HECO Bolsters Electric Motor Services with Warwood Armature Repair, WARCO Acquisition

HECO recently acquired the Warwood Armature Repair Co. and WARCO Sales—located in Wheeling, WV—to strengthen its current electric motor sales and service centers/hubs in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Warwood’s Wheeling facility conducts electric motor repair, sales, and field services, as well as gearbox repair for units up to 25 tons, across the Allegheny Plateau region—Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia—focusing on customers in:

• Coal
• Steel
• Shale
• Industrial

Following the acquisition, all services will be available for Warwood and HECO customers. The newly obtained service center will operate as a division under HECO with its original designation. Warwood’s President, William Thalman, will serve as operations manager and all employees will retain similar roles and capacities.

“As a third-generation, family-owned company, HECO is very honored to be trusted with carrying Warwood Armature forward,” said Justin Hatfield, HECO’s President. “We are happy to welcome the Warwood team to the HECO family and excited to bring a bit of HECO to the Wheeling and greater Pittsburgh community.”

HECO will maintain Warwood’s relationship with IBEW Local #141, representing the newly acquired union workforce in Wheeling. The partnership went into effect on November 15, 2024.

“Joining HECO was the best decision possible for the Warwood team,” said Thalman. “Much like our family and company, the Hatfield family and HECO care about their employees, take pride in doing a job right the first time, and bring integrity and skill to the maintenance, repair, and sale of electric motors and rotating equipment.”

HECO & Warwood

HECO and Warwood combine 162 years of experience in electric direct-current motors and rotating machinery across various industries and geographic regions.

“HECO as well as Warwood customers can expect the same level of service and knowledge from familiar faces going forward,” added Hatfield. “Together, we will also share our respective areas of expertise throughout our combined footprint and capabilities.”

Terrell Hatfield founded HECO in 1959 and established the company in Kalamazoo, MI. It serves numerous industries including power generation, steel and additional metals, chemical processing, pharmaceutical, paper and pulp, wastewater and freshwater, aggregate and cement, OEMs, and manufacturing.

Kalamazoo Service Center; image credit: HECO

Raymond Thalman and Lawrence Schmitt founded Warwood in 1927, originally focused on rewinding armatures for coal mines in Wheeling but, in 1974, WARCO Sales was established for new motor sales.

Electric Motors

According to the Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz, compressors can be driven by multiple machines, including gas turbines, steam turbines, and electric motors. Selecting an electric motor driver is determined by factors such as fuel sources, power, speed, and compressor typology.

“A compressor is used to compress the gas; it is a machine that requires some kind of driver that puts energy into the compressor,” said Brun. “So, you need a device that the compressor wants to run at a certain speed and certain power. In many cases, because electricity is available or other restrictions keep you from running a gas or steam turbine, you would choose an electric motor drive, which presents advantages and disadvantages. But you have to remember that an electric motor drive does require quite a bit of electric power.”