Founder - Norman W. Sousa - Retired
The company’s founder Norman Sousa Sr. retired in November 1994. When he left he took with him 47 years of experience. Norman served in the USAF during WWII as a flight engineer and gained valuable training in all areas of physics. That training combined with an insatiable curiosity and a love of automobiles provided the groundwork for a career in Heat Treating. The real fascination in heat treating is how it crosses so many disciplines. There is the chemistry of steels themselves and of the balancing of surface chemistry through furnace atmospheres. There is the solid state physics of solid solutions and crystal allotropy. Heat treat equipment is a complex blend of mechanical engineering, chemical processing, mechanics, electrical and electronics, and always the maze of plumbing. Norman’s versatility enabled him to combine all these fields and become a master of the art. He was also able to deal with the human issues of employee and customer relations. He could be a friend, a father, a brother, a teacher, and always a task master. Despite the loss of all his experience and ability he is missed most as a good friend. Employees, long time customers and suppliers are always asking after him and quick to tell their favorite humorous story. His true legacy is the number of people who call him friend.