A 2016 Honda Odyssey, which includes the winning part from Port City Group.

A new experience is where growth happens, and it is a bonus if success happens on your first attempt at it. That is exactly what Port City Group accomplished last month when we entered the North American Die Casting Association’s (NADCA) International Die Casting Design Competition. This was our first year to submit an entry, and the risk paid off when we took home the prize for Best Aluminum Die Casting Under One Pound.

The annual international competition, held the last 43 years, promotes increased use of die castings through the recognition of outstanding designs. The competition showcases outstanding die cast designs, while acknowledging the continuous contribution die casters provide to the manufacturing industry.

Entries this year came from the U.S., Canada and overseas. Some of the additional winners were from Italy and Austria. Each entry was judged on its ingenuity of design, quality, cost savings and industry-changing potential. Winners are featured in national industry magazines (including Die Casting Engineer) and are displayed at the 2016 Die Casting Congress & Tabletop.

Pace’s Port City Group won in the aluminum category for our side mirror inner base, manufactured for our customer Magna Mirrors. This innovative design differs from methods previously used to attach side mirrors on cars, most notably by minimizing post processing and eliminating a machine operation.  This gives our customer a distinct industry advantage.

When deciding what parts to enter, we looked at several unique parts that Port City Group has developed and agreed that we should pick something that gives our customers a commercial advantage or that solves for an existing problem. We are proud of our side mirror inner base part and the recognition it and our team members have received. It serves as an excellent example of our continuing and unwavering commitment to providing creative and uncommon solutions.

We look forward to competing again in the NADCA awards. It is an excellent way to showcase our everyday work on a grander scale. Our top priority is, and always will be, the manufacturing of innovative and quality products that we take pride in. And a satisfied customer is always the biggest reward. However, there’s no denying that being labeled a winner is also a nice perk.

For the past 24 years, the Pace Industries Cambridge Division has participated in the regional Design-2-Part (D2P) show. As our mission statement proudly states, we are always seeking opportunities to provide uncommon, creative die casting and support solutions for our customers. Here at the Pace Industries Cambridge Division, we pride ourselves in serving niche and specialty markets with our complex die castings and engineering support. As Northeast sales manager Jeff Martin puts it, “We provide uncommon value in the market niches we elect to serve.” Those who have worked with Pace Cambridge are aware that low volume, highly complex projects, such as sub-assemblies, is where this division thrives. This show is a chance for us to increase visibility with those who have not discovered us yet.

On September 28 and 29, the Pace Industries Cambridge Division participated in the regional D2P held at the Royal Plaza Trade Center located in Marlborough, Mass. The more than 1,800 attendees were able to see both custom and stock parts, components and services from over 300 manufacturing categories. Exhibitors came from all over the country, spanning from California to Maine. Northeast Sales Manager Jeff Martin attended the show this year. He was excited to see how active the local market was, and in the two days Pace Cambridge was present, we feel great about the connections we were able to make.

The goal of D2P is to connect job shops and manufacturers face-to-face with OEM engineers, management and buyers who need their expertise and services to solve manufacturing challenges and improve the quality of their parts. Martin recalls an instance from a past show in which Pace Cambridge was able to connect with an engineer who was working with the thermal efficiency of his products. “We were able to suggest a specialty alloy, which provided the margin to improve thermal performance,” said Martin. “This led to an immediate transfer of tooling to Pace Cambridge.”

So what do we do now with our newfound experience and knowledge? In the past, attendance at the show has resulted in increases in sales up to five percent. Our main goal in attending the show is to bridge the gap for many of the attendees of the show who don’t think their projects need die casting. “We witnessed interest and are in the process of following up,” said Martin. “My key takeaway is that the local market is vibrant with activity.”