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American Chemet CEO Bill Shropshire talks about the company's history during a recent tour of a new expansion of the company manufacturing operation.
The story of American Chemet Corp. is one of family.
The manufacturer of metal-based powders and chemicals and its East Helena facility are celebrating their 75 years of business, and President and CEO Bill H. Shropshire said from the shareholders to the workforce on the factory floor, an emphasis on family has guided the company through the decades and into new frontiers.
American Chemet manufactures Cuprous Oxide, Cupric Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Powder, Cuprous Oxide based Agricultural Fungicides, and related products.
"I'm not thinking exclusively of shareholder families," said Shropshire, the third generation of Shropshires to helm the company. "In the workforce, we've got mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, brothers, uncles and nephews. To me, it's a huge honor that people believe in this place enough to vouch for us to family members."
Kyle Kambic started his career at Chemet about 20 years ago filling bags with product, as all new hires start out doing and today works a superintendent and production scheduler.
Kambic said his uncle worked for the company when he applied for a job.
"One thing I try to portray to new hires is our family atmosphere," Kambic said. "Shropshire and the board treat people like family. It's what really keeps me coming back."
Former President and CEO for about 34 years William W. Shropshire, the father of Bill, said his company's family atmosphere was never something they intentionally set out to foster.
The elder Shropshire said by investing in the employees and creating a positive work environment, "the people who were working with us enjoyed the work and suggested it to their kin. And we're always looking for good people."
William handed over the company to Bill about 12 years ago, but at 86 years old, he still chairs the company's board of directors and said he is "just tickled to death" by the direction the company is headed.
"It's a really exciting time," he said.
Chemet is in the midst of about a $22 million expansion, and like it has throughout its history, is transitioning into new product lines and new methods of manufacturing.
"The expansion is giving us a whole lot more flexibility in how we produce our products," he said. "As the technology broadens, we have the capability to produce compounds from other elements."
American Chemet's first plant was in Chicago in 1946, but within a year manufacturing was moved to East Helena, Montana.
Back in 1946, when the grandfather, William Wallace Shropshire, and three business partners formed the company, the world was only just coming out of World War II, and the men anticipated a need for paint.
The grandfather moved from Chicago to East Helena and set up shop next door to the East Helena American Smelting and Refining smelter. Chemet sourced their materials from the smelter and produced zinc oxide out of its waste.
Over the decades, product availability, environmental regulations and shifting market demands forced the company to adapt.
"There's an expression around here, 'the Chemet way,'" current President and CEO Bill Shropshire said. He said it harkens back to those early days of adapting to a rapidly changing world.
"There's the challenge. Here are the resources available. How can we make this work?" Shropshire said. "There were times in our history where it's been duct tape and bubble gum. Now we have more resources."
He said the company uses that deep-seeded entrepreneurial ingenuity to guide itself into its next 75 years.
Between its locations in East Helena, Chicago and Tennessee, Chemet employs about 200 people. This year, Chemet's East Helena facility expects to ship 86 million pounds of product around the globe, up from around 75 million pounds the prior year and about 61 million pounds in 2020.
"We're in one of those periods right now where the markets are presenting opportunities to us, and we're deploying capital to give industry what its asking for," Shropshire said.
After 34 years, Bill Shropshire handed American Chemet Corp. down to his son, William H. Shropshire.
The massive new facility erected on the south side of the East Helena property represents that capital deployment and, in Shropshire's eyes, the next 15 years of expansion "the Chemet way."
Father William Shropshire said in addition to the talented workforce and sharp management, the company's neighbors have helped to bring it along, adding that its relationship with the cities of East Helena and Helena have been "very good for a long time."
"Over the 75 years, we have been really helped out and cheered on by our community," he said. "The people who live here have always been wonderful to work with."
Kambic is one of those people. He said he had no idea the job he took in the '90s at the suggestion of his uncle would blossom into a more than 20-year career.
This photo of American Chemet and its leadership was taken in the summer of 1947 after the company's first year. The lights in the background belonged to the local baseball field used by the Smelterites, a semi-pro team.
He said he and his family lived in Butte at the time, but not long after his hiring, he moved the family to Helena.
Kambic also serves on the company's donation committee and said he is proud to continue on the company's community involvement. Through that role he has been able to help local food pantries, Meals on Wheels and veteran causes.
"This company invests not only money, but also time into its facilities, employees and community," he said. "That community involvement has kept me sticking around."
It is also part of why Kambic's son started his new job at Chemet this month filling bags with product.
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Nolan Lister is a reporter at the Helena Independent Record with an emphasis on local government and crime.
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American Chemet CEO Bill Shropshire talks about the company's history during a recent tour of a new expansion of the company manufacturing operation.
American Chemet's first plant was in Chicago in 1946, but within a year manufacturing was moved to East Helena, Montana.
American Chemet manufactures Cuprous Oxide, Cupric Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Powder, Cuprous Oxide based Agricultural Fungicides, and related products.
After 34 years, Bill Shropshire handed American Chemet Corp. down to his son, William H. Shropshire.
This photo of American Chemet and its leadership was taken in the summer of 1947 after the company's first year. The lights in the background belonged to the local baseball field used by the Smelterites, a semi-pro team.
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