The interview was with Roland Martin of the Martin Brass Foundry, 2341 Jefferson Street, Torrance, California. This is a company that produces brass fittings and various brass moldings. The company was founded at its current location in 1963, Mr. Martin's father worked for another foundry for many years and decided to create his own company. In addition to the normal difficulties involved in creating such a business, the Martins were also faced in their first year with a lawsuit from that former employer claiming unfair competition and similar allegations, but the Martins prevailed.
The management of this foundry takes a hands-on approach in order to assure that each step in the production process is followed to achieve consistent quality and on-time delivery. Those steps are core making, melting, molding, grinding, cleaning, and finally shipping.
Martin Brass Foundry, Inc. is a privately held and family-owned business, and the continuity of family is evident in the fact that the business has passed from father to sons and is poised to be passed to the next generation, with the sons of the two brothers now in charge working in the business and preparing for their future with the business. In addition, Mr. Martin speaks of the work force that has been with the company for some time as part of the larger family. The company is relatively small and intent on remaining a family company. For one thing, the foundry does not make the huge castings that other companies do, such as those for shipping concerns. Indeed, Mr. Martin notes how huge the propellers on a ship are and notes that his company does not make that sort of product. Size and function are in harmony with this business.
The Martin Foundry makes use of highly automated molding machines and hand-detailing to produce each product, and management states that it works to make certain that every project undertaken by the company is planned to satisfy
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