The First Jump Saguenay Foundry was originally
operated as part of a machine shop until 1980, when the shop’s owner decided to exit the casting side of the business. An employee at the metalcasting facility bought it and began running it as an independent company. A forward-thinking man, Rejean Dubuc introduced computers to the operation in 1987. “He was a strong believer that
technology was going to help us, and I think we have kept that mentality over the years,” Savard said. Dubuq also understood owner- ship was a strong motivator. In 1993, three employees made the investment to become small share- holders and then ultimately bought out the ownership when Dubuq retired in 2008. Tey were the owner’s son and robotic engineer Philippe Dubuc (now the com- pany’s general manager), Savard, and Marie-Claude Tremblay, (chief financial officer). Recently, two more small shareholders have been added: Alex Rouleau, sales engineer,
With customer’s costs in mind, Saguenay Foundry will sometimes use L-shaped flasks that require less sand.
and Lysanne Hovington, human resources. Shareholders at Saguenay Foundry must work for the company. “We put our hearts in the shop. We want to leave a legacy,” Savard said. “I plan to retire in 15 years and we’ve started lining up new shareholders who are in their 30s. We hope it will be the
same process for them as it was for us.” Being a shareholder is a huge moti-
vator for Rouleau. “I love that I am more involved,” he
said. “It gives a lot of opportunity to see the multiple facets of the business.” Rouleau is continuing Saguenay
Foundry’s tradition of staying on the edge of technology and was heavily involved in building a new computer system that combined all its ERP and MRP reports into a single system for better billing, scheduling and part tracking. “Our goal is to be the supplier
our customers don’t have to worry about,” Rouleau said. Te introduction of 3-D technol-
ogy in the business has helped attract and enthuse a new generation of workers. With an average age in the company at 34, Saguenay Foundry has a relatively young staff that will be growing into new leadership roles. Mistakes will be made, but that’s called gaining experience. “Ten years from now, we are going
to be in very great shape,” said Savard. “We will have all that experience but still a young workforce. For us, it’s important to keep that spirit of always having someone behind you who could take the keys.”
All of Saguenay Foundry’s patterns are produced in-house. 20 | MODERN CASTING September 2016
The Longest Jump In 2005 and 2006, Saguenay
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