Pacific States

Cleaner And Even More Efficient

FRONT COVERBACK COVER

A PuBliCATiON OF McWANE, iNC. n 2014

For Generations

W hen it comes to our health, we want the best. Sometimes, however, this desire leads to costly decisions that don’t always deliver the best results. 

In 2013, the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council reported that the U.S. spends far more on healthcare than any other country but still ranks far below other advanced nations in keeping its citizens healthy. This frustrating predicament was dubbed the “U.S. health disadvantage.” At McWane, we are committed to helping us all do better. In 2013, McWane drove down healthcare costs while engaging more of our fellow team members in healthy life styles. But there are many other things that we can do to improve our health, like preventive health screening (also known as biometrics testing). McWane is about to roll out a preventive health screening program for all team members that wish to participate! This will include tests such as blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index administered by contracted medical specialists at our work sites, similar to what many of our divisions are doing during scheduled health fairs. The results of all these tests will be completely confidential to you. The contracted firm will aggregate the results and share overall health trends with McWane so that we can better tailor our wellness initiatives to our team members’ specific needs at each plant location. On a personal level, each team member will benefit by better understanding his or her own health profile and bet-ter address what needs changing. It will allow each of us to measure our own progress and chart our own path to improvement. At the very least, it will tell us if we’ve been spending too much time on the couch and not enough time exercising! Sedentary lifestyles and less-than-prudent dietary choices can add up and have an adverse effect on our overall health. We hope to roll this program out soon and hope all team members will take advantage of its benefits. Phillip and I are taking the responsibility for a health-ier workforce very seriously. By improving our health, we can achieve a higher quality of life, more productivity and overall well-being. And we can all be around a little longer for our families, friends and communities.  You are important and we want to help you take charge of your health!

HealthMatters

A word froM PrESidEnt ruffnEr PAgE, Jr

Working Together On Innovative Ways to Deliver

Our Most Valuable Resource

McwAnEthe way

W hen Pacific States installed a brand-new casting machine in the first quarter of 2014, the facility didn’t simply upgrade technology—it secured a way to produce more quality, uniform pipes with fewer resources.

As usual, there’s a lot going on at Pac States and, as usual, they’re making a difference for the better! The new casting machine—affectionately known as “Casting Machine A”—replaces two machines. Running at full capacity, it will produce approximately twice as much pipe as earlier machines and produce pipe with far more consistent wall thicknesses, thanks in part to Casting Machine A’s own hydraulic system that reduces fluctuations. The machine will be used primarily for 6”-12” pipe. At about the same time the new casting machine was unveiled, the U.S. EPA unveiled its own bit of good news for Pac States, too. The EPA awarded a Clean Diesel Grant to Pac States to replace an old dump truck. These things don’t just happen—they require leadership. And Pac States has more than its share of can-do spirited leaders! From the commitment from management to replace old casting machines with a top of the line model—and making sure it all fit just right—to the dedication of Holly Guerrero, who learned about the EPA grant while competing in the 2013 McWane Pollution Challenge (P2C). Congrats to the whole team at Pac States for taking charge and making a difference in 2014!

The Pacific States brand new casting machine makes its debut

or the third year running, McWane hosted its VPP Forum—a three-day event of participatory engage-ment designed to further improve health and safety

Atlantic States Hosts Mcwane’s 2014 VPP forumfpractices across the company. This year’s Forum hosted by Atlantic States in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, drew more than 70 team members from 15 McWane facili-ties—demonstrating, yet again, our company-wide com-mitment to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). Neither gray skies nor cold temperatures could sub-due the enthusiasm at Atlantic States for the three days of VPP conferences, seminars, discussions, and hands-on sessions. “The passion we have for health & safety here at Atlantic States is not unique at McWane, and that makes us even more proud to be a part of the team,” said Dale Schmelzle, Atlantic States general manager. “It improves how everyone works together and keeps the team focused on health and safety.” Atlantic States submitted its own VPP application to OSHA last year and is now awaiting the on-site evalu-

