EC business a worldwide leader in production
EVANS CITY — Nick Mitchell Sr. presided over a small, family run business and slowly turned it into one of the world's largest manufacturers of steel fiber.
Fibercon International started as a business run out of a bedroom in the late 1970s, and it now has offices in England and China. The company has posted double-digit growth numbers every year for the past 10 years until the recession last year.
The company started as Mitchell Industries in 1972 and continued to grow, eventually buying Fibercon International in 1981.
Its facility here employs about 25 workers in two buildings as it continues to solidify its reputation as a worldwide leader in steel fiber production. The company makes small, wavy pieces of steel for use in highway construction or warehouse floors, but it also makes stainless steel fibers for use in places such as steel mills.
President George Mitchell said his job is presiding over the growing company, and that his work comes with some benefits.
"We're having fun every day," he said. "It's still a relatively small, niche business, but we're growing every day."
Mitchell declined to map out how the company creates its popular product, just saying the quick, efficient process is one of the reasons Fibercon has a leg up on its competitors.
The company lists some high-profile customers. Mitchell said companies such as Gatorade, Staples and Jo-Ann Fabrics routinely use Fibercon steel in their warehouses and production facilities.
Mitchell attributed the success of the company to a core group of employees who have been with the company for decades, employees who genuinely care about the performance of their product.
He also said Fibercon is working on unveiling new products soon, like working on new pieces of steel fibers for skyscrapers and developing new fibers for underground tunnels and mines. With those new products and a steady clientele already on the books, Mitchell said he sees no reason why the future of the company won't be bright and profitable.
In many ways, the Mitchell family has had tremendous success. Nick Mitchell passed the business down to his sons George and Nick Jr., who now run the company, ensuring it stays in the family.
But the family also has endured its share of hardships and maladies, which has George Mitchell shifting his focus from business to philanthropy.
Nick Mitchell Sr. died last year after a five-year battle with Parkinson's disease. Earlier this year, at the age of 54, George Mitchell got the news that he, too, has the incurable malady.
Instead of sulking, the son of the intrepid entrepreneur rolled up his sleeves and went to work to make a difference. He first got elected to serve on the board of directors for the Parkinson Foundation of Western Pennsylvania.
He's now in the process of organizing the first charity golf outing for Parkinson's disease at the Butler Country Club scheduled for June 28.
His charity golf event is several months away, George Mitchell said, but it's never too early to start planning for fundraisers that go to finding a cure for the disease.
"The disease isn't supposed to be hereditary, but a lot of it is," he said. "It certainly hits home. That's why I've reached out to all of my friends and family members to make the fundraiser bigger and better than ever."
Mitchell is no stranger to charity work. He helped organize a fundraising golf outing for Mars Home for Youth for many years, and now, when he and his father were diagnosed with the same illness, "it made a lot of sense for both of us with Parkinson's to put a lot of effort and passion into that."
George Mitchell has always had the support of the community, and he said he wouldn't be surprised if others help support his crusade against Parkinson's.It wouldn't be the first time the community helped the Mitchells. George Mitchell reminisced about another tragedy that struck in 2001 when a 36,000-square-foot company warehouse in the borough burned down."Evans City has always been a small community where everybody knows everybody and everybody pitches in," he said. "We were out of business for a year after the fire, but the entire community pitched in and helped us rebuild."We're right in the middle of a residential neighborhood here, yet the residents have always been favorable despite the big trucks and noise. No one seems to care because they know they're helping the community and keeping jobs in Evans City."Through the ups and downs, Mitchell said, he has always been proud to have his business headquartered in the borough, a place he said fosters pleasant "small-town relationships."Despite his recent diagnosis, Mitchell said he considers himself "very fortunate" and looks forward to moving on.He said he's heard reports in the medical community a cure for the disease could come within 10 years.But cure or no cure, Mitchell said he will continue raising money for a cause that hits close to home."It's a strange disease because some treatments work for some people and don't do anything for others," he said. "Right now I consider myself very fortunate and hopefully the medication can keep me like I am and not get any worse. We'll just have to see if there's any kind of cure upcoming."
<b>Name: </b>Fibercon International<b>Address: </b>100 S. Third St., Evans City<b>Employees: </b>25<b>Product: </b>Stainless steel fibers<b>President: G</b>eorge Mitchell<b>Quote:</b> "We're having fun every day. It's still a relatively small, niche business, but we're growing every day."— George Mitchell, president
