John "Jack" Palmer, the president of Palmer Manufacturing & Supply Inc., passed away unexpectedly on September 1. The longtime foundryman and developer of machines and processes for metalcasting operations was 71.
Together with his father, Jim, and brother Wesley, Jack Palmer founded Palmer Foundry, which progressed into Palmer Manufacturing & Supply. Today that company specializes at producing heavy-duty no-bake foundry equipment, including sand mixers, molding systems, core room equipment, sand reclamation systems, mold handlers, pumping systems, resin heating systems, sand conditioning systems, compaction tables, mold and core coating equipment, and complete systems and engineering services.
Under Jack’s leadership, Palmer Manufacturing & Supply grew into a global company, selling machines and systems across North and South America, Asia, and Europe.
Widely recognized as a machine builder, Jack was devoted to the metalcasting industry and its progress. He was a member of the American Foundry Society and a lifetime patron of the Foundry Educational Foundation.
Jack’s legacy may well be his work as an innovator. Those who knew him best report he found his greatest joy in the Palmer Manufacturing “man cave,” where he devoted himself to designing and innovating the machinery and systems that the company supplied to improve operations at foundries around the world.
And Jack was an optimist, always eager to find new ways to make foundries perform more efficiently. Whether that improvement involved mixing, elevating, heating, vibrating, or conveying—Jack was ready for it. Over the years, he patented five foundry innovations that made material handling safer and more energy-efficient, he authored more than 39 articles, and developed systems that revolutionized the foundry floor.
Jack Palmer is remembered as a visionary in the metalcasting industry. He understood the importance of progress, believing that change should be embraced rather than avoided. He spoke about this at every opportunity and was proud of his publication, Simple Solutions That Work!, which promoted industry innovations.