187 ASR Group WhentheSugarCentrifugalDischargerCompanyopenedforbusiness(1908),theworld’s largestsugarrefinerywastheCalifornia&HawaiianSugarCompanyinCrockett,California, whichprocessednearly67,000tonsofHawaiiancanesugarannually.GeorgeMorrison Rolph,whoeventuallybecamepresidentofC&H,wastheplant’sgeneralmanager.In his1917book,SomethingAboutSugar,RolphtoldofayoungEugeneRoberts,who approachedhimin1908afterasugarbeetplantrejectedhisinnovativedischarger. “Finally, he succeeded in gaining the ear of the manager of a large refinery,” Rolph recalled, “who after listening attentively to his earnest argument, at length became convinced. As a result of the interview, it was arranged that the machines rejected by the beet-sugar factory be installed in the refinery… the test was successful in every particular and conclusively proved the efficiency of the discharger… An order for a large number was placed at once and every centrifugal in the refinery was equipped with one. Today they are installed in nearly every refinery and factory in the United States.” Nearly 100 years later, C & H is still a Western States customer, and is now part of ASR Group, owned by Florida Crystals and the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida. The Crockett Refinery now produces more than 700,000 tons of cane sugar each year. Western States, C & H, and the Crockett staff continue to collaborate on new ideas for centrifugal equipment.