January 5, 2024 | Milwaukee is set to host the Metalcasting Congress 2024 where two distinguished figures in the foundry industry, Henry Lodge and Jeet Radia, will be bestowed with the highest honors from the American Foundry Society (AFS).
Henry Lodge, Chairman of the Board of Lodge Manufacturing Co. in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, will be honored with the esteemed Peter L. Simpson Gold Medal. This prestigious award recognizes Lodge’s exceptional contributions to promoting public esteem and service that brings credit to the metalcasting industry.
Jeet Radia, Senior Vice President of McWane Inc. in Birmingham, Alabama, will receive the Thomas W. Pangborn Gold Medal for his outstanding contributions to education and knowledge-sharing within the industry. Radia, with over 40 years in the environmental, health, and safety field, oversees EHS programs at McWane’s 30 manufacturing facilities.
Henry Lodge, the great-grandson of Lodge Manufacturing Co.’s founder, has been a driving force in the family business since 1972. He served as president and CEO before assuming the role of Chairman in 2017. Lodge is a former AFS Board Member, AFS Past President, and an alumnus of the University of the South and Vanderbilt University.
Jeet Radia, renowned for his expertise in environmental, health, and safety, joined McWane in 2003. A former AFS Board of Directors member and current chair of the AFS Air Quality Committee, Radia has significantly contributed to advancing industry knowledge. He is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology and the University of Aston.
AFS CEO Doug Kurkul expressed admiration for Lodge and Radia, stating, “Henry Lodge and Jeet Radia have garnered the admiration of their colleagues through remarkable achievements and the generous sharing of their extensive expertise. Their contributions have fostered a culture of excellence and pride that characterizes the entirety of the metalcasting industry.”
Established a century ago in 1924, AFS’s Gold Medals recognize leaders whose careers have had a profound and beneficial impact on the foundry sector.
Award of Scientific Merit and Service Citations
Additional honors at Metalcasting Congress 2024 include the AFS Award of Scientific Merit, which will be presented to Liam Miller, Technical Director-Specialty Sands R&D, American Colloid Co. (Hoffman Estates, Illinois). Miller is recognized for his significant scientific contributions to the metalcasting industry through research, mentorship, papers, and presentations on crucial sand molding topics.
AFS Service Citations will be presented to:
• Mike Buyarski, COO, The Federal Metal Co. (Bedford, Ohio), for his exceptional service to the metalcasting industry and contributions to the AFS Copper Alloy Division.
• Mark Osborne, Senior Engineer-Castings, Wabtec Corp. (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), for outstanding service and technical contributions to metalcasting technology.
• Brian Rachwitz, Quality and Technical Services Manager, EJ (East Jordan, Michigan), for meritorious service, mentorship, and leadership beyond his role at his company.
The awards ceremony for Lodge and Radia will take place during a special presentation at the Annual Banquet at Metalcasting Congress 2024, April 23-25 at the Baird Center in Milwaukee. Recipients of the Award of Scientific Merit and Service Citations will be honored earlier in the day on April 23 during the Volunteer Leadership Awards Luncheon.
To find out more about Metalcasting Congress or to register, please visit MetalcastingCongress.org.
The American Foundry Society, based in Schaumburg, Illinois, is a dynamic technical and advocacy organization serving and representing the $50 billion metalcasting industry. Founded in 1896, AFS focuses on advocacy, education, and innovation, serving the entire industry, including all metals and processes. AFS also publishes Modern Casting and Casting Source magazines and presents Metalcasting Congress and CastExpo, the largest metalcasting trade events in North America. An advocacy office in Washington, D.C., complements the organization’s headquarters. More information is available at afsinc.org.
(Source: AFS/2024)