Shown from left are Andrew Duschen, his father Dave Duschen, and brother Stephen Duschen. The family represents two generations of Novelis workers.
Family Vibe Working at Novelis in Oswego becomes family tradition
W
orking at Novelis in Oswego is all in the family. Since 1963 when it was Alcan, Novelis has provided employment for generations of families. “It’s a very family feeling here,” said plant manager Kevin Shutt, noting it is not uncommon to see Novelis employees whose families have worked there for generations. He said in his position, it’s important that family culture is preserved. “It’s someplace that I want to make sure my daughter, son and wife would feel comfortable working at,” he said. “We talk about business and what our opportunity is, but really when it comes down to it, we want to make sure we support our employees and present employees’ families opportunities as well,” he said. JUNE/JULY 2017
Novelis, the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, has expanded to accommodate the aluminum needs of the automotive industry. “If you look at our journey right now, we are becoming closer than ever. That family atmosphere is becoming a little more palpable,” he said. “We are sold out through 2020, and I think that’s one major advantage,” he said. “There are a few examples of employees whose kids right now are working on internships and looking at this as a career.” “I think that’s an example of making sure we focus on strategic aspects of the business. We’re thinking past that 2020 and looking at the next 20 to 25 years to make sure we are there for our families,” he said. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
The Duschens are an example of how careers stay in the same family. Dave Duschen and his sons Andrew and Stephen work at the Scriba mill. Dave, 65, is originally from Warsaw, N.Y. His sons are picking up where he left off in terms of occupation and place of employment. “It’s nice to know they are employed with a good company,” he said. “I also take great pride knowing I have been a mechanic for over 45 years and my sons are also mechanics.” “I didn’t really encourage them,” Dave said. “We had discussions about what I did at Alcan and how the employees were treated. They experienced Alcan through summer employment and decided it would be a good place to work.” Dave started his career with Alcan in July 1971 as a mechanic. “The job as ‘mechanic’ has changed in my 45-plus years here,” he said. “Now we are considered maintenance technicians. Longer title, same job.” Dave said keeping up with changes and additions at the plant represent the most challenging aspects of his job. 63