Besser Company CEO and President, Ryan Suszek, and Slab Innovation President, Benoit Slavinski, are pleased to announce Besser Company’s acquisition of Slab Innovation. The acquisition of Slab’s assets, completed on 6 September, formalizes the next step in a strategic alliance forged between the companies in 2017. Since that time, Besser and Slab have successfully completed many joint product handling projects throughout North America.

“It’s exciting and fitting that in the same year we’re celebrating our 120th anniversary of serving the global concrete products industry, we’re expanding our commitment to innovation by welcoming Slab Innovation into the Besser family,” commented Suszek. He continued, “The addition of Slab provides our customers access to robotic solutions that are proven to increase plant efficiency, improve worker safety, and expand product lines.”

Slavinski shared, “Officially joining the Besser team is an honor and a tremendous accomplishment for us. We’re bringing our 20+ years of experience and our passion for crafting custom robotic solutions for the concrete industry. The opportunities ahead are unlimited in all segments of the industry, including those beyond Besser’s current scope.” Slavinski will join the Besser Team as Vice President of Robotics, leading Besser Company to the next level of innovation in robotic solutions.

The Slab Team expands Besser capabilities with a workforce highly skilled in mechanical and electrical engineering, equipment fabrication, and customization of controls and programming for robotics. Besser will also add two brick-and-mortar facilities in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, Canada to its existing footprint across North America. These facilities will focus on identifying, building, and integrating flexible and robust robotic applications to meet each producer’s specific needs.

About Besser Company:
Besser is headquartered in Alpena, Michigan and has equipment operating in more than 120 countries worldwide. The company supplies complete manufacturing systems for the masonry, hardscape, pipe, precast and ready-mix segments of the industry. In addition, Besser manufactures curing systems for all segments of the concrete industry. The company manufactures parts, provides service, and offers specialized training for industry members. Visit besser.com for more information. About Slab Innovation: Slab Innovation is an expert in automation for the concrete products industry. The company works with producers to design, build, and integrate flexible and robust automated solutions. The company is headquartered in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, Canada

For additional information contact: Terri Grulke, Director, Corporate Advertising [email protected] or +1.989.906.1448

Auburndale, FL, November 17, 2022 – Fi-Foil Company (“Fi-Foil”), a portfolio company of Validor Capital, and a highly-specialized manufacturer of reflective insulation and radiant barriers is pleased to announce it has acquired Kennedy Insulation Group, significantly expanding its reflective insulation product line.
Kennedy Insulation Group (“Kennedy”), based in Carthage, MO, was established in 2008 by Rick and Chris Kennedy. The company’s exclusive VerSolaTM brand is a multi-layer reflective bubble insulation product. Kennedy manufactures and distributes throughout the southwestern and southeastern United States. The VerSolaTM product is especially noted for its use and performance in metal and post frame building applications.
Bill Lippy, CEO at Fi-Foil stated “We couldn’t have found a better fit for Fi-Foil than Kennedy. Rick has built a great business that is highly complementary to the existing Fi-Foil product line. We feel the combined capabilities of the two companies and their respective teams will enable us to serve our customers more effectively with an expanded U.S. manufactured product line and geographic sales coverage.”
The transaction closed on October 28, 2022. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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About Fi-Foil Company
A leader in the industry, Fi-Foil is a manufacturer and distributor of high-performance reflective insulation products and systems. Fi-Foil offers an extensive line of cost-effective solutions to improve energy efficiency and comfort in residential, commercial, agricultural, and institutional buildings. Products are ASTM tested and backed by third-party verified code compliance. Fi-Foil is committed to sustainability and the advancement of green building technologies for more efficient, resilient buildings. Service. Integrity. Innovation. Since 1983. For more information visit www.fifoil.com .


About Validor Capital
Validor Capital is a private investment firm that provides liquidity to family and founder owned industrial, manufacturing, and service businesses in the lower middle market. We seek situations where we can partner with management teams to leverage our combined expertise and deep industry relationships to create significant value. For more information, please visit www.validorcap.com


Contact: Bill Lippy, CEO
Phone: 863.965.1846
Email: [email protected]
Website: fifoil.com

Besser Company has acquired E&R Manufacturing’s service parts inventory and intellectual property. 

Parts for the specialized product line, including production splitters, pitchmasters, and hand operated splitters, are now available from Besser Company.  Ron Gunderman, Director of Parts and Support, commented, “We’re pleased to begin supporting the E&R product line with a healthy inventory of parts produced by E&R; additionally, we’ve begun manufacturing parts in our Alpena, Michigan facilities, to maintain an ample supply.” The full line of E&R equipment, including production splitters, pitchmasters, and hand-operated splitters is being reviewed and will join the Besser product line soon. 

The Besser Customer Service Center Team can assist with the ordering process; they can be reached at 989.354.1000. Parts can also be ordered by emailing [email protected]. 

