Phase oneÌýofÌýtheÌýÂé¶¹Ö±²¥appÌý(JM)Ìýfiberglass pipe plant expansion in Defiance, Ohio,ÌýisÌýnowÌýcomplete.
TheÌýexpansionÌýaddedÌýthe first of two new production lines, improving JM’s ability to meet demand for Micro-Lok®ÌýHP and Micro-Lok®ÌýHP Ultra fiberglass pipe insulation, which isÌýused primarily in commercial buildings. 
“The JM team hasÌýdone an outstanding job growing the business to the point where a capacity expansionÌýwasÌýnecessary,â€� said Jim Swift,Ìýa Director of OperationsÌýin JM’s Âé¶¹Ö±²¥app businessÌýandÌýleader ofÌýthe expansion project.Ìý“The dedication of the entire team made this project possible with the common goal of supplying our customer with quality pipe insulation and the service they are accustomed to.â€� 
The buildout began in March 2019Ìýwith anÌýanticipated completion dateÌýofÌýearly 2020, howeverÌýsetbacksÌýsuch asÌýtravel limitationsÌýdue toÌýthe COVID-19 pandemicÌýcausedÌýaÌýsix-month delay in the project.
To get it back on track, theÌýJM team in DefianceÌýemployedÌýaÌýnewÌýtechnologyÌýsolution:Ìýa wearable computerÌýcalled a HoloLensÌýthatÌýrests on the headÌýandÌýactsÌýas a see-through screen where images may be displayed for the wearer to reference while still being able to see through the screen into the real world.ÌýThe helmet takes high-definition footage of the objects in front of the wearer and displays that footage through Microsoft Teams at a remote location.
InÌýJM’sÌýcase, the footage was displayedÌýinÌýreal-time inÌýGermany,Ìýwhere many of the engineersÌýwhoÌýworkedÌýon the projectÌýare based.ÌýThisÌýtechnologyÌýhelpedÌýbridge the distance between the engineers in GermanyÌýand theÌýteamÌýin DefianceÌýso theÌýexpansionÌýcould be finished.Ìý
JM has been part of the Defiance community for more than 60 years. The expansion will createÌýmore than 30Ìýjobs at the facility.