Barnhard takes up the rammer.

New AFS President Dwight Barnhard discusses the course of the industry and the people and technology that make it go.

The new AFS President stops on the way home from an evening out to charge his furnaces. The next day, he drives a load of castings to a customer in Kansas. The associates in his plant are more like family than employees. In fact, some are family. His brother, David, is vice president and his wife, Carolyn, works full-time in the office.

In shod, Dwight Barnhard is a small businessman, and with a staff of just 17, his Superior Aluminum Castings, Inc., Independence, Missouri, is definitely a small business.

A jobbing foundry that casts aluminum parts for markets ranging from utility vehicles to the health care industry, Superior makes 450,000-500,000 lb of castings a year. Superior's size gives Barnhard a unique perspective on the functions of AFS and the benefits of membership. "Gary Mosher and Fred Kohloff [both of AFS] are our environmental department," he's said. "And I'm very comfortable with that."

For Barnhard, a career in the foundry industry began as a summer job in college - working a muller and unloading boxcars in an iron shop. Years later, having performed almost every duty that exists in a foundry, and successfully running his own, he's come to the premier position of industry leadership.

Q What are our greatest strengths as an industry?

A The creative ability of our people, which is reflected through metalcasting's contributions to the manufacturing process. Metalcasters who continue to improve their leadership skills and process technology are able to provide products that enhance our way of life.

Q What can we do better as an industry?

A To know that, we must be aware of our present circumstances. That requires an ongoing review of our mission and goals. We have to be willing to move quickly for positive change. Anwar Sadat once said, "He who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality, and will never, therefore, make any progress."

As our technical skills improve, we have to seek innovative transfer of those skills throughout our industry. AFS' organizational structure provides a vehicle for research, education and the transfer of methods and ideas, while membership's active role in all aspects of the society helps accomplish those things. And metalcasters' personal commitment to being the best they can be will turn the progress that vision brings into a reality.

Q Will your perspective as the president of a foundry with a staff of less than 20 people affect your tenure as AFS president?

A While the resources may differ from a small foundry to a large organization, the challenges and opportunities are very similar. AFS provides a common purpose that transcends company size.

Q Superior is very involved in the affairs of its community. How can the industry as a whole do the same?

A Being involved with the community is as much a part of business as understanding the processes we use. This interdependence establishes a partnership between supplier, customer and the communities where we live and produce our products. It also helps increase the community's understanding of how castings improve their lives.

With production schedule demands, it's hard to be involved in every community activity. We have to make wise choices about which endeavors best suit our situation. The next time your foundry is asked to take pad in a worthwhile community project, even if you think you're too busy, say yes.

Q Where are the industry's greatest opportunities over the next decade?

A We have to make every effort to create our future opportunities through human resource development and the wise use of technology. There continue to be many opportunities to add value to our products through design and additional processing. Prospects for castings will continue to grow as we communicate - to our current and future customers - the advantages of using castings.