This month we’re proud to introduce you to the latest member of the Taber team: our new Taber Extrusions Plant Engineering Manager, Gulfport: Allan Sewell.

Originally from Runnelstown, Mississippi, and a proud graduate of University of Southern Mississippi, Allan Sewell (pronounced “Sue-ull”) has enjoyed an enduring and successful career in the manufacturing industry, bringing over 25 years of experience to the Taber Extrusions team. Joining the Taber team in September, his presence and expertise have elevated him to an essential role.

As the Plant Engineering Manager of the Gulfport location, Allan’s day-to-day objectives include keeping a sharp eye on his main team and their current projects, capital project management, and providing general engineering support to operations. As Taber Extrusions continues to grow as a company, so too does he want to grow his involvement with his location’s ambitious projects.

Ambitious projects don’t stop with Allan’s work career. Mr. Sewell has spent over 20 years restoring automobiles, buying and selling dozens, doing everything himself; mechanical and cosmetic, including paintwork. The minute you can get Allan talking about… “old things….” be prepared, you have opened a special place in this human heart. Ask him about “Red” or “Old Blue.” As with any group structure, there is going to be some favorites, and his 4-wheeled family is no exception. Blue is a sought after Jeep CJ8 Scrambler, CJ style, with more of a pickup bed, and quite coveted for its rarity. He held onto Blue until relocating from Tennessee in late 2013. Allan still has (and loves) his fully-drivable Red, which he’s had for 11 years.

Beyond “Blue,” Allan has other memories he likes to build out. If you’ve ever heard about “reclaimed wood,” it’s quite a thing right now, even warranting a recent show on NPR. Here at Taber, we have our very own Allan Sewell that has been woodworking with this now-trendy-wood-medium since his wife asked him to build her something out of old barn wood similar to what she had seen at craft shows. But let’s back up a bit: Allan’s father was a finish carpenter, and the exposure to woodworking and cabinetry had always existed in his life. He began building cabinets and furniture in his own shops after finishing college as a hobby, always being involved at some level. But his wife’s request 7 years ago for barn wood furniture took Allan away from traditional fully detailed/finished woodworking to the reclaimed side of the universe.

She was referring to the nailing together of unfinished pieces of old wood, but Allan, not being the kind of person interested in doing things halfway, created a durable piece of finished furniture. That initiated the re-purposing of old wood. He has created many pieces since then, enjoying the hunt for lumber and all that comes with it; dismantling old barns, finding the right rustic pieces, and searching for nature’s best art samples. Currently, Allan is in the process of milling the lumber for the walls of his new shop. See one of his pieces at barnwoodbricks.com – a classic old world style coffee table/chest beautifully reclaimed from wormy chestnut. Now, or at least when his shop is finished, he will be building with both traditional milled virgin lumber, as well as, reclaimed.

When Allan Sewell isn’t spending time with his wife, family, automobiles, or woodworking you will find him at Taber’s Gulfport location helping ensure a great company culture and quality products. “I’ve been fortunate during my career to have worked with many very talented people and have held positions in varying industries. This combination has rewarded me with a broad experience/exposure base for which I’m grateful.” Says Sewell.

His advice to others on how he reached his success? “Be as well rounded as possible, be willing to put in a lot of hours, and look for opportunities to grow your company and your role within it.”

Sounds precisely “on the beam,” Mr. Sewell. Taber is thrilled to have you as our Gulfport Plant Engineering Manager.

Fuel consumption has always been a major economic factor in the transportation business, but with the EPA changing the guidelines and rules, what exactly does that mean for the ‘average joe’? The way to better fuel economy is a lighter vehicle. The lighter the vehicle, the better the fuel economy (or miles per gallon is layman speak). For transportation, including heavy-duty trucks and even for the consumer driven market, that means changing how vehicles are made.

How does an industry reduce the weight of a vehicle without reducing its capacity to perform? Changing materials to aluminum is the current ‘go-to’ answer. According to The Aluminum Association, “The weight and emission benefits that result from using aluminum in heavy-duty trucks are significant. Research conducted by Ricardo Consulting Engineers has shown that an “aluminum-intensive” Class 8 commercial tractor trailer can reduce vehicle weight by 3,300 pounds. For every 10 percent of weight reduction, up to a 5.5 percent improvement in fuel economy is possible. The study also found that substituting the nation’s fleet of Class 8 tractor-trailers with aluminum-intensive models would save 9.3 million tons of CO2 annually.”

On the consumer side, aluminum will play a fast and furious role into developing the next generation of vehicles. Automakers are thinking about mobility, effectiveness, strength, and meeting EPA emissions standards which means reaching into the current and available technologies like aluminum to develop automotive frames.

Taber is well known in the industry for its aluminum extrusions, already having earned Boeing’s Gold Supplier rating. Taber’s aluminum extrusion process is easy to machine and cast and has one third the density of steel, proving that they can significantly reduce the weight of commercial and consumer vehicles without reducing performance, which is exactly with the industry needs to meet the goals that the EPA has demanded.

A new study has just confirmed that “aluminum is the most sustainable choice for the environment.” The study, conducted by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s (WPI) Center for Resource Recovery and Recycling and funded by the Aluminum Association, concluded a recycling rate of over 90 percent (91 percent to be exact) for automotive aluminum.

“As the United States and the rest of the world continue to strive for a more environmentally friendly future, aluminum is a big part of the solution and this new data confirms it,” states the report.

This is welcome news for automakers throughout North America who face increasingly stringent energy efficiency demands. As the DOE advocates for these eco-friendly standards, automotive manufacturers are facing more pressure to comply with these standards while maintaining their revenue.

Aluminum seems to be the answer to these automakers’ new challenges. Aluminum extrusions are lighter than traditional steel, thus improving fuel efficiency. At the same time, the aforementioned recycling rate of aluminum cuts down on waste while also lessening sourcing costs – improving the sustainability of processes and products while saving money and meeting energy standards.

Taber Extrusions is uniquely positioned to engage the evolving aluminum extrusions needs of the automotive industry. With unmatched extrusion capabilities – including the production of North America’s widest, most complex, and heaviest shapes – Taber combines extensive experience with manufacturing flexibility. In-house aluminum machining and fabrication further expands Taber’s scope of capabilities through CNC machining, ultrasonic testing, sawing, welding, and more.

Ford Motor Company announced on Monday that their 2017 F-series Super Duty coming to showrooms this fall, the F-450, will feature an unprecedented aluminum frame.

The move toward aluminum as the primary fabrication metal for the automotive body comes amidst the never-ending battle within the automotive industry for the highest towing capacity. Ford’s newest and beefiest truck to date, the F-450 tops out with a 32,500-pound towing capacity – adding 1,300 additional pounds to the current leader.

In order to incorporate heavier, more heavy-duty components to help with towing capacity, Ford decided to make the switch to an aluminum body in order to redistribute weight. The lightweight attributes of aluminum have long made it one of the best choices not only for strength and mobility, but also for durability and custom chemical and mechanical properties.

“The switch to aluminum was considered one of the boldest moves in the auto world in the past few years,” stated USA Today. Steel has been the dominant force in automotive fabrication for, well, forever. But the benefits of aluminum as a structural alternative are undeniable: it’s lighter, just as strong, durable, and more efficient. Not only do aluminum parts help with towing capacity – they also improve fuel efficiency, addressing a major concern among car buyers and manufacturers alike.

If aluminum is good enough for Ford’s newest F-series – America’s best-selling vehicle – we have a feeling it will be good enough for more major players in the automotive industry sooner than later.