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Release provided by: Diversified Marketing Strategies
219.226.0300

DATE: January 12, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The American Group of Constructors (TAG), formerly known as Ramirez & Marsch, Inc., has added a Stud Welding Group to their company. The new stud welding group consists of five full-time stud welders specializing in the boiler/power generation and waste-to-energy industries. The team is headed up by Project Manager Bob Joyce. Joyce brings to TAG more than 30 years of experience in the stud welding industry.

“Bringing in the stud welding division has broadened both our customer, and geographic bases,” said John Marsch, CEO of TAG. “Stud welding was a natural progression, given the ongoing success achieved by our existing Boilermaker and Fabrication Groups. We’re pleased with what the Stud Welding Group has already accomplished, and look forward to expanding our business into even more markets.”

The Stud Welding Group has entered into contracts with some of the giants of the energy industry, meaning that TAG now serves a customer base which spans the North American continent from Miami, Florida to Vancouver, British Columbia. The division was also a key supplier of anchors for the renovation of the 7th Street Bridge in Pittsburgh, PA.

“TAG management’s commitment of resources, coupled with the existing reputation of those employees who make up the Stud Welding Group, was the defining factor in securing these contracts,” Joyce said. “We have a workforce that has the ability to react within hours to accommodate emergencies, and the depth and security that a multi-faceted organization such as The American Group can provide. If a boiler goes down, you can count on us to be there to remedy the situation. That swift response has led to pleased Customers recommending us to their industry peers.”

Those unfamiliar with stud welding may wonder exactly what stud welders do. The industry has been around for more than 100 years, with the technology comprised of two principle categories of stud welding: resistance and drawn-arc. With resistance welding, the heat needed to form the weld is generated by the resistance of the electrical current running through the workpieces. Drawn-arc is a more efficient method of stud-welding. In drawn-arc stud-welding, when a weld is initiated, a current begins to flow through the stud while the weld gun lifts the stud to "draw an arc", which melts the base of the stud and adjoining surface onto the workpiece. Upon completion of the weld time, the gun plunges the stud back to the workpiece, resulting in a permanent bond as the molten material solidifies, all in less than one second. TAG’s new stud welding division primarily performs drawn-arc stud welding.

“A significant portion of our work consists of the replacement of refractory anchors which become worn,” stated Tim Joyce, Stud Welding Superintendent. “We have a variety of equipment available to accommodate the various needs of our Customers, including a facetor discharge machine capable of installing 10 gauge pins up to 1 ¼” diameter for bridge decks. We have also been working hand-in-hand with one of the leading manufacturers of welding equipment, on the design and development of a new lightweight stud welding machine. This machine weighs 80% less than existing units, and is still capable of shooting from ten gauge pins all the way up to 5/8” diameter anchors. The machine is very small in size but does the job – and our customers love the portability of the unit.”

In addition to providing stud welding equipment and technical services, TAG also sells pins and anchors. “Our years of experience allow us to keep stock on hand that meets the needs of the industry,” explained Mel Joyce, Sales Manager “We stock and distribute products from all of the leading anchor manufacturers- and we ship most products on the same day in which an order is placed.”

So what is next for the newest “TAG team”?

“We will provide our existing clients with the same exceptional service that they expect from us, and look forward to introducing our new customers to our same values. We’re excited to be a part of TAG and are pleased to be an integral part of the company’s expansion,” said Bob Joyce.

"The addition of Stud Welding to the breadth of industrial services already provided by TAG, was such a natural progression, that it has made for a very seamless integration," stated John Marsch. "Taking advantage of inherent synergies, we look forward to growing both the Stud Welding Group, and the overall TAG business, significantly in 2007."