Mound House foundry to hire 100

An aluminum foundry opening in Mound House is hiring 80 to 100 people in the next two months, a company manager said Wednesday.

"We're looking for people with a good, strong work ethic," Relocation Manager Dave Shultz said. "And people who are looking for a long-term position in a medium-sized, privately owned, stable company."

Production Pattern & Foundry is closing down its San Leandro, Calif., foundry, moving equipment and some employees into the newly expanded building in Mound House. He said the 100,000-square-foot building on five acres is about 80 percent completed. The company is also installing $2 million in new processing equipment.

Production Pattern & Foundry makes aluminum casting for the trucking industry. Its largest customer is Peterbilt trucks.

Shultz said the owners hope to attract a trainable labor force; previous experience in aluminum processing is not required. The company wants workers from Carson City, Reno, Dayton and Tahoe. Average hourly pay is about $16.50, and starting hourly pay is $8.

About 120 employees work at the San Leandro foundry, which is south of Oakland. Shultz said many of the workers not moving with the company have been placed in other foundry jobs. He said there are several reasons why the company decided to relocate to Northern Nevada.

"One is the rising cost of doing business in California, such as workers' compensation and utility rates. Then that got us to take a look at other opportunities. Once we started talking about the new facility, we also started talking about expanding."

Shultz said the expansion will improve the processing flow. Many of the aluminum processes that were once done outside the San Leandro foundry will be done under one roof in Mound House. He said this will improve quality control.

Production Pattern & Foundry is owned by Arlene Cochran of Genoa. Her father started the business about 50 years ago. Steve Cochran, her son, is the vice president of manufacturing. Ray Switzer is the president.

The relocation manager said the company initially looked for land in Dayton, but settled on 15 industrial-zoned acres in Mound House, which is in Lyon County. Miles Brothers Construction is building the foundry. The opening date is from mid-October to Nov. 1.

Contact Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.

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For information on employment at Production Pattern & Foundry, fax a request to (775) 283-4070.