Kawneer Dedicates Floodwall at its Bloomsburg, Pa., Facility

Kawneer Co. Inc., an Alcoa business and manufacturer of architectural aluminum products and systems for commercial construction, dedicated a new floodwall at its Bloomsburg, Pa., facility, heralding greater levels of safety and stability for employees and customers. The floodwall, designed to protect the facility and surrounding area from potential storm damage, was funded through a partnership between the town of Bloomsburg, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, local and state government and Alcoa. More than 280 guests, including Pennsylvania State Sen. John Gordner, Pennsylvania State Rep. Dave Millard, Bloomsburg Mayor Dan Knorr, Columbia County Commissioners, local business owners and Kawneer customers and employees, attended the dedication ceremony.

“Bloomsburg is an invaluable flagship location for Kawneer North America. One in every three doors you walk through in the U.S. are Kawneer doors, and, more often than not, those doors were manufactured here in Bloomsburg,” says Diana Perreiah, president, Kawneer North America and vice president, Alcoa Building and Construction Systems. “This floodwall is the result of strong community partnerships and mutual investment. Thank you to all parties involved for helping us provide our employees a safer, more stable place to work and ensuring our customers continue to receive the Kawneer products and services they depend on.”

In September 2011, Tropical Storm Lee brought heavy rainfall and historic flooding to Pennsylvania, resulting in extensive damage to the Bloomsburg community and Kawneer’s Bloomsburg facility, which employs approximately 395 people. Kawneer and Alcoa immediately responded, developing a recovery plan and offering financial support to the community through the Alcoa Foundation. Employees worked diligently to address the challenges presented by the flood, assessing options and instituting processes to address order fulfillment while actively participating in rebuilding their community.

“It took a lot of hard work, resources and time to make this floodwall and recovery happen. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank our Bloomsburg employees and our loyal customers for their patience, diligence and commitment to one another, our company and to the Bloomsburg community which helped us build a safer and more stable facility,” says Glen Morrison, president, Alcoa Building and Construction Systems.