In the Winter 2020 edition of Inside CWM you can learn about:
Chicago White Metal Casting, Inc., manufacturer of custom die cast components, has announced the promotion of Vice President of Manufacturing Bill Baraglia to Chief Operating Officer. Bill is one of the longest-tenured members of the CWM team, second only to Walter Treiber, Chairman. His 47 years of dedication, loyalty and leadership helped pave the way for Chicago White Metal to achieve many successes over the company’s nearly 80-year existence.
“Bill’s amazing perseverance, dogged pursuit of excellence, and support of CWM’s cultural pillars of positive attitude, fulfillment of commitments, respect for all others, transparency in all dealings, and never catering to rank are readily identifiable in all activities in which Bill participates,” says CEO Eric Treiber.
Newly appointed COO Bill Baraglia offered a brief statement on the topic: “Being a part of the CWM team is like having the fastest race car on the track – you can’t help but win as long as you are going in the right direction!”
Congratulations, Bill!
Bill Erbacci to Customer Care/Fulfillment Mgr. In his new role, Bill Erbacci will actively engage with customers, providing support and guidance to client services. Starting with CWM in 1991 on the customer service team, Bill moved over to IT three years later to help with the implementation of our new B&L Information System. In 1994, he took over as Production Computer Coordinator and was later promoted to Production Supervisor.
A recipient of CWM’s prestigious Eagle Award in 1999, Bill has a deep knowledge of customer ordering patterns — an asset to all who work with him. Helping Bill in his new role will be Melinda Gonzalez and Margo Higgins, who will now report directly to him.
Margo Higgins Appointed Client Support Rep.
With 20-plus years of customer service experience, Margo Higgins now serves as an expert liaison between our customers and the CWM team. She’ll be responsible for resolving any issues pertaining to the prompt and effective delivery of service.
Outside the office, Margo and her husband, Larry, have a very full house with two children, 13-year-old Nikki and 11-year-old Kyle, and three dogs. Margo also enjoys fishing and camping.
President Eric Treiber announced the appointment of Jonathan (Jon) Miller as CWM Director of Sales. He is supervising all sales activities, including managing the CWM force of sales-engineers which serve OEMs from major cities in the U.S., as well as Canada and Mexico.
He joined CWM with 24 years of experience in the die casting industry, including 20 years in sales, marketing and engineering for one of the largest custom magnesium die casters in North America. His earlier Al and Zn die casting industry experience was as a die cast Quality Assurance Manager and as a Quality Engineer and Production Supervisor. He is a past American Society of Quality Control certified quality engineer, and a current member of the North American Die Casting Association and the International Magnesium Association, where he has served as a speaker, program chairman, and committee member.
Jon holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Systems Analysis from Taylor University and a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration from the Keller School of Management.
Steve Wojtal: Director of Engineering
Formerly Tool & Die Dept. Mgr., Steve has been appointed CWM Director of Engineering, bringing his deep tooling knowledge and years of experience to his new role. Among other duties he will be overseeing the design and construction of all CWM tooling and supervising the work of the project engineering staff. Steve joined CWM in 1979.
Tom Mrock: New Program Introduction Manager
In this newly created NPI position, Tom will be interfacing with customers, CWM personnel and suppliers in the early phases of newly awarded, as well as potential, programs to establish the optimum finishing process. He joined CWM in 1983.
Dave Crevie: Tool & Die Dept. Supervisor
Moving from Tool & Die Dept. Asst. Mgr., Dave will be overseeing all work in the maintenance and repair of production tooling. He is a 22-year CWM veteran.
Dan O’Connor: Director of Purchasing
Dan, who joined CWM in 1984, will be directing personnel engaged in procuring services, components and supplies,
as well as material handling activities in the Traffic Dept.
He was formerly Manager of Traffic & Material Handling.
Francisco Acosta: Traffic Supervisor
Francisco, a former Purchasing Component Expeditor, will be coordinating all materials shipments & receipt of deliveries.
