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w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m O c t o b e r 2 0 14 • I NSIGH T | 41 Emergency room improvements coming to New London Gigante says the current management team will remain in place, and headquarters for the operation will remain in Waupaca. While employees may not experience any major changes in the way Waupaca Foundry operates, they could one day notice the company has expanded product lines and new technologies for producing them. Hitachi Metals boasts a wide array of casting components and materials Waupaca Foundry can now access for future growth. "Some things they do include suspension components and turbo chargers, and they have developed materials specifically for those markets," Gigante says. "Long term, those could be opportunities." For the immediate future, though, Waupaca Foundry continues its leading role in the industry segments its serves. Inside the Waupaca production facilities, employees remain focused on turning out the castings that will become brake drums and rotors for most U.S. automobiles or the transmission components of large equipment such as harvesters and combines. Quest for large quantities of sand A more pressing issue for the foundry's current processes is securing the necessary sand used to make the molds the molten metal is poured into to T hedaCare Foundation-New London launched a $560,000 fundraising campaign to expand and renovate the emergency room at edaCare Medical Center-New London to better meet the needs of patients. e results of the "TogethER … Commitment to the Future" campaign will improve workflow for hospital staff members so they can provide better care to the more than 9,000 people who use the department annually, says Heather Stern, executive director of edaCare Foundation-New London. "e foundation has always supported the hospital and its mission of providing the best possible health care close to home. is project will help patients feel more comfortable in a stressful situation and also help our staff members as they do their jobs," she says. e project includes adding three registration and triage rooms where patients can receive immediate care in a private setting when they arrive at the hospital; remodeling the current waiting area to make it more comfortable, including the addition of public restrooms; reconfiguring current space to create a family counseling area so staff members and family members can meet in a private setting to discuss sensitive matters; and other changes to improve employee workflow. To donate: contact edaCare Foundation-New London at (920) 531-2066. make the components. e molds are made from sand that can also be used in the hydraulic fracturing process to tap oil and gas deposits that previously could not be extracted. e oil and gas boom in the Bakken fields of North Dakota and other locations has dramatically increased the demand for sand, particularly the silica sand found in Wisconsin. at has put pressure on Waupaca Foundry to secure a reliable source of sand as close to their operations as possible. "Sand is a critical component to making the molds and making our castings," says John Wiesbrock, vice president for supply chain management. "Our supply was at risk because of demands in other industries." AF Gelhar Company, a mining company based in Markesan, applied for permits to open a new mine in Waupaca County, a move that seemed to address the foundry's immediate concerns, particularly since Gelhar stated it was opening the mine to help meet the needs of Waupaca Foundry. However, residents in the county's Town of Union raised objections to the noise and dust that would be created by the mining operation, as well as to locating the mine adjacent to Tellock's Hill Woods State Natural Area. Environmental groups objected to the mine as a potential source of sand for fracking. Aer an extended debate that lasted nearly two years, town board and county supervisors approved the new mine earlier this year, though court challenges are expected. For Wiesbrock, it was a public process that had to go through all the necessary steps. But he is clearly relieved the matter has been resolved and the new mining operation will supply sand from a site inside the county. "It gives us a reliable supply of sand for several decades," he says. "For us, this is a strategic move." Whether it's basic materials such as sand, or new ownership interested in growing the company on a global scale, the strategy has produced positive results for Waupaca Foundry. "I'm not sure we understand all of the synergies yet and I'm sure there are some that will reshape the company as we grow," Gigante says. "But we know that Hitachi sees the foundry as core to their business going forward. is really is a win-win." A B O U T Headquartered in Waupaca, Waupaca Foundry operates six facilities in North America, including operations in Waupaca, Marinette, Tell City, Ind., and Etowah, Tenn. The foundry employs more than 3,900 workers. www.waupacafoundry.com Hitachi Metals, Ltd., is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and employs approximately 27,000 people worldwide. It is part of the Hitachi Group of companies. www.hitachi-metals.co.jp/e