New exec eyes growth at Megadyne, Jason Industrial

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—When Megadyne Group merged with Ammeraal Beltech in 2018 to form the global conglomerate Ammega Group, the intent was to "make business move."

As Kyoyul Oh more concisely describes it, the 6,000-employee Ammega Group of companies, with its conveying, power transmission and fluid power solutions segments, does not make the automobile, elevator or fitness equipment products, among many others—rather, it represents the first line of movement, powering the machines on the industrial floor that make such products.

As such, Megadyne, the flagship power transmission business, said earlier this year that Oh will take over the power transmission and fluid power products segments as vice president and general manager, reporting to Tom Doring, president of Ammega Americas.

Oh will be based at Megadyne's offices in Charlotte, where it has a polyurethane plant, with authority over Megadyne (as well as the Helicord, Challenge and Sati brands) and Ammega's sole industrial and hydraulic hose segment, Jason Industrial, with a focus on growing its American business.

"I think we are looking forward to, and expecting, the strong return of U.S. manufacturing," Oh said from his office in Michigan April 9. "I hope that we continue to move that way. We focus on value-added manufacturing, and we are looking forward to the reality of that. We make the products that make businesses produce, move in any shape or form—whether that process is in the finished and packaged goods arena, or underneath that with whatever power drives the motors on the floor.

"Anything that touches finished goods, this is the very essence of our business. And we are looking forward to the resurgence of manufacturing 4.0 and the reality of a new, connected world."

Megadyne develops and manufactures power transmission belts, matched components and complete belt systems for a diverse range of applications and, like the conveyance side, is offered globally. Jason Industrial's products, with its hydraulic and industrial hoses, only are offered in the Americas.

Oh, along with Tom Tesoro, vice president of commercial relations, will lead Megadyne and Jason.

As a partner for original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket distributors, with additional manufacturing plants in Europe, North America and Asia, Megadyne provides thermoset and thermoplastic polyurethane belts, rubber timing and V-belts, pulleys, clamping plates, timing bars and complementary products, including made-to-order goods.

Oh added that U.S. infrastructure remains an important center point, as the U.S. economy continues to develop and emerge from the pandemic, and address the onset of the EV revolution.

"We want to be part of anything driving the U.S. sector with our U.S. presence," Oh said. "It is our commitment to say we are here, we will stay here and we will continue to invest and be present in mills and on the factory floors.

"We will take advantage of all the means we have—adaptive, flexible and predictive means—all things that we can utilize to understand how the system works. At the end of day, we want to give customers and consumers a way to decide what they want to do."

Decades of experience
Working most recently at Stant Corp. based in Connersville, Ind., where he was executive vice president, Oh has more than 20 years of global automotive and industrial manufacturing experience across sales and marketing, engineering, research and development, business development and commercialization, and operational start-ups.

Prior to a year-long tenure at Stant, Oh worked for Gates Corp. for more than 20 years, culminating with his position there as senior vice president, commercial development.

According to Doring, Oh has demonstrated "operational excellence, and cross-cultural global personnel management."

Oh has bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and a doctorate in engineering science and mechanics from Virginia Tech University.

He describes his leadership style as "entrepreneurial."

"I am more entrepreneurial in my approach, perhaps with more of a teaching or mentoring kind of style," Oh said. "I am focused on the customer side, focused on the country we live in and how we participate in the common employment, growth of our communities, through community colleges and otherwise. We are a cog that helps turn the wheel, and we are all-encompassing participants.

"We are always in a learning posture, continuing to improve on a daily basis. We take risks, which is the nature of entrepreneurial values. The main reason to be in industry is to resonate."

Oh noted that he was drawn to Megadyne and Ammega for its professional business approach.

"I wanted to come back to the industry, and I missed the camaraderie of the team," he said. "I just find (this) industry so rewarding, especially all that entails in the U.S. Megadyne is a well-known brand in Europe, but in the U.S. it has not yet reached its peak. Jason is a known brand, and we want to solidify this on the belting side, to be able to steer our needs to specific requirements in the U.S. What we have developed with a keen eye in Europe can be adapted to the U.S."

