We’re shining a spotlight on Benji Johnson, Foundry Engineering Manager from Grede Iron Mountain in Michigan. 🔦 In this video, Benji talks about the best advice he’s ever received, the projects he’s proud of, and what makes Grede a great place to work. Our foundry engineering teams work together with the rest of our employees to take calculated risks, extend boundaries, solve problems, move quickly and decisively, and take responsibility for finding new ways to grow our company. Thank you to our engineers and everyone at Grede for your entrepreneurial mindset to help us deliver world-class value to our stakeholders through safety, innovation, operational transformation, continuous improvement, and communication. 💡
We recently donated PPE and other safety supplies to Black Hawk High School in South Wayne, Wisconsin. 👓⛑️🧤 EHS Manager John Paquin and Safety Coordinator Justin Nyman delivered multiple boxes of personal protection equipment for the local high school's auto, welding, and metal fabrication classes. 🚗 When dropping off the donations, they invited us back to speak to the students about safety in the workplace and an introduction to the foundry industry. We love being involved in our local communities and can't wait to return to speak to the high schoolers about the foundry industry and the importance of a solid safety culture.
New maintenance skills = wage increase 🙌 Randy Thompson, Maintenance Technician from St. Cloud, Minnesota, just passed skill level four of our maintenance training program, enabling him to receive a wage increase along with his new skills. In the photo, Maintenance Manager Brad Hotchkiss presents Randy's certificate for passing level four of the training program. Our maintenance training program has six levels: Skill Level 1 - Foundational knowledge Skill Level 2 - Foundry-specific knowledge Skill Level 3 - Intro to mechanic or electrician skills Skill Level 4 - Expansion of mechanic/electrician skills Skill Level 5 - Specialization in foundry equipment Skill Level 6 - Master mechanic/electrician Do you know someone looking for a rewarding career in maintenance and growth opportunities? We're hiring maintenance technicians! Visit www.grede.com/careers to apply today.
Our very own Michael Jones, a former intern and co-op at Grede who recently accepted a Grede Grad position with us, has been featured in the following article by the American Foundry Society's Modern Casting publication, "Interns: The Shortest Distance to a Great Employee." 🛣️🎓 Interns are critical in building a pipeline of future technical and leadership talent. At Grede, an internship is a multi-month job interview that allows both the intern and Grede to determine if there is a good long-term fit. Michael is an excellent example of how our early career talent development strategy, Grow with Grede, works. Michael attended Georgia Southern - which is a Foundry Educational Foundation-certified school. FEF students are an excellent resource for Grede internships—they're interested in foundries, and their coursework is relevant to what we do every day. Michael's problem-solving skills and dedication to continuous improvement significantly impacted our processes. His journey with Grede exemplifies how internships can bridge the gap between education and a successful career in the metalcasting industry.
Safety, pride, and job satisfaction ✨💪 Hear Elijah Soltys, Finisher and Grinder from Meadville, Pennsylvania, speak about his experience at Grede. Elijah talks about his favorite part of the job: being part of the Safety Brigade—a group dedicated to making our workplace safer for both experienced workers and new hires. He expresses his pride in making safety-critical parts for big companies like John Deere and Caterpillar and feels a sense of accomplishment knowing his work might be on these trucks and equipment. And finally, he ends by saying that it’s the coolest job he’s ever had. Thank you to Elijah for speaking about your experience. Our team members like Elijah make all the difference and enable our partners to Go Further with Grede.
Grede St. Cloud recently donated over $43,000 to the United Way of Central Minnesota and surpassed their goal of $40,000! 🤝 We’ve been donating to this cause for more than 25 years by organizing raffles, BINGO games, and a company match. There are people who could use a little help right now – some students need learning assistance and mentorship, while some parents are struggling to provide healthy food and a safe environment for their families. Helping them is what the United Way of Central Minnesota does, and change doesn’t happen alone. One of Grede’s core values is corporate citizenship, and we’re proud to help the United Way with its mission so we can make a difference in the communities in which we operate.
New year, new energy reduction goals! ✨☁️ At Grede, we aim to reduce our energy intensity every day. Our partnership with ENERGY STAR has enabled us to make significant strides in reducing energy consumption and optimizing energy usage in our facilities, setting a benchmark for our industry. As a proud ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, we've not only cut costs but also contributed to our broader sustainability goals.
Happy New Year to our team members, partners, and customers! Wishing you a successful year ahead.
Next up in our Plant Spotlight Series... Grede St. Cloud! 🏭⭐ Grede St. Cloud plays a pivotal role in driving excellence in the mobility industry. It has won Plant of the Year internally out of our ten facilities for the past three years! 🏆 This foundry in St. Cloud, Minnesota, is a powerhouse for our automotive customers and also serves some commercial truck clients. We hope you enjoyed this sneak peek inside our award-winning plant. Stay tuned for the rest of our plant spotlight videos in 2025.
Empowering Every Employee: Building an Energy Conservation Culture for a Sustainable Future 🪴 At Grede, we’ve built a comprehensive energy conservation program in partnership with ENERGY STAR, strengthening our position as a leader in ductile, gray, and specialty iron castings. Recognized as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year in 2024, we’ve integrated ENERGY STAR into our broader Sustainability Program, amplifying our focus on energy efficiency. Driven by strong leadership from our executive leadership team and embraced across all levels, energy conservation is now becoming embedded in our culture. #EnergyConservationDay #CastingABrighterFuture
