For more than 125 years, Catania Oils has combined process innovation and advanced technology to help our teams deliver quality, consistency, and care to every customer.
That commitment is taking another step forward with Boston Dynamics’ Spot, an agile mobile robot now supporting our team at our Ayer, Massachusetts facility. At Catania Oils, Spot has a new name: Smokey.
Smokey performs scheduled and on-demand inspections throughout our bottling and packaging facility. He helps collect important equipment information, including thermal scans, gauge readings, acoustic and vibration monitoring, and checks of motors, gearboxes, bearings, pumps, and other critical assets.
In a complex manufacturing environment, staying informed matters. Catania Oils operates thousands of assets across the facility, and our teams work every day to keep essential equipment operating safely and reliably. Smokey gives those teams an additional set of eyes, helping identify developing issues early so they can focus their expertise where it matters most.
Staying Ahead of the Cobwebs
Catania's family leadership encourages our team to “stay ahead of the cobwebs.” It’s a simple idea, to identify and solve small issues before they become bigger problems. Pay attention early, keep improving, and stay proactive.
The proactive part...that’s where Smokey comes in.
If a bearing starts running hotter than expected, a gauge moves outside its normal range, or vibration levels point to a developing concern, Smokey can flag it for the team to review.
For us, technology is most valuable when it helps people do their jobs more safely, confidently, and effectively. By giving our team an early look at potential issues, Smokey supports preventive maintenance, helps reduce avoidable downtime, and keeps us focused on delivering dependable service to our customers and partners.
We Are Family
His name carries a little Catania family history, too.
In 1967, a Catania Oils driver was making a delivery in Connecticut when he learned that a customer could no longer care for their German Shepherd, Smokey. He hadn't planned to adopt a dog that day, but he couldn't leave Smokey behind.
He brought Smokey back to Catania Oils, where Joseph Basile, of the second generation of the Basile family, welcomed him in. Joseph and Smokey quickly became inseparable. Smokey lived with the Basile family for years and remains a special part of our family story.
Today, our new Smokey carries on that name and a little piece of Catania history.
Investing in Continuous Improvement
At Catania Oils, we invest in our people, facilities, and capabilities to strengthen the quality, safety, service, and reliability our customers depend on.
From our in-house lab to solutions for industrial automation like Smokey and other ongoing facility improvements, every investment is made with one goal in mind: helping our customers succeed.
Our newest addition supports that same commitment. It just happens to come with four legs and a rechargeable battery.
