By Steven E. Smith On June 14, 2008, with only one days notice from the weatherman, Andrew Krantz, President of Eagle Iron Works (EIW), had to take action. Floodwaters from the Des Moines River were fast approaching the Des Moines, Iowa equipment manufacturing facility, and he had to act quickly. It was not as if he hadn’t experienced this before. Flooding had invaded EIW during the 1993 summer flooding event that brought record-level nine-foot waters. This time however, when the floodwaters had subsided, Krantz had to decide whether the third time “would be the charm” as he pondered the fate of this 137-year-old company.
 | Eagle’s state-of-the-art Tanaka laser cutting center is capable of handling 7/8” x 12’ x 43’ material. |
Timing was a blessing
According to Krantz’s daughter Lynne, who serves as marketing director for Eagle Iron Works, both the 1993 and 2008 floods happened when the foundry was out of service. She said that yearly when the foundry furnaces are in need of relining, the systems are shut down and allowed to cool off in order to make these repairs. “In this regard, we have been blessed because if the foundry was in operation, there would have been no time to cool it down,” she said. “If water had entered the system under operation, a massive explosion would have resulted.”
Emergency plan followed
In the hours leading up to the 2008 flood, Krantz enacted an emergency plan to address the impending waters. He filled four tractor-trailers with valuable parts and supplies that were small enough to move rapidly from the flood zone. Additionally, he moved the company’s extensive library of files including designs for machines built a century ago to a safe location. In another quick-thinking move, Krantz instructed his staff to use the crane system in their fabrication shop to hoist some of the smaller machinery out of the way of floodwaters.
 | 
| Eagle Iron Works, now outfitted with two gear hobbing machines, hobs most of its own gears. | An assembler at Eagle assembles a double-output gear case. |
Coming back from the flood
Within days of the flood, EIW had a meeting bringing together company supervisors. “We assessed the situation and passed out responsibilities,” she said. “The consensus as a family company was to stay in business with the same dedication to serving our many loyal customers. Eagle Iron Works has a rich history of manufacturing custom machines that has spanned four generations,” added Krantz. “What started as a blacksmith shop and foundry back in 1872 has developed into one of the aggregate industry’s leading sources of sand and gravel processing equipment. My father felt obligated to Eagle Iron Works’ customers because of the relationship that we have built over the years. We also have a century old commitment to provide replacement parts for all of the products we have sold to them.”
Destruction in a day, rebuilding took months
According to Krantz, it took the floodwaters just hours to destroy $20 million worth of equipment within the EIW facility. Nevertheless, the entire staff of Eagle felt the effects of the flood for months.
Krantz said that their goal was to bring the shop back online first, because
EIW manufactures over 50% of all parts for their machines in-house. The company also maintains a large inventory of off-the-shelf parts. These are readily available for customers with EIW equipment. EIW, supplies castings for commercial sales applications as well. “The offices were the last area completed,” she said. “That took another year. During cleanup, everybody made the best of a tough situation. The treasurer worked out of the parts department. The purchasing agent’s office was in the back storage area of the engineering department,” said Krantz. Krantz noted that the important things are not the building but the people that make it all happen. “It is the teamwork, dedication, cooperation and understanding of our employees that enabled Eagle to pull together and rebuild.”  | One of Eagle’s experienced CNC machinists programs the Mazak 640 Turning. |
EIW’s new equipment Has Eagle Iron Works recovered from the flood? “We have most definitely made it back and further,” Andrew Krantz assured us. Though flood insurance only covered 25% of flood losses, Krantz made the investment to update the facility with a new laser-cutting center. The center operates with computerized numerical control (CNC) equipment that is capable of cutting up to 7/8” steel with increased cutting efficiency. EIW also installed a CNC controlled ESAB oxy-acetylene burning machine which cuts 5” thick plate with exceptional accuracy. EIW made additional improvements to their machine shop as well.
They installed a Mazak Vertical Machining Center, two Mazak Turning Centers and an Awea Bridge Mill. The new turning centers handle 3-axis and 4-axis machining. “These new units are highly accurate and capable of exactness and speed of machining,” said Lynne. Time for levee repairs Krantz is hopeful that the City of Des Moines, in conjunction with State and Army Corps of Engineers, will pursue the necessary permanent repairs to the levee so that Eagle Iron Works, a nearby high school and the citizens who make their home in the area, are protected from future flooding.  | 
| The new AWEA Bridge Mill at Eagle Iron Works is capable of machining a large gear case. | An Eagle Iron Works cast part being machined on the small Mazak Turning Machine. |
How is EIW doing today?
Eagle Iron Works continues to supply the aggregate industry with washing and classifying equipment as well as custom designed products to meet individual applications. Because EIW maintains an extensive archive of equipment designs and patterns, Eagle customers have the assurance of knowing that an Eagle-built machine will have the company support that customers have come to rely upon. “We produce classifying systems, fine and coarse material washers, sol-clay washers, and log washers,” she said. “More importantly, we engineer specialized equipment to meet specific customer needs. Once that is done, we provide support and service that is second-to-none.” To comment on this story or for additional details click on the related button above.
|