ation for certification. With the spirit Atlantic States showed as hosts of this year’s VPP Forum, we’re confident they’ll secure their own VPP designation and become the seventh McWane facility to be so honored by the U.S. government’s lead agency on workplace safety and health! Among others, Mr. Michael Corbett, an OSHA compliance assistance specialist, was on hand to offer his perspective and support the cause. He spoke on OSHA’s perspectives of VPP and other compliance and enforce-ment activity. Ross Boeker, group safety director for the Soil Pipe Group, reminded everyone of the opportunity to become more involved in the VPP process through the Special Government Employee (SGE) program.  Follow-ing intensive training, SGEs earn considerable health and safety best practices skills, and assist OSHA personnel with employer on-site evaluations. Several team mem-bers from Clow Water and McWane Corporate are al-ready qualified to serve as SGEs and hopefully more will become SGEs in the future. Among this year’s Forum break-out sessions were:

industrial hygiene; completing the annual VPP self- evaluation; and how to most effectively prepare for on-site evaluations. These proved to be among the most pop-ular events at the Forum. But the tour of Atlantic States drew the most oohs and ahs! Over the last three years, it is clear that Atlantic States has made astonishing improve-ments, its impeccable housekeeping drawing rave reviews from everyone who donned a hard hat and safety gear to enjoy the tour.   To recognize Atlantic States’ turn as host this year—as well as Clow Water and Tyler Coupling, the hosts of the previous two years’ Forums—Barb Wisniewski, VP of Health & Safety, presented representatives from each facility with a crystal engraved VPP host trophy. Will your facility receive the VPP Host Trophy next year?  McWane currently boasts six VPP sites: Tyler Cou-pling, Marshfield, MO; Clow Water Machine Shop and Metal Casting Facility, Oskaloosa, IA; Clow Water Sys-tems, Coshocton, OH; Manchester Tank-Elkhart, Elkhart IN; and Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe Co., Provo, UT.

ust over a decade ago, Alabama created the Gover-nor’s Trade Excellence Award to recognize outstand-ing companies in the state that are “excelling in in-

Mcwane: governor’s trade Excellence Award winner for 2014!Jternational trade.” Just a couple of months ago, McWane was one of eight companies singled out by the Governor for the big award. “McWane and the other companies recognized today show how successfully Alabama products are reaching the global marketplace,” said Gov. Robert Bentley, at a cer-emony in Montgomery on March 5. “In 2013, Alabama exports totaled $19.3 billion, which represented a 57% increase since 2009.” One big reason for that growth is you and the rest of Team McWane! Gov. Bentley singled out McWane as the largest manufacturer of waterworks products in the nation and a vital “engine for growth” for the state.  “We’re not only powering the economy and providing jobs, we’re helping rebuild our country,” said G. Ruffner Page, Jr., “This award is important recognition that Mc-Wane plays a vital role at home and abroad.”

Social Media Has Arrived for team Mcwane!

onnect with McWane on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,  YouTube, and our blog for the latest happenings. Read up on community activities, company advances, updates, health C

tips, opportunities to get involved, company advances and updates, interesting factory facts, health tips and so much more! We look forward to connecting with you online soon!”

Click with McWane @:Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mcwaneinc

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Blog:  http://blog.mcwane.com

For Generations

Access Line free

ConfidentialAvailable 24/7 (877) 231-0904

o you have suggestions, comments or concerns that you’d like to share with McWane senior management about your

job, employee safety or health and environmental programs? Call the Access Line at (877) 231-0904. This is a toll-free line available anytime and managed by NAVEX Global’s hotline reporting services. Before calling the Access Line, we encourage you to speak first to your supervisor, human resources department of plant manager to express your concerns. We value your input.

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Pictured from L-R: Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and McWane President G. Ruffner Page

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his year’s Ergo Cup Competition did more than draw over 300 team members from across the Mc-Wane organization—it served as the playoffs for the

