CLOW Valve Shares Improvements To Facility
John Grahek leads a group of dignitaries on a tour through the CLOW Valve foundry.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – There’s been a huge investment at CLOW Valve in Oskaloosa over the past year. Millions of dollars have been spent to make the foundry a better place for their workers, and the environment.
In all, CLOW Valve invested approximately 13 million dollars at the metal casting facility alone over the past five years.
“We’re one of the biggest best-kept secrets in Oskaloosa,” said Mark Willet, Vice-President and General Manager of CLOW Valve. The company’s facilities in Oskaloosa employ 440 people.
Willett spoke with the dignitaries and politicians present about some important policies that work to help protect and grow facilities like the one in Oskaloosa. One of those policies is the American Iron and Steel Act. “It’s a huge policy for us,” added Willett.
With such policy in place, it gives companies like CLOW Valve the reassurance that they can invest heavily in their facilities, like was recently done in Oskaloosa. It also helps to provide reassurance to the 440 employees of CLOW Valve that they will have employment into the future.
Needs that employers have currently are growing the skilled trades, such as machinists and maintenance.
CLOW Valve is offering full scholarships to individuals attending Indian Hills for maintenance.
John Grahek, Plant Manager of the Metal Casting Facility also spoke about the need for skilled labor and the steps that he and CLOW Valve are doing to help fill that need.
CLOW Valve has spent approximately 13 million dollars over the past 5 years to make the facility safer and greener.
CLOW Valve in Oskaloosa is considered an OSHA VPP Star Site. “That is the recognition from OSHA that is above and beyond compliance,” explained Grahek.
“Our goal is our employees come to work healthy and safe every day,” Grahek added. “Out of 2000 foundries in the United States, there’s only five that have achieved that recognition.”
The plant with all itsinvestments has gone from a large quantity generator of hazardous waste to a small quantity generator.
The vacuums that once collected all of the particulates from the atmosphere at the foundry don’t work near as hard as they used to.
When the old system was in place, a truckload of dust a month was collected. With the efficiency of the new system, they generate just a single bag of waste every three months.
CLOW Valve was awarded the Green Foundry Awards last year from the American Foundries Society for the innovation made.
After the tour, dignitaries asked questions of CLOW employees.
