James Gandy has been part of McConway for an incredible 32 years, starting out as a grinder and working his way through nearly every role the plant has to offer—running cranes, working in CNF, MRP, the west yard, and more. “Is there anything I haven’t done?” He laughs: “Not much.”
Today, he works as a material handler in the west yard, moving and degating the material that keeps the heartbeat of production going. “What we degate goes back to melt so they can re-melt the steel. It also goes to finishing, to Kutztown, even to Mexico. It’s going both ways—we keep it moving.”
Over the decades, Gandy has seen big changes. When he started, much of the work was manual. “We didn’t have cranes for everything. We used to pull knuckles out of boxes by hand, grind them, load them—everything was manual. It was hard work, but it made me appreciate it when things got safer and easier.”
His favorite department? “The west yard,” he says without hesitation. But it’s not just about the work—it’s about the people.
“Me personally, I’ll take a guy with a strong will and a good attitude over someone with great skill and a bad attitude any day,” Gandy explains. “Because no matter how good the work is, if you’ve got a bad attitude, you spoil everything you’re trying to accomplish. I’m a positive person, and I try to generate positive energy. I want you to like what you’re doing so you can appreciate it—because a lot of people don’t realize that McConway did them a favor by hiring them. If you’re positive and happy, you can show that appreciation by coming to work every day and
doing a good job.”
That mindset connects directly to his personal motto: “If you show up, you’ll blow up.”
Gandy hasn’t missed a single day in 32 years, and that commitment shows in how he mentors others. “I want to make you comfortable with being uncomfortable—because this is not an easy job,” he says. “It’s hot, it’s tough, it can be dangerous. But if you have purpose and pride, it’s worth it.”
He’s also a strong supporter of giving people second chances: “I’ve seen people come in from tough situations and completely turn their lives around here. Sometimes all they need is someone to believe in them and show them the ropes.”
And when it comes to the company itself, Gandy says McConway’s resilience is unmatched. “Since I’ve been here, we’ve had bad times—you know, things got rough. But McConway truly is like a mushroom. No matter how bad it got, we always found a way to come out of it. You just can’t get rid of us. And for me, it’s my family first that made me stay, but McConway is right there with them—that’s my reason for being here 32 years. I want everybody that comes behind me to have that same purpose. Because it’s not all peaches and cream, and you already know that. But if you’ve got purpose, you’ll want to be here every day.”
When asked if he imagined staying this long, he admits, “My first week, I was ready to quit. But then I started grinding, and I liked it. I never expected it to turn into a career—but it did. And I’m
glad I stayed.”
And that’s the lesson Gandy hopes to pass on. It’s not just about clocking in—it’s about showing up in every sense of the word. It’s about giving your best even when the work is hard, staying positive when times are tough, and finding pride in knowing you’re part of something bigger than yourself.
For more than three decades, James Gandy has shown that hard work, the right attitude, and a clear sense of purpose can turn a job into a lifelong career. His story is a reminder that what you
build isn’t just steel—it’s a legacy.
