Long-time Indiana companies (we’re talking a really long time here), I have a challenge for you. It’s based on a recent article in IndustryWeek about one family’s ties to a Virginia employer.
An excerpt:
Every afternoon at 2 p.m., Jason Ayers leaves his home in Hampton, VA, and drives to his job as a machinist on the second shift at Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), as he has done for the past three years.
In a world where people change careers seemingly in a heartbeat, Jason is the fourth generation of his family to work for NNS, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries.
His father, William C. Ayers, still works at NNS in the same department as his son, but on first shift. Jason’s grandfather, R. D. Ayers, was a shipfitter for 36 years and his great-grandfather, Thomas, was a welding foreman for 33 years.
Remarkably, a member of Jason’s family has gone to work every day for 118 years to build the world’s most capable and highest quality warships.
The challenge: Can anyone match or beat that streak — 118 consecutive years with one family represented in the workforce? How about 75 years? Or maybe three or four generations?
Would love to hear some Indiana longevity stories.
Jim Schuman,
It response to your posting, “That Is a Lot of Years on the Job (Can Any Hoosiers Beat This Number?), on May 16, 2014: the Gartland family has owned, operated and daily managed the Atlas Foundry Company since 1893, four generations to do so. That is presently 121 years and still going.
Bill Gartland continues the long tradition of a Gartland being president of Atlas Foundry Company. The Gartland family has owned, operated and managed the foundry since 1893. Bill is the sixth president following James M. Gartland, Jr., John P. Gartland, Francis X. Gartland Jr., Francis X. Gartland and M. F. Gartland.
There has been between one and five Garland’s working at Atlas since its establishment. Presently, Bill Gartland, Jim Gartland, Joe Gartland, Pat Gartland and Ron Karn (Pat’s son in law) are working at the foundry.
Atlas Foundry Company was established in 1893, under the name Marion Gray Iron Foundry by M. F. Gartland and Associates, and located in Marion, Indiana.
In 1922 it was incorporated under its present name. We have continued to grow by providing high quality gray iron castings, plus needed support services such as pattern development and storage services, metal testing and evaluation, prototyping, part finishing, machining, coating, heat treating, and much more.
Atlas Foundry produces Gray Iron Castings in weights from ½ – 50 lbs., in volumes of 100 molds to several thousand molds. The firm has remained located in Marion and in operation by the Gartland family. Atlas Foundry is currently under fourth generation of leadership with William Gartland serving as President.
Atlas Foundry is a full service Gray Iron foundry that provides part evaluation and design assistance, prototypes, tooling development, pattern maintenance, raw castings, casting finishing (grinding, shot blasting, tumbling) and required secondary services including machining, coating, heat treating.
Major industry groups served include agriculture, construction, transportation, and manufacturing.
Applications for the Gray Iron Castings that Atlas Foundry has produced include:
Hydraulic parts
Pump housings, compressor components
Wheels and hubs
Bearing housings
Machinery bases/stands
Seating components
Exhaust manifolds
If you would like more information about Atlas Foundry Company and the Gray Iron Casting and other services we provide, please call us at (765) 662-2525, or email us at Joe@atlasfdry.com.