Manufacturing Day 2025: AMERICAN Recognizes Employees’ Contributions

On Manufacturing Day, Friday, October 3, AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company will once again recognize the work of its employees in manufacturing products that deliver our nation’s most valuable resources — water and energy — to communities.

Established by the Manufacturing Institute, Manufacturing Day is held annually on the first Friday in October and showcases the important role manufacturing plays in our daily lives. Manufacturing contributed more than $2.9 trillion to the U.S. economy in the first quarter of 2025 alone, and more than 13 million people work in manufacturing, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.

Read how three AMERICAN employees have built careers in manufacturing and what they like most about their jobs.

Kelvin Scott, Ductile Iron Pipe

When Kelvin Scott learned about job opportunities at ACIPCO from an employee, he said it was the employee-owned company’s great benefits, career opportunities, competitive pay and culture that motivated him to pursue a new start in manufacturing.

In 2004, Scott began working in Ductile Iron Pipe (DIP) as a core facer in the No. 3 Core Room. Over the next 12 years, he gained experience in various DIP production roles including shop preparation, zinc coating operator, pipe processor and joint fabricator. In 2017, he began working as a production welder and is now a welder first class.

“Welding requires attention to detail, and before you can do the job, you receive training and have to pass a test to earn the required certification,” Scott said. “Welding lock rings and flanges onto large-diameter pipe requires many rounds of passes to secure these components and put the final touches on the high-quality products our customers count on.”

Scott said the experience he has gained in different manufacturing roles over the past 20 years has taught him lessons about life and working with others, and has given him opportunities to teach what he has learned to new employees. “In my time at ACIPCO, I’ve had many mentors and supervisors who’ve taught me the skills I use every day, and these have served me well at home and in my daily life,” he continued.

Scott said what he likes most about working at ACIPCO is the people. “It’s been a blessing to work with people who genuinely care about the work we do. ACIPCO has been very good to me and my family, and I’m doing everything I can to return the favor.”

Glenn McIntyre, Melting

Before learning about ACIPCO from a family friend in 2019, Glenn McIntyre had dreams of being a firefighter. Now, he’s found success by monitoring the chemistry and temperature of 2,700-degree iron for making pipe.

The prospect of long-term career growth at a historic manufacturer and the desire to build a family led McIntyre to apply for a job in Ductile Iron Pipe. While working as a pipe roller, he learned about job opportunities in Melting. This led him to bid on jobs where he would gain experience in Melting, first as a melting ladle liner and then as a pressure ladle operator. In 2022, he applied for a melter apprenticeship through the company’s apprentice program.

Since completing his apprenticeship in February 2025, McIntyre said the time he has spent with the company so far has been rewarding. “Completing my melter apprenticeship allowed me to gain enough hands-on experience to become a melting iron coordinator,” he said. “Working at ACIPCO has helped me buy a house and car, and I’ve been able to support my family.”

As a melting iron coordinator, McIntyre’s job is to ensure the molten iron reaches DIP as soon as possible to meet production needs, and this requires careful coordination with co-workers. “This job is fast-paced and keeps me active,” McIntyre said. “The relationships I’ve built with my co-workers are what keeps me going. They are the reason I’ve stayed.”

Brandon Wiggins, Steel Pipe Shipping

After Brandon Wiggins watched his relatives build lifelong careers at ACIPCO and heard about career advancement opportunities here, he too wanted a piece of the legacy that company founder John J. Eagan had built for generations of employees.

Wiggins began his manufacturing journey in 2005 in Central Lining, where he cleaned paint machines and chipped out cement pumps to ensure pipe moved through these machines smoothly. After gaining eight years of experience in other Manufacturing Division roles, an opportunity opened in 2013 to become an assistant weighmaster in General Yards, and he was selected for the job. In this role, his primary responsibilities included receiving railcars of scrap and cupola coke as well as monitoring inventory.

The skills he developed in General Yards prepared him for his current role as inventory and shipping coordinator in Steel Pipe Shipping, his job since 2019. Coordinating resources and support for shipping, Wiggins tracks steel pipe inventory, monitors shipments by truck and railcar, and oversees stock orders and mill runs, among other responsibilities. “One of the great things about working for ACIPCO is the company prioritizes and encourages professional development,” Wiggins said. “In 2021, the company reimbursed me for taking classes and exams to earn my APICS Certification, an industry standard for planning and logistics professionals.”

What Brandon enjoys most about his job is helping to deliver products to customers in a timely manner while continuing to earn their respect and business. “I’ve found a sense of pride in knowing our customers count on us to help provide communities with pipe for clean drinking water and energy.”