Roderick Stanley, CEO of Fetterolf Corporation (a member of the SchuF Group), is interviewed on the Mission Matters Business Podcast with Adam Torres.
Subscribe: iTunes / Spotify / Stitcher / RSS
Apply to be a guest on our podcast here
International trade is never easy, especially in the manufacturing industry. The number of twists and turns it takes to get the business working is no small feat.
But Roderick Stanley makes it look easy. He delves deep into the subject, explaining some of the changes the manufacturing industry has gone through over the years. He discusses how his company has featured prominently in these changes and why the US should double down on its exports for the sake of its economy.
Watch the full interview:
Time to Collaborate with Neighbors
Roderick believes it is vital for the US government to reinvigorate trade with European and Asian countries to bounce back from the harm caused by the pandemic and various trade conflicts. “Every export dollar is worth 2 or 3 dollars compared to domestic production and increases the overall wealth of the US economy. That’s why we need to have our government support US export manufacturing companies. Export markets also spread your financial risk as often market demand in the US and abroad is counter-cyclical. It also encourages greater innovation as new or different product features are required abroad,” Roderick tells Adam.
He states that most countries are willing to spend a buck extra for better quality US products. “The nice thing about these foreign markets, whether it is China or Russia, is that they want to buy top quality products that enhance productivity. You can maximize your profits. You have to overcome some cultural barriers, but that is both challenging and fun,” he explains.
Being the Best CEO and Company
When asked about how a CEO should handle these responsibilities, Roderick states that the best CEO is “part trader, part diplomat, and part strategist.” Explaining how Fetterolf Corporation fits into all this, Roderick says that the company has many inventions to its name that are unmatched. The company deals with making customized industrial valves for petrochemical processing and the oil and gas industry.
The valves made by the company fall into many categories, such as bottom outlet diverter, isolation, and sampling valves. Their valves offer some unique features such as zero leakage, low emissions, reduced pressure loss, and dead space free construction. And this is important, especially when manufacturing polymers for products such as Kevlar, Lycra, HD Polyethylene, or polyester. Fetterolf has been at the top of its game for a long time, thanks to specializing in making products that address severe service conditions or require a high degree of engineering customization.
Fetterolf Corporation continues to grow in international niche markets by making its valves meet highly specific application requirements for plants that require their valves to operate for 20 years and more.
What the Future Holds
When asked about the future of manufacturing, especially the petrochemical industry, he says that 2021 and 2022 will be challenging, but there is hope ahead. He is optimistic about seeing a boom in the industry from 2022 onwards, which means that the US should see many jobs getting created at home.
Speaking about the valve industry’s future, Roderick foresees a reduction of the workweek to three or four days within 20 years. He says there is a lot of modernization happening in this “old school” industry. This means that much of the work will be automated through parametric design or CAD/Cam to the machine, for example.
Roderick’s advice to young people looking for a career is to try starting in the manufacturing industry. It is becoming one of the focal points through which the US economy can bounce back and offers attractive salaries and a secure future.
About
Roderick Stanley is the CEO of Fetterolf Corporation (a member of the SchuF Group), a company based in Pennsylvania. The company is in the petrochemical oil gas industry, mostly developing superior valve technology for over 50 years. Customers include ChevronPhilips, Exxon, Reliance, Sabic, BASF, and many more. Learn more at www.fetterolfvalves.com or www.schuf.de.
