that the [State of Michigan] had a grant to help like industries solve com- mon problems, so we applied for that and got $30,000 to get us started.” Tat money, along with $30,000
Thermal reclamation significantly reduced sand consumption in Eagle Alloy’s shell molding process.
experiences and they tell coworkers. Te convenience is a big factor. You don’t need to take an afternoon off for a doc- tor visit. You don’t need to wait weeks to see your primary care physician.” Eagle Alloy’s wellness program
continues to be a part of its approach to health care. After increasing health insurance costs for those who forego participation, employee participation has increased by 42%, meaning more than 80% of the workforce is enrolled. Eagle Alloy has seen results from the time and resources invested in these initiatives, with health care costs near- ing what was spent in 2009. Mean- while, according to a 2014 study from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a non-partisan health care analyst, premiums have risen by 26% in the past five years across the nation. KFF also reported that during the most recent plan year, costs per employee per month for Eagle Alloy and its group were 30% less than the average manufacturing employer in the U.S. “Te clinics will be a way for our employees to better manage their own health and that of their family,” Workman said. “We do feel that it may also help control costs by identifying health issues at an early stage. Bottom line, it
18 | MODERN CASTING June 2015 seems like the right thing to do.”
Common Problems, New Solutions Taking a proactive approach to
employee health care concerns and costs may turn into a significant improve- ment for Eagle Alloy, but the company has a history of undertaking initiatives to solve problems in a way that leads to long-term improvement. In the early 1990s, Workman began exploring ways to decrease costs associated with manag- ing foundry residuals, including spent sand from the 270,000-sq.-ft. facility’s shell mold and coremaking operations. Workman arranged a meeting at a local watering hole with other metalcasters to discuss the problem. “We found out we were all work-
ing on the same problem at the same time,” he said. “So we agreed to work on this together. From there, we found
from each of the 15 members, provided the group with nearly a half-million dollars in seed money, which jump-started the forma- tion of Resource Recovery Corp. (RRC), Coopersville, Mich. In the past 20-plus years, RRC has reduced costs associated with metalcasting byproducts by two-thirds through beneficial reuse efforts. Te outfit also has diverted more than a million tons of byproduct from disposal at local landfills. More recently, Eagle Alloy began an expansion effort in 2011 that included improvements in heat treat- ment, mold and coremaking, and melting departments. Quickly bounc- ing back from the economic hardships of the previous years, Eagle Alloy saw an opportunity to improve its opera- tions and boost capacity. “Te business came back quickly,” said Jeff Cook, vice president. “At the same time, companies were realizing they probably shouldn’t be overseas so there was a lot of reshoring. Existing customers were busy and we won a lot of new business.” Representing half of the total $14
“We are from Muskegon— and it’s been important for us to be a part of the community.”
—Mark Fazakerley
million investment, a new thermal reclamation system could significantly decrease overall consumption and disposal costs. In collaboration with its sand and binder supplier, Eagle Alloy was able to recycle as much as 80% of its spent sand. Additionally, during the two-year project, Eagle Alloy had seg- regated its spent sand in the landfill so it could be mined and reused once the reclamation system was operational. “We knew we’d face attrition in
the new system,” Workman said. “Mining our sand at the landfill means we won’t have to buy new sand for a few years. Tat’s a sig- nificant savings.” A third example of Eagle
Alloy’s innovative outlook involves a solution that didn’t have a clear problem. Fazakerley drove past a local landfill and noticed the flame from burning methane. As
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