Founded in 1950 as a maker of wristwatches and camera parts, Star Micronics has grown into a provider of computer printers; visual card reader/writer systems; automatic lathes and other machine tools (generates the most sales); and precision components for communications, automotive, and medical applications. Star Micronics company's micro audio components (including speakers, buzzers, receivers, and microphones) are used by mobile phone manufacturers; they may be used in digital music players or game devices, as well. Star Micronics still makes wristwatch components, though the segment has become a smaller part of overall company revenues.

Reliance Steel & Aluminum shows its mettle by supplying metal processing services and distributing metal products to customers in the manufacturing, construction, transportation, aerospace, and semiconductor industries. Through a network of more than 200 service and distribution centers, Reliance provides customized metal processing services. From these locations the company distributes more than 100,000 products made of carbon, alloy, stainless, and specialty steel, as well as aluminum, brass, copper, and titanium. In the latter half of this decade, Reliance has gone on something of a spending binge, buying up a number of smaller rivals.

Empire Industries is constructing its kingdom of steel. Empire Industries, operating through a number of subsidiaries, makes a wide range of fabricated steel and specialty engineered products. Its Empire Iron Works subsidiary makes structural steel products for airports, bridges, offices, refineries, and other projects. Subsidiary George Third & Son makes structural and architectural products, including staircases, ornamental iron, and industrial tanks. Other units make air-cleaning and materials handling equipment, oil and gas equipment, and large telescopes. Finally, all that steel has to go up safely: Empire Industries provides construction, site erection, steel shoring, and emergency repair services.

Metcam has heavy metal skills. The precision fabricator of sheet metal parts offers assembly, metal finishing, plating, and stamping, too. Its fabrication services include stamping, deburring, hardware insertion, and machining. Laser cutting is set for high tolerance piercing of most materials and thicknesses. For jobs "on the fly," parts used in cutting are programmed to also run on Metcam's turret punching machines. Its metal finishing provides brush, conversion coating, paint, and silkscreen. Electromechanical and mechanical assembly services are also offered at its Georgia facility. The company's electronics and telecommunications customers include AT&T, Lucent, and Chicago's McCormick Place.

Since the 1830's, there has been industrial activity on the current site of the Blue Heron Paper Mill. At times, the site has been used as a flour mill, a sawmill, a brick operation, a woolen mill and a paper mill. The Oregon City mill as it is today started in 1908 as the Hawley Pulp and Paper Mill. W.P. Hawley bought the mill and adjacent properties and eventually installed four paper machines to produce a variety of paper products including fruit wrap, bread paper, wrapping paper, toweling, bags and newsprint.Ownership transferred to the Los Angeles Times as Publishers Paper Co. and then to Jefferson Smurfit Corporation. The Oregon City mill led the Pacific Northwest into the reclamation of old newspapers with a 25 ton/day deinking plant in 1975. Today, old newspapers and magazines comprise over half our raw materials.Blue Heron Paper Co. can recycle over 600 tons per day of newsprint, magazines and other paper and make a variety of grades of newsprint, high bright specialty papers, converting and bag papers.

PDQ Manufacturing makes touch-free car wash systems for those who want a clean car pretty darn quick. Its products include the LaserWash line of in-bay automatic washing systems, touted as the most popular in the world. PDQ also takes credit for a hybrid car wash system incorporating touch free and friction cleaning technology. PDQ Manufacturing company produces a line of drying equipment, too. Reaching customers online, its Internet-based wash system allows customers to purchase services from the operating cash wash's Web site. Wash systems are sold through equipment distributors, big box retailers, and convenience stores.

Polymer Group us a leading maker of nonwoven textiles.PGI makes nonwoven and polyolefin products used in such consumer goods as disposable diapers, baby wipes, and an array of hygiene and medical products. Disposable goods account for 70% of the company's nonwoven sales. Other uses for its nonwovens include such industrial ends as air and liquid filtration, automotive insulation, protective apparel, car and boat covers, and climate control covers for crops. PGI operates a dozen-plus manufacturing and converting facilities worldwide. In fall 2010 it agreed to be acquired by an affiliate of Blackstone Capital Partners V.

GMP Metal Products may be a fabricator of sorts, but it ain't no liar. The contract manufacturer, a subsidiary of Wozniak Industries, manufactures assemblies, fabrications, and metal stampings, using such methods as laser cutting, forming, deep drawing, and a variety of painting and plating surface treatments. Its fabricated products include assemblies for large construction equipment, structural framework for mobile units and off-highway vehicles, and doors, roofs, and other sections for military vehicles. Major customers include the automotive, agriculture machinery, defense, and construction equipment industries.

Standex International Corporation operates as a diversified manufacturing company worldwide. Its Food Service Equipment Group segment manufactures commercial food service equipment for restaurants, convenience stores, quick-service restaurants, supermarkets, and drug stores, as well as institutions, such as hotels, casinos, and cafeterias. This segment also offers refrigerated cabinets, cases, display units, coolers, and freezers; refrigeration systems and cases; commercial ovens, griddles, char broilers, and toasters; custom-fabricated food service counters, buffet tables, and cabinets; commercial cook and hold units, rotisseries, pressure fryers, and baking equipment; and rotary vane pumps used in beverage and industrial fluid handling applications. Standex International Corporation's Air Distribution Products Group segment manufactures metal duct and fittings for residential heating, ventilating, and air conditioning applications. Its Engraving segment offers texturizing molds used in the production of plastic components. This segment also produces embossed and engraved rolls and plates, as well as process tooling and machinery serving the automotive, plastics, building products, synthetic materials, converting, textile and paper industry, computer, houseware, and construction industries. Standex International Corporation company's Electronics and Hydraulics Group segment provides single and double acting telescopic and piston rod hydraulic cylinders to manufacturers of dump truck and dump trailers, and other material handling applications.

Toyoda Machinery builds, sells, and services an array of machine tools. Its lineup begins with horizontal and vertical machining centers, multitaskers for all-in-one cutting, drilling, and milling. Toyoda is also the world's #1 producer of cylindrical grinders. Cam and crank grinders, 5 axis, and bridge and gantry machining are manufactured, as well as flexible machining cells, industrial robots, and transfer lines. Along with its products, Toyoda offers engineering, remanufacturing, and parts services. Toyoda distributors serve auto OEMs, and major parts producers in aerospace, energy, heavy equipment, and medical markets across North America. Toyoda is a subsidiary of JTEKT.

Inviting Real Estate Agents, Job Placements Agents, Educational Institutes, Software Service Providers, Real Estate Builders, Marriage Bureaus, Travel Agents, Restaurant Owners, Health & Fitness Centers and other Local Businesses to Post a FREE Classified Advertisement on Cootera.com Classifieds Website.