Friday Afternoon Archives - Kowalski Heat Treating

Being the Best at What You Do

April 25, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

One of the goals we strive for here at KHT is to be the “best” at what we do. Whether it’s working together to solve your PIA (Pain in the @%$) Jobs!, providing great customer service, consistently delivering on time and on budget, or just being a bright spot in your day, we all work to be great. As the chief here, I love to walk the shop floor and recognize my gang for excellence, beyond just perfect parts, it’s the attitude and joy that comes from working together and pleasing our valued customers. When I was a kid, I remember my teacher used to give us gold stars next to our names on a chart that hung behind the classroom door (maybe I should try this!). The only problem would be I’d run out of stars – yes, my team is that good! For now, I’ll stick with acknowledging great work and service when I see it. It got me thinking about awards that other industries use, namely the Michelin Star Award for food and restaurant excellence. Like I love to do, especially with food! I did some digging and found cool info on the history and process of “getting a star” – for some, it’s the culmination of relentless perfection…for others, perhaps a curse in letting their secret out. Enjoy. And if you see us hitting it out of the park, send me a “star” I can share with my folks.

Happy Easter

April 18, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Whatever lifts your spirits,
brings you hope and
fills you with the miracle of Easter—
that’s what I’m wishing for you.
Have a blessed Easter!

How did you do on last week’s logo contest?

Check out our logo guide for the “Ornamental Lawns” post here!

Ornamental Lawns

April 11, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

As we began to plan the plants and landscape designs for the spring and season, one thought popped into my head by my sister Peggy (she was even gracious enough to send me a link!) – Who are the people pulling plastic flamingos out of their shed? Scattered throughout our communities, and often part of a Happy Birthday lawn recognition, the proud, bright pink flamingos stand the test of time (battling notoriety with gnomes and wooden cut-out images of someone bending over to garden). To learn more, I went to her link to find some fun info – and of course, then found some additional trivia I just had to share. Thanks to Peggy for the fun info. Enjoy!

Descended From Heat Treaters

April 4, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Colleen Kowalski

So, what’s in a name, and how does it apply today? Curious, I did a quick search on my last name, Kowalski, and lo and behold, it fits in with what my team and I love to do every day – getting up early and staying late to solve your PIA (Pain in the @%$) Jobs! I found out the name Kowalski is of Polish origin and is one of the most common surnames in Poland, derived from the word “kowal,” which means “blacksmith” in Polish. The suffix “-ski” is a common surname ending in Poland, often indicating a connection to a place or profession.

So, Kowalski essentially means “descendant of a blacksmith” or “one from the blacksmith’s place.” BINGO! It sure fits. Just listen to this description: Blacksmithing is a delicate balance of heating (the hammering part is for others) and cooling that transforms raw metal into durable, functional objects. By controlling temperature and cooling rates, blacksmiths (or “Kowalski’s” as I now call them) can achieve the desired hardness, flexibility, and strength needed for parts, tools, weapons, and artistic creations. (Oh yeah!) While modern technology has changed the industry, the principles of blacksmithing remain rooted in ancient traditions, making it a fascinating and enduring craft. So, there you have it – heating and cooling are just in my ancestral bones. For fun, I searched for last names that have survived to our common language today – some may surprise you (and here’s to all the Taylors, Carpenters, Millers, Bakers, Hunters, and Fishers out there.) If you know your family name history, be sure to share at skowalski@khtheating.com. Thanks to Google for the info.

It’s a Circus

March 28, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

With everything going on across the country, and all the changes in Washington, a friend of mine used the term “a circus” to describe all the events, attractions, daredevils, tightrope walkers, big animals, and more. It made me laugh, and also think of all of us managers out there “with a big hat and whip” trying to keep things going at our respective offices and plants. I remembered how the big top circus used to come to Cleveland every year and entertain us (I loved the tigers and elephants, the motorcycle guys in the round cage, and of course the trapeze artists. I went online and did some digging about the history of the circus here in America and found a wonderful bunch of facts and stories to share. Read on, and appreciate the size, scope, and talent of “The Greatest. Show On Earth” – (200 years ago was the introduction of the big top circus tent!). Enjoy, and thanks to Smithsonian magazine, Google, time.com, and Wikipedia for the info. Let the shows begin!

Happy Spring!