About Besser Company:
Besser is headquartered in Alpena, Michigan and has equipment operating in more than 130 countries worldwide. The company supplies complete manufacturing systems for the masonry, hardscape, pipe, precast and ready-mix segments of the industry. In addition, Besser manufactures curing systems for all segments of the concrete industry. The company manufacturers parts, provides service, and offers training from manufacturing locations staffed with Sales and Technical Service Representatives throughout the world.

​More information can be found at: www.besser.com.

Additional Information: 
Besser Company 
Terri Grulke, Director, Corporate Advertising 
+1.989.906.1448, [email protected]
Besser Adds E&R Parts to Product Line
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Brick, Block & Beers *LIVE* AVAILABLE NOW!
Episode 1 - Masonry Safety - Silica
Host Don Beers, PE, GC with special guest, Jerry Painter, GC, FASTM discuss masonry safety - specifically respirable silica on the jobsite.
For more information: www.floridamasonry.com or for more on Silica Training, visit www.masoncontractors.org
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#masonrysafety #masoncontractorofamerica #respirablesilica #mcaa #floridamasonry #masoncontractors #brickblockbeerslive #jobsitesafety #silicadust #silica #training #safety

​Words: Michael Vaughn
Photos: Echelon Masonry 

The construction marketplace has changed dramatically over the past few years, with wood being the framing choice for multi-family and other commercial construction mainly due to cost. The shortage and rising cost of lumber coupled with the impact of global climate change have combined to drive owners, developers and contractors not only search for material alternatives, but also question the ongoing viability and cost effectiveness of wood framing. This includes strongly considering the advantages of concrete masonry in their designs as a cost-effective alternative. In addition to the structural benefits, studies show for the first time that the overall and upfront construction costs for building with masonry are now lower than wood. 

In fact, recent independent studies conducted in Dallas and Atlanta found that load bearing masonry wall systems were less expensive than other alternatives like conventional wood framing, light gauge steel framing and ICF walls and precast planks. It reported that the costs in these markets for conventional light weight wood framing systems were 5.9% higher than load bearing masonry wall systems with precast concrete plank floors.

HEINDORF, Albert F. "Al" 89, Clearwater, FL, passed away Tuesday, February 15, 2022, at Suncoast Hospice of Palm Harbor. Al was born in Syracuse, NY, and eventually settled in Florida from Ohio. He was a concrete, block, and construction products sales manager and was a member of Bethel Lutheran Church of Clearwater. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joann; two sons, Scott and Terry; parents, Albert and Marie; and three sisters. Survivors include one son, Rob Heindorf; two daughters, Sherry (Bob) Bellittera, Kari (Todd) Bradley; 13 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. A public Memorial Service will be held 11 am, Saturday, March 5, at Bethel Lutheran Church, 3166 McMullen Booth Rd., Clearwater, FL 33761. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to Bethel Lutheran Garden of Faith. Please visit: www.nationalcremation.com
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Julian R. (Ranny) Loving, 78, of Luray, South Carolina, passed away January 15th in Plant City, Florida. He was the widower of Patricia B. Loving. They were married for 50 years before Pat passed in 2012. As a gift for their 50th Wedding Anniversary, Ranny gave Pat a black Lab puppy and they named her Annie. Annie became Ranny’s dog after Pat passed and was his very loyal companion. Annie is known by everyone who knew Ranny because they were always together, and she was at his side when he passed.      
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Ranny was born in Richmond, Virginia and was the son of Julian T. Loving, Jr. and Lucille S. Loving. The family moved to Tampa when he was 15 and he attended Chamberlain High School where he met Pat and graduated in 1961. They were married in 1962. He worked alongside his father as a bricklayer and later became President and Owner of the family business, Loving Masonry Contractors, INC. from which he retired in 2007. Ranny and Pat also spent time traveling and seeing the world during their marriage.  

He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was a longtime member of the Masonic Order at A.W. Windhorst Lodge in Tampa. He was also proud to be an instrumental member of the Masonry Contractors Association of Florida of which he was the longtime chairman of the Architectural Scholarship Committee that provided scholarships to deserving architecture students. 
He is survived by his two children, daughter, Donna Loving James, (Greg James) and granddaughter Danelle Browning, (Trevor Browning), his son, Steve R. Loving, (Patricia Loving) and grandsons, Joey Loving, and Trevor Loving (Krista Loving) and great-granddaughter Caroline Loving. His son, Craig Loving passed in 2021, (Kelly Loving) and grandchildren Chad Loving and Lake Loving. He is also survived by his mother, two sisters, and many nieces and nephews.  


A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, February 19th at 1:00PM, at First Baptist Church of Lutz, located at 18116 US 41, Lutz, FL 33549.       Directions                 

  *Mask will be mandatory for the service. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Shriners Children’s Hospital.