ESCO Service Anniversaries
Jim Rinker
45 – Bucyrus, OH
Bouwens reads X-ray film to help the team repair a grinder.
C e l e b r ating 5 0 y ea r s wit h E S C O
Mike Bouwens
Bouwens in 1964
David Scheideman
45 – Portland, OR
Dan Barrett
40 – Portland, OR
Otis Bradley
40 – Newton, MS
Richard Fox
40 – Port Hope, ON
Judy Griffin
40 – Newton, MS
A Bucyrus, Ohio, native,
Jim graduated from
Bucyrus High School and
attended Ohio University.
He was an electrician
with the U.S. Navy
before joining ESCO as
a furnace helper. He is
currently a maintenance
technician but has also
worked in the shear and
punch operations, and
as a burner. Jim and his
wife, Bonnie Jo, have
four children and seven
grandchildren. He likes to
farm and volunteer with
the Bucyrus police auxiliary
and with the Bratwurst
Festival when not at work.
David, known by his
colleagues as “the
Colonel,” is a Portland
native. He attended
Wilson High School and
Multnomah Junior College.
When he first came to
ESCO he was a grinder,
but has since learned
skills in many operational
departments. He is
currently a benchperson
in the Main Plant pattern
storage department. When
not at work, David enjoys
arm-chair quarterbacking,
gardening and looking
forward to retirement at
the end of the year.
A native of Portland,
Oregon, Dan graduated
from Marshall High
School. Dan started at the
company as a ladleman in
Plant 3. He has also been
a crane operator, melter
and pattern shop operator
– as well as holding
positions in the scrap yard.
He is currently working
as a yard operator and
crane certifier, and also
manages the plant scrap
schedule. Outside of work,
Dan enjoys spending time
with his wife, Debbie, and
their seven grandchildren,
and volunteering for the
Loyal Order of the Moose.
Otis attended East
Central Junior College
in Mississippi. When he
came to ESCO he was
hired as a maintenance
electrician and has since
held other maintenance
positions. He is now a
project coordinator at
the Newton site. Otis’
hobbies include hunting,
working on the farm and
spending time with his four
grandchildren. He and his
wife, Sue, currently reside
in Union, Mississippi.
Richard was born, raised,
and still resides in Port
Hope, Ontario, Canada.
He graduated from Port
Hope High School and
then attended Mohawk
College. When he first
came to ESCO he was
hired as an arc air welder,
but has since become an
inspection team leader. His
outside hobbies include
golfing, playing hockey and
baseball. He lives with his
wife, Silvia, and has
four children.
Judy grew up in Decatur,
Mississippi, where
she graduated from
Decatur High School and
continued on to study
at East Central Junior
College. She first worked
with traffic when she came
to the Newton plant, but
went on to gain experience
in the purchasing
department as well. She
now is a traffic analyst.
In her spare time, Judy
spends time with
her family.
Stanley Harris
40 – Newton, MS
Willie Hart
40 – Portland, OR
Bruce Heinlen
40 – Bucyrus, OH
James Mapp
40 – Newton, MS
Jim Musser
40 – Bucyrus, OH
Chris Oldfather
40 – Portland, OR
The day Mike Bouwens joined ESCO in February 1964,
the company hired 28 men into Portland, Oregon’s Plant 3.
Within three days, only four were left. “It was a tough job.
Back then, it was not a mechanical process and we used
to hand-pour the ladles.”
But Mike toughed it out. It was a steady job with good
people. “When I got to retiring age, my supervisor asked
me, ‘Why don’t you stay another year?’ And we just kept
doing that every year. Next thing I knew, it’s 50 years.”
Mike Bouwens reached his 50-year milestone with ESCO
on 24 February 2014.
Jason Detjen, Manufacturing Manager (on left), and Joe Weber, Vice President of
Operations for ESCO Mining (on right) pose with Bouwens.
Born and raised in
Mississippi, Stanley
attended high school
and began his career
there. He was hired by
ESCO as a flogger, but
has since become a core
maker. In his spare time
he enjoys hunting, fishing
and spending quality time
with his wife, Carolyn,
their two sons and their
seven grandchildren.
While ESCO has seen hundreds of employees reach
40+ year anniversaries, Mike is one of very few to reach
five decades. Mike started at ESCO on the pouring
line, but has held various positions all around Portland’s
headquarters – core-making, shell-molding, pattern
storage, X-ray, sand mill. And his current manager, Jason
Detjen, said he’s an integral part of the ESCO team, “He
is intelligent, innovative and focused on safety. I enjoy his
enthusiasm and admire his dedication to the job.”
Willie grew up in
Poplarville, Mississippi,
and began working for
ESCO his first year
out of high school. He
currently works in Plant
3 in Portland, Oregon
as a molder. When he
is not working, Willie
loves to go bowling
and spend time with his
three grandchildren.
Bruce grew up in Bucyrus,
Ohio, the same city in
which he lives today.
He graduated from
Bucyrus High School
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