February 16, 2007 — Thresher Industries has relocated all the manufacturing operations of Talon Composites to a new plant in Hanford, CA. Thresher also produces aluminum and composite castings at a 18,000-ft2 permanent-mold casting facility in Hanford.
Talon's new facility is adjacent to the Thresher foundry, and the owners state that production is scheduled to begin by March 1 as it begins filling current orders.
The relocation was expected last October, when Thresher acquired Talon for an undisclosed price. Thresher said then that the acquisition will allow the organization “to leverage its manufacturing strength to develop and market Talon’s products in the high-growth nuclear market and other target industries.” It said Talon's efforts to provide neutron-absorbing materials and manufactured components for nuclear transport and storage containers demonstrate a growing worldwide interest in the use of such materials in the nuclear industry.
Talon manufactures aluminum- and titanium-based metal-matrix composite castings, and its products are sold to producers of structures for aerospace, transportation, sporting goods, robotics, and a variety of other industries.
Tom Flessner, president and CEO of Thresher Industries, stated, "All manufacturing equipment and inventory for Talon Composites has been transferred to the new facility. We have completed the hard installation of the processing furnaces and support equipment. The warehousing and inventory of all materials are now completed as well. Setup of the QA lab is progressing with a scheduled calibration of inspection equipment to be completed as quickly as possible."
In addition, Talon states that the development of the facility is ongoing, as construction of a materials research and development center nears completion. "The R&D facility will be used to develop and qualify all materials used at Thresher Industries and Talon Composites, as well as an incubator for emerging processes and technology," Thresher announced. The R&D center will be managed by Robin Carden, v.p. - Business Development, who will "direct testing protocol and establish priorities for embracing new and emerging technologies."