Sylvia Garcia has been appointed to the new position of CWM’s QA Planning Manager, it was announced by Bill Baraglia, VP, Manufacturing. She is responsible for establishing all dimensional appraisal procedures for die castings and related components.
The goal of this new position is to provide more timely feedback to further improve product quality and reliability. Sylvia brings significant experience to the new function, including 14 years in all quality departments of a major auto parts stamping company.
Eric Treiber was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Chicago White Metal Casting, Inc. (CWM), a 72-year-old Chicago manufacturing company specializing in the custom production of high-tech Al, Mg, and Zn die cast components. The privately held company is widely acknowledged as an innovator and leader in the die casting industry.
Previously, Treiber served as President and Chief Operating Officer, during which time he targeted enhanced transparency with the CWM team, as well as revamping critical aspects of the company’s pricing strategy and fostering greater client collaboration and support. As CEO, Treiber plans to expand on these initiatives and will continue to work openly with industry members to support overall industry growth.
In assuming his new post, Treiber becomes the third generation of his family to lead the business, which was founded in 1937 by Treiber’s grandfather, Walter G. Treiber, Sr. The new CEO takes over from his father, Walter Treiber, who has served as the CEO and Chairman for the past 32 years. Walter Treiber will remain active in the company as Chairman of the Board.
Treiber’s own tenure with the company began in 1990 with a position in materials procurement. Over the years, he has been involved in numerous aspects of the business, including assembly and contract manufacturing, engineering services, client services, high-profile project management, and more.
“The appointment is quite humbling,” Treiber said. “It is an honor to lead such a loyal and hard working team. The position carries with it significant responsibility—not only for maintaining the health of the business, but also the well-being of our associates, suppliers and the many others who depend on us.”
Chicago White Metal has shown impressive resiliency in spite of challenging economic conditions. Treiber attributes the company’s success to its focus on cultivating a diverse client base in a wide array of industries, as well as its long-tenured and dedicated team.
“We are extremely positive about the company’s outlook,” Treiber said, “for 2010 and beyond.”
In addition to his responsibilities at Chicago White Metal Casting, Treiber is an active, longtime member of the North American Die Casting Association (NADCA). In 2010, he will become the Secretary/Treasurer of the organization’s Board of Governors and will continue as the chairman of one of its charitable concerns, the H. L. Harvill Education Foundation.
Operating out of a 136,000-square-foot facility in Bensenville, IL, Chicago White Metal Casting is a custom die caster that specializes in producing components in aluminum, magnesium and zinc. The company, which employs more than 130 people, also offers machining, finishing and assembly services.
Five new members of the CWM family were announced by President Eric Treiber:
Tom Oshgan, Senior Staff Engineer. Tom served as CWM R&D Engineering Mgr. from 1984 to 1987. He returns to help supervise our Project Engineering Team, develop new tooling sources, and provide customers with technical support and design assistance. A degreed Mechanical Engineer, Tom has over 35 years of experience in design and program management with companies including Motorola Communications, ITW Automotive Controls, Fabrik Molded Products, and Eaton Automotive Controls.
Guadalupe Perez, Quality Planning Manager. As our new Quality Planning Manager, Guadalupe draws on decades of quality management experience, including 26 years with Admiral Tool & Manufacturing Co. in Chicago and three years at National Power Corp. He holds two bachelor’s degrees— one in business from Northeastern Illinois University and another in liberal arts from Loop College.
Max Gondek, Sustaining Engineer. In this newly created position, Max is responsible for managing existing tooling systems and helping the manufacturing team address any tooling performance issues. He also supports the production staff in resolving cycle time and quality issues. A skilled designer, Max holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.
Donald Simmons, Systems Technician. Focused on keeping our information technology systems running smoothly, Donald works in the MIS department and reports to Network Information System Manager Kalpesh Patel. Donald has a bachelor’s degree from DeVry University in computer information systems and is currently working towards his CompTIA A+ and Network+ technical certifications.
Elizabeth Besch, Support Staff. Elizabeth, who had been serving in a temporary position through Azimuth Staffing, has become an official member of the CWM team. She provides invaluable administrative support to all our departments and helps manage the reception desk.
