By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
In today’s economy any day one can go to work is a good day. But Friday was a very special day at Galion LLC.
The munitions parts manufacturer was not only celebrating National Manufacturing Day with special guests and tours, it also received the Ohio Strong Award from Dan Risko of Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel’s office.
Vice President of Operations Stan Will has been with Galion LLC for over 30 years. In fact, it’s the only place he has ever worked since he graduated from high school. Will said his company, like most manufacturers, has a real need for trained workers and people interested in once again seeking a career in the manufacturing trades.
“The biggest thing is the young people coming up through, making them aware of career opportunities available in manufacturing,” Will said. “I think there was a lot of lost interest in it – just because ‘my dad did it doesn’t mean I have to do it.’
“Now we have a void.”
Galion LLC at one time was known as Ammco. But the company still does what it has always done since 1958.
“We make the projectiles for guys like ATK,” Tony Durtschi said. ”We make them in various metals.”
That means jobs and Will said his company is in the need of several kinds of manufacturing-related positions from machinists to engineers and designers.
“We have a wide variety,” Will said. “Our biggest area is our screw machine area, our automatic screw machine area. We have huge openings there.”
One of the things creating the need for Galion LLC is the age and experience of its current workforce which numbers about 114. Will noted several employees with 30 to years of experience at the plant. One employee has 40.
“I think more companies are getting involved in things like this,” Will said about National Manufacturing Day. “We’re hiring in the screw machine area and need a process engineer.”
Among those invited to Galion LLC on Friday were students from North Central State College for tours. Will said getting that generation to look seriously at manufacturing occupations was a key to the recovery, not only locally, but statewide, regionally and even on a national scale.
“I think so,” Will said. “We’ve got to grab that stronghold back. A lot of manufacturing went overseas. We need to show the need to the public.”
Galion LLC is in the process of what Will called a revitalization project that will take a year and cost approximately $250,000.
Also at the National Manufacturing Day and speaking were State Representative Jeff McClain, Galion Mayor Tom O’Leary and Mike BeeBee from North Central State College.