in October 2005.

ESCO manufactures engineered metal wearparts and components for mining, construction, and other industrial markets worldwide. Late last year, the company sold its Integrated Manufacturing division to a group of private investors, Platinum Equity. Integrated Manufacturing is a producer and integrator of “technically rich components, assemblies and replacement parts for outsourced manufacturing and machining," and ESCO explained that explaining that the divestment is part of its plan to focus resources on its core casting business units, Engineered Products and Turbine Technologies.

“ESCO’s long-term vision is aimed at continued, global growth in the mining, construction, and industrial gas turbine markets,” Steven D. Pratt, chairman and CEO stated. “This sale allows us to aggressively pursue these markets, while placing IMG with a firm for which integrated manufacturing is part of a long-term priority.”