Kawneer has been creating opportunities for its employees for more than a century. Founded in 1906, the architectural aluminum products company is recognized as the market leader for commercial building manufacturing in North America- and continues to grow globally.
Employees from around the world are proud to contribute to an organization that quite literally transforms where people live, work and play. Kawneer’ s high-performance building systems were used in the new home of the Minnesota Vikings football team, the U. S. Bank Stadium, which will also host the 2018 Super Bowl, and locally at Bud Walton Arena and the Bev Lewis Center for Women’ s Athletics at the University of Arkansas. From the storefront of Forever 21, to the windows in the crown of the Statue of Liberty, people everywhere are able to experience the ingenuity and hard work of Kawneer employees.
Kawneer’ s Springdale plant is home to more than 550 employees, and many of them have developed from entrylevel hires into managers, and beyond. One example is Jose Javier Arreola, who started at Kawneer as a temporary maintenance worker after he graduated from Springdale High School. He soon began learning window dimensions and how to use a computer controlled milling machine to cut precise sizes and shapes.
“ I’ d never used that kind of machine at all,” Arreola said.
However, Arreola’ s experience with computers at Springdale High School came in handy. 52
“ Jose came in with good computer skills and picked things up quickly,” said Roger Johnson, Fabrication Manager.
Arreola credits skills he learned from his coworkers with helping advance his career.
“ I’ d been going from job to job,” Arreola said.“ I decided to stay. Better pay and promotions are available at Kawneer. Be patient. Look for your opportunity.”
After being hired at Kawneer in 1994 to work in fabrication, Roger Johnson also worked his way up the career ladder.
“ I was mechanically inclined and I like that sort of work,” Johnson said.“ I learned the machines. I became shift leader, then supervisor and now manager. I’ ve been a manager for 15 years.”
The job has changed a lot during Johnson’ s career, thanks mostly to computers. He has also seen changes in construction technology.
“ We used to make individual parts of aluminum and glass,” Johnson said.“ We would box them and ship them to the job site. It would then take