Alex Hansen is the third generation in his family to work at Waupaca Foundry. He currently works in melt maintenance at the company's Plant 2/3 gray iron foundry in Waupaca, Wisconsin and attributes his time here to the history and strong ties his family has to the company.

We sat down with Alex to discuss how his family legacy and attitude have affected his time at Waupaca Foundry.

Why did you first start working at Waupaca Foundry?

"Not even the fact that it"s one of the major employers in the area, my whole family works here. My dad has been at Plant 1 for 25 years. My grandpa retired out of the mill room. My Uncle Jim was a foreman in the core room for the longest period of time, and he actually took the superintendent job down in Tennessee."

How has that family legacy influenced you?

"You can only go as far as you want to go, and that's what I learned from them. They moved up through the ranks because that's what they wanted to do, so they made sure to follow the procedure, show up on time, have an extremely strong work ethic and always put their best foot forward."

What is your favorite part about working at Waupaca Foundry?

"It's the family aspect. You're closer with the guys on the floor that you work with day in and day out than some people you've known your whole life. You're one big family—one big team—and it really shows."

What is your least favorite part, and how do you stay positive about it?

"Sometimes it's the people who talk negatively. They just have such a bad attitude."

"Knowing that it's not greener on the other side for one is a big one, but also knowing I still have a job to go to the next day regardless if it was a bad day."

What would you like to see Waupaca Foundry change?

"Air conditioning in the plant. *chuckles* On a serious note, though, it would be nice to see more people [in the office] that don't venture out into the plant actually go out and meet the people."

What would your advice be to new employees?

"Don't let it intimidate you. It's a big place, but if you have a question there is going to be an answer. Don"t ever assume."

Where do you see yourself in the future?

"This is home. This is retirement. This is where it is going to be until I get my nice, awesome cast iron plaque."

Waupaca Foundry is the proud employer of more than 4,500 employees, and 37 percent have been with us for 10 years or more. We appreciate the hard work and dedication from each and every one of our team members who keep producing the highest quality cast iron components.