In the world of management consultants, W. Edwards Deming’s status grew into something that bordered on the celestial. Deming, of course, is known primarily for his work with Japanese manufacturers following the devastation of World War II. As the rest of the business world found out, his constant emphasis on quality and customer satisfaction transformed his Japanese clients from minor league players into global powerhouses. Deming’s “14 Points” were his guidelines for achieving maximum quality in all areas all the time. The fifth point is one of my favorites. It says:  Improve Constantly Every Process. But with all due respect to Dr. Deming, constant improvement was part of American Cast Iron Pipe Company’s culture long before he came along.  Seeking constant improvement isn’t something that we talk about at AMERICAN. It’s simply something that we do. Case in point: AMERICAN recently completed in-depth phone surveys with many of you, our customers. The objective:  Obtain meaningful, accurate input on how AMERICAN’s performance can improve. Although we could not interview everybody, approximately 350 surveys were completed. Each lasted an average of 25-30 minutes, and the response rate was 95 percent. AMERICAN is deeply appreciative that so many of you took the time to share and discuss your opinions with us. The survey was designed to touch on all phases of American Cast Iron Pipe Company’s performance. Thus, it provided valuable information about the work quality and efficiency of all our employees. This dovetailed perfectly with AMERICAN’s continuing emphasis to all our employees of how important it is to meet each customer’s needs and wants. Having feedback directly from you told us in no uncertain terms where improvement was needed. Initiatives for improvement in those areas already are under way as a result of the survey. In my mind, this survey is a perfect example of a win-win relationship. Obviously, it should help you because we will strive even harder to satisfy your needs and wants. For AMERICAN, it’s a win because it stresses putting the customer first, which in turn contributes to a great working atmosphere. Hot air on my part? Hardly.  AMERICAN was listed this year by FORTUNE magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies To Work For in America.” Among other things, this listing was based on trust in management, pride in work, pride in the company, and employee camaraderie.   Naturally, we are proud of this achievement. At the same time, all of us at AMERICAN know that a major part of our “Top 100 workplace environment” is based on treating the customer the way we would want to be treated. Again, we are indebted to many of you for your thorough and candid responses to our most recent survey.  I know AMERICAN will return the favor through even better performance. Van L. Richey President & Chief Executive Officer

AMERICAN: A Great Place to Work - and Improve - President and CEO Van Richey, center, is flanked by members of the AMERICAN team. From left, they are: Ed Shaling, shipper, Shipping Department; Joy McClain, customer service representative, Customer Service Department; David Bynon, research engineer, Technical Division - Research Department; Ben Holmes, trough operator, No.3 deLavaud Shop, Mono-Cast Department; and Charlie Washington, casting machine operator, No.3 deLavaud, Mono-Cast Department.