McWane

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

McWane, Inc.
Type Private
Founded 1921
Headquarters Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Key people C. Phillip McWane, Chairman
G. Ruffner Page, President
Industry Manufacturing
Products Pipes, Fittings, Compressed Air Tanks, Fire Extinguishers
Revenue Between $1.75 and $2.0 billion USD (2006)
Employees 7,000
Website http://www.mcwane.com/

McWane, Inc., based in Birmingham, Alabama, is a manufacturer of cast iron pipes and is one of America’s largest privately owned companies, employing over 7,500 people. The company was founded in 1921 by J. R. McWane. The company's operating revenues are estimated to be somewhere around $1.75 billion[1], although other sources estimate it closer to $2 billion US dollars a year. Along with the company's US operations it also has operations in Australia, Canada and China.


Contents

[edit] Subsidiaries of McWane

  • Ductile Iron Pipe Division
    • McWane Cast Iron Pipe Company
    • Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe Company
    • Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Company
    • Clow Water Systems Company
    • Canada Pipe Company Ltd.
  • Waterworks Valves and Fire Hydrants Division
    • M&H Valve Company
    • Clow Valve Company
    • Kennedy Valve
    • Clow Canada
  • Soil Pipe, Soil Fittings, and Utility Fittings Division
    • Union Foundry Company
    • Tyler Pipe Company
    • Bibby-Ste-Croix
    • Anaco
    • AB&I Foundry
  • International Sales
    • McWane International
    • McWane Global
    • Big Dog Foundry
  • Propane and Compressed Air Division
    • Manchester Tank and Equipment Company, Inc.
  • Fire Extinguisher Division
    • Amerex Corporation
  • Coal
    • McWane Coal

[edit] Unsafe practices criticisms

McWane Inc. has been criticised for its unsafe practices cited by number of media articles. In 2003 PBS Frontline in cooperation with the New York Times and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation investigated the company, calling McWane one of the most dangerous work places in America as a contributor to multiple deaths at its numerous foundries. The documentary is called A Dangerous Business. The writers claim that McWane has ignored worker and environmental safety to focus on production and profitability.

In the U.S., between 1995 and 2003, McWane has been found in violation of U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations more than four hundred times. In the same time period, 4,600 workers have been injured in McWane's foundries.[2]

McWane has acknowledged that "our standards have not always been met" but that the company has taken action to improve its record.[3] The company's Health and Safety website states that "McWane values the well-being of our employees, for they are the heart and soul of our company." [4]

[edit] Safety upgrades

In recent years the company has upgraded many of its facilities to meet federal safety standards. The company's Union Foundry has won several safety awards from local and state officials.[5]

PBS Frontline aired an updated version of "A Dangerous Business", entitled "A Dangerous Business Revisited", on February 5, 2008 on most PBS stations throughout the U.S. Included in this version was additional reporting regarding federal prosecutions against McWane, Inc. since the original airing, as well as checking the OSHA data to verify whether McWane, Inc.'s new safety standards have made working conditions truly safer for its foundry employees.[6]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Forbes – The Largest Private Companies 1996 – #201 McWane
  2. ^ Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – The Fifth Estate – McWane
  3. ^ Pulitizer Prizes 2004 – The New York Times, January 9, 2003. "Dangerous Business: A Family's Fortune, a Legacy of Blood and Tears"
  4. ^ McWane Inc. – Company Website
  5. ^ Birmingham Business Journal, Tuesday, October 11, 2005. "McWane's Union Foundry recognized for exemplary safety"
  6. ^ PBS Frontline documentary about McWane