The articles in Modern Casting focus a lot on the technical and business sides of the industry—for good reason. But another side to running a business is probably glossed over too often—the role of being part of the local community.

Many of your foundries are one of the biggest employers in town or one of the oldest employers in town (or both). You have provided jobs for generations of families, held picnics, sponsored little league teams, donated to local charities, and given scholarships. Your employees serve on local boards. They are members of the Rotary Club and Kiwanis. They volunteer. Some serve in the armed forces.

My point is, it’s easy to view a business as an entity, as a vehicle to make the owner or owners a profit. And this is true. But I’ve gathered from conversations with many foundry owners and executives over the years that you also feel a great responsibility to not just your employees, but their families and your community, as well.

I was reminded of this most recently during my visit to Frazier& Frazier Industries. Chuck Frazier runs the business his father started in 1972. Frazier learned a lot from his dad and recounted a conversation that went to the heart of why they bother running a foundry.

“I always thought I was smarter than Dad,” Frazier said. “So I would keep telling him, ‘Dad, we have to have some bookkeeping to see if you are making a profit.’ And he said, ‘what does that have to do with anything? I’m paying the banker, the bills, helping our churches and schools. That is all we need to do. The world is not about profits.’ It took me awhile to understand what he meant by that.”

In June, several metalcasters gathered in Washington, D.C., to meet with their senators and representatives to talk about federal policy that can impact their businesses. This big picture effort is necessary to keep the whole industry healthy and strong.

And I know you are fighting just as hard at home to stay open, to stay profitable, to be a job provider. A few months ago, I wrote in this space that metalcasting is a livelihood. The pressure is on to keep improving your operations, meeting your customer needs, and focusing on the technical and financial details. It’s pressure metalcasters can handle, and the reward is worth the struggle. 

Click here to see this story as it appears in the July 2017 issue of Modern Casting