Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Visits FEECO International

This article was authored by:

Carrie Carlson
Technical Writer

Tuesday, February 28, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, paid a visit to FEECO International, in Green Bay Wisconsin, to discuss the importance that mining holds for companies like FEECO, and for people all around the state. In an intimate setting, FEECO employees listened as Governor Walker discussed how mining could create thousands of jobs around the state. “In the end, this is about jobs; not about mining,” the Governor stated, against the backdrop of a massive FEECO rotary ore agglomerator.

FEECO has been supplying equipment and technologies to the mining sector for over 60 years, with about 35% of their business standing in the mining industry. With about 100 employees, FEECO is a key example of a company that has prospered in part, because of the mining industry, having added roughly 30 employees in the past five years alone. Dan Madigan, President of FEECO, stated, “At the end of the day, we are proud of our employees and the Wisconsin workforce, and continued mining efforts would allow all of us to continue that growth.” Scott VanLaanen, FEECO’s first shift burn table operator, expressed what FEECO has been for his family. “I’ve been here 23 years. My dad worked 40 years here, and my brother’s got 34 years in. It’s a great place to work.”

FEECO is a recent recipient of the “Green Professional” title, from the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council’s Green Masters Program. Recognition in the program signifies a company’s outstanding dedication to integrating principles of sustainability into its operations, while pursuing business excellence. FEECO not only prides itself on their efforts in sustainable business practices, but also on their efforts in developing technologies that benefit the environment through the transformation of wastes. Advancements in granulation over the past 50 years could be likened to those in medicine. By having an average employee tenure of 24 years, FEECO has been, and is able to move granulation technology forward, assisting in better recovery of minerals from ores. One such development is FEECO’s rotary ore agglomerators, which are used in the mining process to establish a more efficient heap leach by agglomerating crushed ore, ultimately utilizing the ore fines to their fullest potential. In the words of Governor Walker at Tuesday’s event, “There’s got to be a balance between conserving and protecting our natural resources, and ultimately, putting more people to work in the state.”

FEECO would like to thank the Governor for coming to showcase FEECO International’s capability in supporting the mining industry in Wisconsin. FEECO would also want to thank all of their employees for their efforts to make FEECO shine…as always. More pictures from the event can be seen on FEECO’s Flickr account.

Governor Walker Rotary Ore Agglomerator
Above: Governor Walker and FEECO President, Dan Madigan, discuss how a rotary ore agglomerator helps in the heap leaching process.

About the Author . . .


Carrie Carlson is a technical writer and visual designer.

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