March 21, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Yesterday we were treated with the spring equinox, when the sun’s warmth and light fall unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet. During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight – translation … IT’S SPRINGTIME!! In 2025, the spring equinox occurs on March 20 at 5:01 a.m. UTC (the exact moment varies each year depending on Earth’s orbit). Now, I know you are already feeling a bit better – gradually sliding out of winter, and anxious for the sights and smell of new flowers. Like any change of season (for those of us who enjoy all four seasons), it’s truly a time of renewal (and a chance to put away the heavy sweaters and bulky blankets) and look forward to new brighter days. To inspire you, here’s a whole bunch of ideas to kick off Spring. For Jackie and me, it’s a chance to get out again to our local parks and enjoy walking again (without heavy coats). She finds peace in digging a bit in the gardens and planting some new flowers. (I just like digging holes!) And yes, like you, I try to clean up the winter mess in the garage and get the kayak’s cleaned and ready. If you have a favorite “spring” activity, please share skowalski@khtheat.com Enjoy!

Happy Pi Day

March 14, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Now, you are likely thinking this will be a blog about some wonderful pie recipe I found (ok, pick one HERE.) But actually, it’s about another Pi (π), as today is National Pi Day (and also Albert Einstein’s birthday). One of the most mysterious and essential numbers in mathematics, pi represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Despite being studied for thousands of years, Pi continues to reveal surprising properties and remains an enigma in the world of mathematics. From ancient civilizations to modern supercomputers, Pi has a rich history filled with remarkable discoveries, mind-boggling calculations, and intriguing trivia. So, put away your dessert plate and enjoy this wonderful trivia and information, and wow your friends with your new knowledge (think Norm from Cheers). Enjoy, and thanks to Google, Wikipedia and pioneerwoman.com for the info.

Mistakes Happen

March 7, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

Sometimes the best made plans of those putting in a good day’s work can turn out to be a mistake. Adding numbers, counting items, writing code or just trying to fill an order, we can err in our efforts. Recently I read about the word “dord” that made its way into the famous Merriam-Webster dictionary back in 1939. What began as a request from one of the writers was misinterpreted to be a actual word (story below). It caught my attention, so I went looking for some other errors I had not heard of and included them too. Here’s to all of us who have made a mistake that went unnoticed for some time, and thanks to those who forgave us – (and extra thanks for those who invented spell check in Word) – and to Google for the info. Enjoy!

SWEET! Desserts

February 28, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

A couple of weeks ago we had the opportunity to exhibit at a trade show in Vegas SHOT SHOW- (Shooting – Hunting- Outdoor – Tactical), joining 65,000+ others. We do a lot of PIA (Pain in the @%$) Jobs! work in this field, processing various knives, components for wonderful customers (thank you!!). As many do when in Vegas, we had an evening out on the town, and I found myself holding a dessert menu after polishing off a wonderful meal with my team. I passed, but did take note of the habit of finishing a satisfying meal with a sweet dessert – a culinary tradition that many people follow. While some may elect to eat sweets before or in between courses (think lemon ice YUM!), while others simply dig into pie or brownies at any time of the day (Jackie knows to never leave the pie out), most adhere to the standard operating procedure of dessert after the main course. I decided to dig a bit and learn more about how and when this food order came about. (I heard about a guy who always ate his dessert first – his logic was, he loved dessert so much, he didn’t want to be full afterwards and not savor the experience (Brilliant!). So, here’s some history and trivia about the tradition – (pass the fudge topping please). Thanks to historyfacts.com and tastingtable.com for the insights. Enjoy!

NASA Marvels

February 21, 2025/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

I have to admit it – I’m a sucker for new inventions and amazing technology. While traveling out of town to attend a trade show in Vegas, I happened to drive past the large NASA technology center here in northeast Ohio, home to some of the world’s largest and most capable space simulation test facilities where ground tests are conducted for the U.S. and international space and aeronautics communities. A set of giant buildings, filled with engineers and scientists, developing breakthrough technologies that will someday be used in aeronautics … with some of them making their way into my home. (think TANG). Since we’re all about solving your PIA (pain in the @%$) Jobs, we kinda think of ourselves as pioneers in thermal processing technologies (I’d love to take credit for inventing ice cubes and blue tip matches, but someone beat me to it!!). Think about it – something as simple as Velcro (now part of my running jacket and sneakers) was first used for space exploration. I decided to do a search on products that were first made for space and air travel and then adopted for consumer use. Here’s a list of NASA-originated technologies that have transitioned into everyday consumer products, with a brief history and explanation of some hurdles each had to overcome. Thanks to Google for the insights. Enjoy!