Business View Magazine | June 2022

51 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 6 RETECH SYSTEMS Earl Good, President and Managing Director at Retech Systems. “Although our customers buy somewhat similar furnaces, where we truly excel is in our ability to supply bespoke furnaces, made possible by our strong R&D department, an area we continue to invest in to support our customer’s evolving needs.” Retech Systems was founded in 1963 in Marin County, California, by Max Schlienger. At the time, the company developed its first Vacuum Arc Remelt (VAR) system, which improves the quality of metals for high-value applications like aerospace, aviation, and healthcare. Over the years, the company introduced additional products, including Plasma Arc Melting (PAM), Electron Beam Melting (EB), Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM), and Metal Powder Production. In 2011, Retech Systems joined the SECO/WARWICK group of companies, becoming a subsidiary and gaining a global footprint that has helped accelerate growth. In October 2020, Retech Systems moved from its long-time facility in Ukiah, California, to a new and larger facility in Buffalo, New York. Although well-planned, the move was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Our new facility gives us more space for our rapidly expanding R&D department plus shop space for all the furnaces we are building,” says Good. However, moving to New York was quite a challenge due to delays caused by the pandemic. First, the facility was not deemed essential, so all workers had to stay home. Next, because the move was across state lines, it presented a new problem because each state was enforcing quarantine measures, a considerable deterrent to truckers. But despite these challenges and a six- month delay, the company had finished moving to the new facility by the end of October and set up all equipment and hired staff.