Manchester tank-Elkhart Ergonomics team Brings Home national trophy

National Applied Ergonomics Conference competition!  That’s because the winner at McWane won at the big show in Orlando, too! A big congratulations to everyone who participated in our fourth annual Ergo Cup Com-petition—but a special shout-out to Manchester Tank-Elkhart, which cruised to victory in both the McWane and National Ergo competitions! Manchester Tank-Elkhart won the 2014 Ergo Cup in the “workplace solu-tions…team-driven” category and represented all of us at Team McWane with gusto on the national stage. That’s an impressive win for Manchester Tank-Elkhart. And it’s proof that some of the best talent in the country is at Team McWane.  Just thinking about ways to improve our workplaces can make all of us even better. This, in a nutshell, is what the Ergo Cup competition is all about: ergonomics, the science of improving our interactions with our environ-ment and each other in the workplace. For our fourth annual Ergo competition, a stunning inventory of home-grown innovation was on display. While not everyone could emerge a winner, all 36 projects in the competition proved that winning ideas can make our workplace a bet-ter place. The projects ranged from efficiency improve-

ments in producing extinguishers to enhancing the meth-od for rotating large cylinders to render welding easier.  Each project team was comprised of hourly and management personnel working together to identify potential workplace issues and brainstorm effective so-lutions. From the 36 submissions, judges selected the top 10 contenders: Clow Canada, Kennedy Valve, Clow Water, Atlantic States, Tyler Pipe-Coupling, Manchester Tank-Bedford, Manchester Tank-Quincy, Amerex, and Manchester Tank-Elkhart.   Manchester Tank-Quincy won 2nd place with its Pneumatic Arms and End Effector project. Tyler Pipe-Coupling secured 3rd place with its Roll-Off Die Setter Table project. And the winning project was Manchester Tank-Elkhart’s design of a new mechanical paint hook system that significantly reduces repetitive motions—as well as the risk of human injury or equip-ment breakdown.   As part of the award, the team members from Elkhart were presented with the McWane Ergo Cup trophy.  “I’m so thrilled with the enthusiasm everyone displayed, and the high-caliber thinking the Elkhart team exhibited while working on their project,” said Barb Wisniewski, VP Health & Safety. “Having team members come up with creative and cost effective ways to improve their safe-ty is what the McWane Way, and the Ergo Cup competi-tion, is all about!”  An article in the UA Safe State’s April newsletter summed it up perfectly:   “Congratulations to the management team at Mc-Wane, Inc. for their first place victory in the national Ergo Cup competition at the 2014 Applied Ergonomics Conference. More than 40 companies from across the country submitted entries and, this year, McWane’s Man-chester Tank-Elkhart facility won the team competition.  And check this out: Of the five years that a McWane fa-cility was represented at the National competition, this is the third time they’ve brought home the trophy. Special recognition goes out to the safety and health leadership at McWane, Inc. for creating the internal process that gives rise to outstanding accomplishments like this.”

Pictured L-R: Roger Morningstar (Operations Manager) and Rita Scott (Tool Room Team Member)

Tyler Union: Pictured from L-R sitting: Chris McBee, Sandra Myers and Greg Reyes

Pictured from L-R standing: Jon Pollard, Steve Johnson and Jerome McQueen

cWane acquired Zinwave Ltd. in February—bringing an exciting new dimension of innova-tion to Team McWane and our growing fold

the Latest High-tech Addition to team Mcwane: Zinwave

of dynamic high-tech companies. Cambridge, England-based Zinwave is a leading global supplier of in-building wideband active distributed antenna systems (DAS). Zinwave’s product is the only one of its kind in the world that supports all cellular and public safety services on a single hardware layer—impressive stuff! Zinwave will also benefit from McWane’s global footprint and associa-tion with its new high-tech sister companies. What’s more, mere weeks after the acquisition was completed, Zinwave began adding sales and technical support team members to drive significant growth that is anticipated from the company in the coming years. Freshly part of the team and already Zinwave is embrac-ing the McWane Way! “Our new status with McWane allows us to lever-age our technical strengths and significantly increase our

e are proud to congratulate this year’s McWane Scholarship winners! Good job students…and parents!  Since beginning w

in 2005, 90 McWane Scholarships have been awarded for a total of $474,735!

