SBA Office of Advocacy and Commerce Dept Visit Two Pennsylvania Metalcasting Facilities

Released July 19, 2010

Representatives of the Office of Advocacy and the U.S. Department of Commerce recently visited two small metalcasting foundries in Pennsylvania. They were joined by representatives of the AFS.

The first stop on the tour was the Buck Company in Quarryville, Pennsylvania. Buck Company is a jobbing foundry that has the ability to cast ferrous and nonferrous alloys—a combination unique in the industry. The range of activities allows Buck to produce quality castings for a large variety of markets, including construction, fittings, valves, railroad, and automotive. Matt Sullivan, executive vice president at Buck, hosted the visit and explained the casting process, as well as how the industry has had to adjust to foreign competition, high electricity costs, and complex health and safety regulations.

The second stop was Boose Aluminum in Reamstown, Pennsylvania. Tour host and Boose President Roger Boose took pride in being the third generation of his family to run the company. Founded in 1933 by his grandfather, Boose produces aluminum castings for a broad array of uses, such as medical equipment, aftermarket automotive, marine, electrical, ornamental, and military. Like Sullivan, Boose cited foreign competition, high electricity costs, and compliance with complex federal regulations as important issues for the industry.

Two representatives of the AFS, Stephanie Salmon and Tom Slavin, also participated in the tour. Of particular interest to them are two forthcoming rules from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on occupational exposure to crystalline silica and explosion hazards from combustible dust. Since casting molds are packed in sand (silica) and the operations generate significant amounts of dust, the details of OSHA’s approach to these two issues will be especially important to them.

The Office of Advocacy represents small businesses in the regulatory process, so it was very interesting to see how these small businesses operate and how federal regulations affect them. The Department of Commerce’s Manufacturing and Services division is responsible for safeguarding the American manufacturing sector, so this tour provided a unique insight into a basic industry trying to navigate in the modern regulatory and economic climate.