EDITORIAL
Managing Human Capital I
n this issue of Modern Casting, the main feature focus is melting and pouring. When most people think of metalcasting, the first
thought usually is of molten metal. It is the blood that brings life to every casting operation. Te three features in this issue that focus on the heart of every casting production will provide your fa- cility with potential opportunities for improvement and advancement. But to accom-
pany this issue’s focus on melting and pouring, Mod- ern Casting also dives into the brains of the metalcast- ing operation in the profile article, “Employee En- gagement,” about Lethbridge Iron Works, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, on p. 22. “Te brains” being the people. Whenever I visit metalcasting facilities, one of the regular comments made by management will be that their people are their greatest asset. It is a great phrase and one that if practiced is a powerful tool. But the reality is that some of the facilities that use this phrase perceive their people similarly to the melting and pour- ing equipment in their facilities—as tools used to produce castings. At Lethbridge, this same perception may have been the case until a few years ago. “We had to ramp up our hiring practice from
“Managing human resources is a
challenge in the best
of environments. In a metalcasting facility, this skill requires the same attention to detail as required on the melt deck to ensure that production stays on track.”
After the last growth spurt in 2010-11, the man-
agement team at Lethbridge decided a turnaround in its approach to securing and engaging human capital was necessary. From the interview and hiring process to training to reviews to the distribution of production and profit- ability information, Leth- bridge redeveloped the entire human resources system. Tis turnaround went as far as bringing in a corporate coach in 2012 to further enhance employee engagement. “We have seen
our profitability go up,” said Da- vies. “Employees are key to busi- ness success these days. It starts at the top and must filter down to the shop floor.” Te results for Lethbridge from a
production perspective include lower reject rates and increased on-time deliveries. In addition, profitability is up. All while following through on phase two of an expansion that is re- engineering its molding, coremaking and melting.
Managing human resources is a
challenge in the best of environments. In a met- alcasting facility, this skill requires the same atten- tion to detail as required on the melt deck to ensure production stays on track. Make sure you review the recommendations presented in all our features this issue. Both your mind and your heart will thank you.
lots of screening to hiring anyone with a heartbeat,” said John Davies, president, Lethbridge Iron Works, when talking about his facility during production ramp ups in 2007 and 2011. “We did what we had to do to meet our customers’ needs, but it didn’t meet our bottom line very well to have people who were not well trained, not showing up and without much interest.”
Alfred T. Spada, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
If you have any comments about this editorial or any other item that appears in Modern Casting, email me at
aspada@afsinc.org.
August 2014 MODERN CASTING | 7
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