The Atmosphere Group has been an operating holding company in the USA for its subsidiaries: AFC- Holcroft, Atmosphere Heat Treating, Inc., and Austemper Inc. (Previously, Austemper Inc. was announced to be consolidating with Atmosphere Heat Treating.) With the addition of new
subsidiaries—Nitrex NTS (Nitrex, G-M Enterprises, and UPC-Marathon)—from a previously announced acquisition, we are pleased to announce that our operations for Region Americas will henceforth operate under a strengthened and unified identity: Aichelin Americas.
Marty Poljan will continue to lead the region as President and CEO of Aichelin Americas. Poljan beganwith the group in 2021 at Atmosphere Heat Treating and, in 2023, assumed the role of President andCEO of the Atmosphere Group.
Aichelin Americas is proud to announce that Tracy Dougherty has been promoted to President of Sales & Service, Aichelin Americas, and Paul Oleszkiewicz to President of Operations, Aichelin Americas. Together, Tracy and Paul bring more than 50 years of leadership experience in the heat-treating industry. Both leaders have distinguished careers in leading high-performing teams and fostering positive company culture. This level of embedded industry experience sends a clear message: while corporate structures and brands evolve, the people responsible for delivering performance, service continuity, and technical accountability remain deeply rooted in the realities of this industry.
With the strategic alignment of Nitrex NTS, AFC-Holcroft, and Atmosphere Heat Treating, Aichelin Americas is not simply expanding—it is reinforcing its long-standing commitment to serve as a trusted technical partner to OEMs, commercial heat treaters, and specialized processors across North and South America.
The team at Aichelin Americas is passionate about providing industry-leading solutions to our equipment and service customers.
“Our customers don’t simply buy equipment—they make a long-term decision about who they can rely on,” says Poljan. “This leadership structure reflects that reality. We are here to be a consistent, service-driven partner—not just at installation, but through every maintenance cycle, modernization, and capacity expansion that follows.”
On the commercial front, Tracy Dougherty, now President of Sales & Service, brings over 17 years of direct sales and customer lifecycle experience from AFC-Holcroft, navigating both OEM furnace projects and aftermarket service partnerships.
“This industry has shifted,” notes Dougherty. “Customers expect more than a transaction—they expect responsive service, modernization support, and clear accountability over the lifespan of their equipment. That’s where our focus is, and where it will remain.”
Delivering on that promise operationally is Paul Oleszkiewicz, President of Operations, whose three decades at Nitrex have been dedicated to engineering execution, process reliability, and technical precision.
“Engineering leadership in heat treating comes down to repeatability and trust,” says Oleszkiewicz. “A furnace isn’t just a product—it’s a long-term production system. Our responsibility is to deliver with consistency and to stand behind that equipment with real technical support.”
As Aichelin Americas continues to align its manufacturing capabilities, aftermarket service network, and engineering resources across its combined brands, customers can expect more than just broader product coverage—they gain access to a leadership team that has lived the operational realities of all things thermal processing.
Information:
Tracy Dougherty – President of Sales and Service
T: 248-892-0556
[email protected]
