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Working at Ward Mfg.: A family affair

April 4, 2017
Amy O’Conners is a customer service representative at Ward Mfg.’s corporate headquarters in Blossburg, Pa. She is a second-generation employee; her father, Gerald O’Conners, retired from Ward’s Plant 1 in 2015 as a supervisor on the molding line in the production unit after 46 years of service. His son worked at Ward for a time, and other O’Conners’ relatives can be found working at the plumbing pipe and fittings manufacturer.
Second-generation Ward Mfg. employee, Amy O’Conners and her father, Gerald O’Conners stand proudly in front of the Ward Mfg. sign. Amy is a customer service representative and her father, Gerald, retired from Ward in 2015 after 46 years of service.

Amy O’Conners is a customer service representative at Ward Mfg.’s corporate headquarters in Blossburg, Pa. She is a second-generation employee; her father, Gerald O’Conners, retired from Ward’s Plant 1 in 2015 as a supervisor on the molding line in the production unit after 46 years of service. His son worked at Ward for a time, and other O’Conners’ relatives can be found working at the plumbing pipe and fittings manufacturer.

Ward’s vision of delivering world-class products, manufactured to the highest standards, for the needs of a fast-changing world is dependent on the caliber of workers in its foundries — and in its customer service personnel.

“My favorite part of my job is hearing that the customer is satisfied with the product, and with how I handled the order or any issues with the order,” Amy O’Conners says. “I love my job; I enjoy working with people all over the world to help them purchase their products from Ward.”

Not only does she take customer orders and enter them into the online shipping system, she also informs customers of any promotions or sales that Ward is offering, making sure they get the best value for what they need. She also makes sure that customers understand any price increases on the products they buy.

“I’m very happy that I made the choice to work at Ward because it is a very good company to work for,” Amy notes. “I know, because my dad raised me on his Ward’s salary. You can’t find a job in this area that offers the benefits that Ward offers — competitive salary, health insurance, 401(k), paid vacation — which gives me tremendous opportunities to provide for my child. I came here to retire here.”

Gerald agrees: “Ward Foundry is one of the biggest manufacturing companies in the area right now, and if a younger generation doesn’t want to leave the area, I would highly recommend to them to work at Ward. There's a good future here; it’s steady work. There’s all kinds of opportunities for all kinds of skilled work.”

And he’s proud of his almost half a decade at Ward, starting as a laborer and working his way up to supervisory positions. “I’m very proud of what I sent out the door,” Gerald notes. “We had auditors on the line. Every half hour they'd pull a mold out to make sure there were no defects inside. They would pull product off the sort belt to inspect. They’d conduct an inspection all the way down to the machine drop. And if there was a problem, we’d fix it.”

The O’Conners agree that working at Ward Mfg. was the best decision for themselves and their loved ones.

“Ward doesn’t just care about its employees; they care about employees’ families,” Amy says. “We both are happy that we chose Ward Mfg. to raise our families on.”

Satisfied employees are productive employees. And productive employees take pride in the work they perform — and the products they make. With Ward, employee satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction.

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