Shortly before bombs fell on Pearl Harbor, Bell & Gossett opened the doors to its Morton Grove, Ill. facility. December 7, 2016 marked the 75-year anniversary of the building and Xylem Bell & Gossett hosted a rededication ceremony to celebrate a century of innovation and 75 years of serving as one of Morton Grove’s largest employers.
Why is manufacturing important to the area? “It brings jobs and it puts Morton Grove on the map,” said Morton Grove mayor, Daniel DiMaria, who declared December 7, 2016 as “Bell & Gossett Day.”
Morton Grove mayor Daniel DiMaria and (r) Ken Napolitano, president of Xylem applied Water Systems, hold the official proclamation from the city of Morton Grove.
“From an economic standpoint, a facility like this, a company like this, is important. The stability alone to have a company that has been in a town for 75 years, seeing the same faces for 75 years that are making this facility tick, helps us as a village tick, as well,” continued DiMaria.
Focusing on its core competencies, bringing solutions to the customer is key. “Whether it’s one hot water circulator pump in a single-family home or the entire O’Hare complex, for example, Bell & Gossett has competitive solutions,” said Ken Napolitano, president of Xylem Applied Water Systems.
Today, the Xylem Bell & Gossett facility has grown to approximately 600,000 sq. ft. with 600 employers, 200 of those holding office positions. B&G has manufactured numerous products over these 75 years, but today Bell & Gossett produces systems solutions—pumps and accessories that go into HVAC systems, pluming applications, fire protection systems—that go into residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
Ken Napolitano, president of Xylem applied Water Systems, addresses the crowd on Bell & Gossett Day.
“Over the years, we’ve evolved into a pump assembly facility,” said Mark Handzel, vice president of product regulatory affairs and director of HVAC commercial buildings at Xylem.
Xylem’s products and services move, treat, analyze, monitor and return water to the environment in public utility, industrial, residential and commercial building services, and agricultural settings.
With its October 2016 acquisition of Sensus, Xylem added smart metering, network technologies and advanced data analytics for water, gas and electric utilities to its portfolio of solutions. The combined company’s nearly 16,000 employees bring broad applications expertise with a strong focus on identifying comprehensive, sustainable solutions.
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