2014 Mcwane Scholarship Winners

third of our water gets lost every year to leaks.” With these words spoken in Washington D.C. on April 3, McWane President Ruffner Page Jr. an-

Mcwane Joins the u.S. water Partnershipnounced our commitment to the U.S. Water Partnership. After all, it’s not enough to make sure we have plenty of clean, safe drinking water—we have to ensure it’s effec-tively delivered to everyone. The U.S. Water Partnership, launched on World Water Day in 2012, brings together select members from the private sector, non-profits, scientific institutions and U.S. government agencies to tackle our global water challenges. Joining this group is our honor—and we were warmly welcomed. “I am grateful for your leadership role in addressing global water challenges,” noted Ambassador Harriet Bab-bitt, the chair of the U.S. Water Partnership steering com-mittee. While we at McWane know exactly what it takes to build a durable, sustainable and efficient water infrastruc-ture that is the envy of the world—we also know that it’s about more than pipes and valves and fittings. It’s about people—and it’s about innovation, too. To help plug the world’s leaking pipes and deliver clean water to all, McWane’s solution is one part ductile

iron and one part high tech wizardry. Page shared with the gathered dignitaries, assembled in April for the U.S. Water Partnership’s Water and Se-curity 2014 conference, the technology developed by two of McWane’s technology companies, Synapse and Nighthawk. The two companies’ mesh and cellular net-works along with tiny processors can be used to enable data to be freely gathered across water infrastructures, providing detection and reporting on leaks, flows, pres-sures and other key indicators. These low-cost, easy to operate networks could allow operators to monitor their systems and take corrective steps the moment something goes awry. With McWane, Synapse and Nighthawk, leaks in the future may be reduced to barely a drop in the bucket—not a third of the bucket. While McWane’s tech companies have deployed remarkable technologies for hospitals and to help keep the lights on for electricity customers, “we have not put them in a water environment,” said Page. “But we want to.” And with the support of the U.S. Water Partnership, we may have our chance to do just that—for America and the world. The future is looking better than ever for clean water delivery, thanks to Team McWane!

2013 EHS Award winners!Outstanding Environmental Progress Award – is given to the facility that showed the greatest overall improve-ment in environmental performance during the year. The winners were:n AB&I, Oakland, California and Tyler/Union, Anniston, Alabama (Foundry)n The Solberg Company, Green Bay, Wisconsin (Fabrication)

The EHS Excellence Award goes to the facility with the best overall performance in environmental and health as well as safety. With no clear winner for this award in 2013, the coveted Screaming Eagle was not awarded for 2013. We know this makes the competition for the 2014 award all the more heated. Keep up your health, safety and environmental programs to win the big prize next year! Each and every team member plays a role in helping us become safer and more environmentally conscious and we must work together to continue to improve our EHS performance. Congratulations to this year’s winners!

n February, McWane cheered the winners of the 2013 EHS awards, in five different environmental, health and safety performance categories…

Most Improved Recordable Injury Rate Award – is given to the facility whose total recordable injury rate (TRIR) improved the most over the previous year. This year’s win-ners were: n AB&I, Oakland, California (Foundry)n Tyler Pipe Company, Marshfield, Missouri (Fabrication)

Outstanding Health & Safety Performance Award – is given to the facility that has the best overall health and safety performance in 11 different categories, including program compliance, incident rates, implementation of health & safety initiatives, and risk reduction efforts. This year’s winner is:n Manchester Tank & Equipment, Elkhart, Indiana

Outstanding Environmental Performance Award – is given to the facility with the best overall environmental performance, including management commitment, pro-gram implementation and compliance. This year’s win-ners were:n Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe Company, Provo, Utah (Foundry)n Manchester Tank & Equipment, Bedford, Indiana (Fabrication)

Monserrath Lopez (Pacific States team member Daniel Lopez)

Qua China Carmichael (M&H Valve team member Kendrick Carmichael)

Alex Schultz (Clow Valve team member Guy Schultz)

Emely Sandoval (Tyler Pipe team member Juan Sandoval)

Lena Barrett (McWane corporate team member Kyle Barrett)

Michaela Heys (Tyler Union team member Jennifer Heys)

Amanda Jeren (Clow Water team member Kimberly McNany)

Maureen Stephen (Atlantic States team member Maryann Stephen)

Christine Henderson (Amerex team member Jeffrey Henderson

Evan Braun (Canada Pipe team member John Braun)

market share in a rapidly growing industry,” said Ian Sugarbroad, Zinwave CEO. “We’re thrilled to be part of this growing and diverse family of companies.” Welcome aboard Team McWane, Zinwave!