Climax Molybdenum President Mike Kendrick cuts a ribbon with Fort Madison Mayor Matt Mohrfeld, second from left, and other dignitaries around as the plant opened its new scale and truck entry Wednesday at the plant in Fort Madison.
Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
Chuck Vandenberg, Pen City Current Editor
FORT MADISON - Logistical improvements and a new state-of-the-art scale were part of an unveiling Wednesday morning at Climax-Molybdenum in Fort Madison.
General Manager Javier Guevara told a group of about 60 dignitaries on hand for the ribbon-cutting that safety and efficiency were at the heart of the improvements.
The project began about a year ago and could be seen daily with work being done along the southside entry to the facility.
"We needed to replace our old, in-ground truck scale as part of our infrastructure replacement program, yet at the same time we wanted to take the opportunity to eliminate the safety risks around truck congestion at the entrance to our plant," Guevara said.
"Going forward, semi-trailer trucks will no longer have to back-up in front of incoming traffic. Light-duty and heavy vehicle traffic are now separated entering and exiting our production site and we have been able to increase the number of truck parking spaces from seven to 14.
The new scale is above-ground and longer than the previous one. Guevara said the scale is more accurate and will no longer require integration truck axle weights.
The weighing process has been improved and simplified and the reliability of the system and scale electronics exceeds industry standards," he said.
He thanked interior and exterior personnel for their help in getting the project to completion, including the Fort Madison plant and construction workforce, contractors, and vendors.
"It took a lot of collaboration and patience from all of us to ensure that we completed a project of this magnitude with no safety incidents and, for that, we are extremely proud," he said.
Climax Molybdenum President Mike Kendrick said it's been the company's pleasure to be part of the community for the past five decades.
"We so appreciate being a part of the community here in Fort Madison. We've been here 47 or 48 years for production and we were here earlier than that to get community buy-in and start construction," he said.
"It was one of the best decisions that Climax has ever made. Community has always been inportant to us. We can't do what we do without all of your support and we appreciate that support."
Kendrick said the company is also making substantial investments inside the facility. He didn't elaborate on those improvements but said the combined effort is to help create a more sustainable planet, produce cleaner energy, and address some of the biggest issues facing mankind.
"We're part of that solution," Kendrick said.
"We see a vision of the future - of increased demand for better products across the spectrum. Whether in energy generation in current systems or new systems, pollution control, lubrication, and cellphones.
"This plant is part of that supply stream. Not only for our country but around the globe."
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