BIRMINGHAM, ALA. (May 25, 2023) ─ McWane Inc., the parent company of McWane Ductile New Jersey, today announced a donation in the amount of $1 million toward the proposed Phillipsburg, NJ, project in partnership with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation. The project, a state-of-the-art, multipurpose recreational field at Walters Park in the heart of Phillipsburg, would offer opportunities to area youth who may not otherwise have access to such community resources. The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation has collaborated on over one hundred of these Youth Development Park projects nationwide.
The ductile iron plant ─ having operated in the same Phillipsburg location since 1856, five years prior to the New Jersey Legislature incorporating Phillipsburg as a town ─ has been an economic mainstay in the area and a direct contributor toward the community’s growth and development. Contributing toward improving Phillipsburg’s infrastructure is nothing new for McWane Ductile New Jersey, having partnered on several projects in recent years, including rebuilding Main Street and repaving Sitgreaves Street, as well as upgrades to community parks and the Heritage Walkway.
Nationwide, the Ripken Foundation has been involved in the construction, opening and programming of 115 parks that provide youth safe places to play and learn with 22 of those being adaptive parks. This year, the organization is on pace to add an additional eight to ten more parks across the country. The proposed Phillipsburg field, the first such project by the Ripken Foundation in New Jersey, would accommodate baseball and softball programs as well as football, soccer and lacrosse and encompass 120,000 square feet. The total cost of the project will be $2.4 million, and the goal is to complete fundraising by year end with construction starting in early 2024 and completion later next year.
Cal Ripken, Jr., Hall of Fame baseball player and co-founder of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation said, “We are thrilled by and grateful to McWane for such a generous lead gift for this important project. Over the years we have seen firsthand the impact that our Youth Development Parks have on the communities they serve, and we are excited to see this one come to life for the youth of Phillipsburg.”
According to McWane Ductile New Jersey General Manager, Keith Mallett, “We are incredibly proud McWane is making this substantial investment in Phillipsburg, which will enrich the lives of multiple generations. Among our continued investments in addressing critical community needs is positive youth development and education, and this donation further demonstrates our commitment to the future and wellbeing of this community.”
In November 2022, a project team approached the Phillipsburg Town Council to present the idea of partnering with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation to develop the project. Among them included local citizens Dr. James Brennan, president of the self-proclaimed Dream Team project volunteers and Jeff Finegan, vice president, as well as Sr. Vice President of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, Chuck Brady, who grew up in Phillipsburg.
Upon learning of McWane’s donation, Brennan stated, “The significance of this donation and what it means to our community cannot be overstated. What began as a dream to bring recreational facilities of this caliber to the children of Phillipsburg is within reach thanks to one of its legacy operations that has been a part of our town’s history since the beginning. On a personal note, my great-great-grandfather was a member of the very first crew when the foundry opened its doors 167 years ago, and to know all these years later that operation is continuing to provide for Phillipsburg in ways that extend well beyond the plant is truly something special.”
Finegan added, “Chuck and I have long talked of a Ripken Youth Development Field in our hometown. Feeling the timing might be right, I reached out to him in the fall to explore the possibilities. McWane’s incredibly generous commitment, possibly the largest private donation in Phillipsburg history, has breathed immediate life into what was merely a dream six months ago. Additionally, this sizable gift adds immediate legitimacy to this project and desire to bring this magnificent facility to the youth of Phillipsburg. The euphoria of McWane taking us to just shy of the halfway mark is tempered by the knowledge that there is still much work to do. The hope is this exciting news will invigorate other community and business leaders to join in this incredible endeavor. With only a few other smaller donations at the time we approached them, McWane, long an anchor in this community, has taken an incredible leap of faith that will benefit Phillipsburg for many years to come.”
About McWane, Inc.
McWane, Inc. is a family-owned business based in Birmingham, Alabama, with companies across the U.S. and around the world. The McWane family of companies casts ductile iron products, including pipe, valves, hydrants, fittings and plumbing products; and manufactures fire extinguishers, fire suppression systems and steel pressure vessels. McWane is a leader in delivering clean, safe drinking water around the world while focusing on safe, environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. With more than 7,000 team members, McWane has a longstanding commitment of support to the communities where our team members live and work. For more information, visit mcwane.com.
About the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation
The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation helps to strengthen America’s most underserved and distressed communities by supporting and advocating for children, building Youth Development Parks and STEM Centers, partnering with law enforcement and youth-service agencies, and addressing community needs through its national program initiatives. To learn more about the Ripken Foundation’s Youth Development Parks, visit: https://www.ripkenfoundation.org/parks-map-page.
About McWane Ductile
For generations, the McWane family of companies has been an industry leader in water distribution and infrastructure that provide plumbing and clean water works systems. The history of McWane Ductile traces back to 1871, when Charles Phillip (C.P.) McWane entered the foundry business in Lynchburg, Virginia, with his sons, Henry and James Ransom (J.R.). McWane, Inc. was later formed in 1977.
In 1921, J.R. McWane started the McWane Cast Iron Pipe Company, a company that was designed and built as a specialty foundry for small diameter pipe. The McWane Pipe division acquired Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe Company in 1926 with McWane as a 50 percent partner, Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Company in 1975, Clow Water Systems Company in 1985, and Canada Pipe Company in 1989. In 2015, these divisions merged to create McWane Ductile.
With over 900 employees, McWane Ductile is recognized today as the country's most experienced manufacturer and supplier of ductile iron pipe. The company's modern facilities offer 3-inch to 36-inch ductile iron pressure pipe and fittings to meet customer needs throughout the United States and Canada.
About McWane Inc.
McWane, Inc. is a family-owned business based in Birmingham, Alabama, with companies across the U.S. and around the world. The McWane family of companies casts ductile iron products, including pipe, valves, hydrants, fittings and plumbing products, and manufactures fire extinguishers, fire suppression systems and steel pressure vessels. McWane is a leader in delivering clean, safe drinking water while focusing on safe, environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. With more than 7,000 team members, McWane has a longstanding commitment of supporting the communities where our team members live and work. For more information, visit mcwane.com.