Oh expects logistics and packaging demand to continue rising in the U.S., bringing increased demand for conveyor belts and power transmission products.

"The vehicle manufacturers who assemble internal combustion engines and EV-based products—those will require retooling," Oh said. "And our participation in the fluid transfer and hose portion, on the thermal management and charging side for Jason and Megadyne, will be relevant approaches.

"We are in the 'making of the making'—we are the means by which the 'making' happens."

Another area in which Oh sees increased demand is construction, whether that means making construction equipment, or via the machines that work in construction.
"Quarries, cement rollers ... these machines for infrastructure are all within the scope of our product lines," he said. "Construction and infrastructure needs are of keen interest in the U.S. for us."

And the push to adapt is an inherent part of the Megadyne/Jason legacy. The companies look to "redefine and clarify" their products—from fluid power products to new, various types of V-belts, synchronous timing belts and larger power bands in both urethane and rubber—toward growing demand.

"All products will be consolidated as we look to expand in the U.S.," Oh said. "We will be looking to upgrade our overall and technical capabilities in Charlotte, which is where I will be."

In addition, Ammeraal Beltech, the flagship Ammega company for conveyance, is investing $19 million in a greenfield manufacturing plant in Buford, Ga., a lightweight belt production facility that will create more than 80 jobs there.

"The Ammega journey started two years ago with a burning passion to be the best in belting," Doring said. "To be the best, customers and channel partners come first. The lightweight belting industry is asking for innovation and faster delivery in a cost-effective manner.

"This investment will allow us to take what our industry considers great and make it normal. I am excited about this expansion as it is another way we demonstrate our commitment to supporting our customers and channel partners."

Looking ahead
When you are in the business of making things move, products must be reliable, precise, durable and function-critical.

"As things stop, process is disrupted," Oh said. "Our focus, certainly on the belting side, is to ask what is the interface? Product development uses the transmission of torque, whether hygiene-related or food-related. Our selection of materials, fabrics and elastomers must consider hygiene and food contact, with an eye toward sustainability as well.

"The selection of resin, the type of polymer, all of these things are part of the scope of elastomeric development."

Development of TPEs and urethanes needs to consider the rigors of mining and construction, but also the finer product lines, such as ink jet printers and other precision machines. Belts also are key in a significant amount of robotics, as well, as they provide a means to rotation.

"The process that makes these belts—through extrusion, coating and laminating—takes a fine understanding of material and process, all of which are designed to meet end-use applications."

As the world's largest economies start to churn once again, Oh noted that first and foremost remains the safety of employees, a difficult proposition as countries are at different points with vaccines—and regulations and guidelines vary from state to state, let alone country to country.

"Our factories are running," he said. "Our employees live in these communities, and we are collaborating for their health and wealth."

Considered essential and mission-critical during the pandemic, Oh said Megadyne and Jason witnessed an uptick in demand for urethane timing belts in medical devices such as hospital beds and gurneys, especially for the belts' clean environment and antimicrobial properties.

Overall, Oh said the various Ammega segments—Megadyne and Jason included—did not see much of a downturn during the pandemic because of their diversification in markets served.

"From a U.S. perspective, we are seeing significant gains in the logistics and packaging areas, as well as in home-related services like garage door openers. People spent money on projects during the lockdown, and this buoyed us for 2020. We continue to operate to meet these demands."

Oh added there were "some stop-and-goes" in automotive, and Jason and Megadyne continue to supply both OEMs and aftermarket customers alike in this space.

Looking to the horizon, Oh said sustainable and renewable energy will be critical, and the companies will look to invest in this infrastructure as it relates to the energy and oil and gas sectors.

And the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill being considered in the U.S. could represent a major avenue of investment for the Ammega Group of companies as well.

"Megadyne has a very strong partnership in the lifting industry, for high-rise, to medium, to short elevator lifts," Oh said. "And a lot goes into that. Much of it centers on reliability and precision, ensuring that we surround the product with safety.

"Many, many elements are brought forth into this vast area, and for us to participate in the know-how and growth of a region, for us to partner in that growth, is very exciting for us."