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Molter Turns The Heat Up In Business

Did you know that in 1849 Elizabeth Smith Miller appeared on the streets of Seneca Falls, New York in "Turkish trousers," or what would later become known as bloomers? You might say that's a very nice piece of trivia should I ever be on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," but what does it have to do with the field of engineering?

Engineering has become as diversified as many other fields. We featured an outstanding female engineer, Diane Smalec in our February, 2001 issue. And this month we would like to introduce you to Loretta Molter of Molter Corporation. Loretta is an accomplished business owner making great strides in today's working world. First, let's take a short look at her predecessors.

Elizabeth Miller was just one in a long line of women leading the way into what was at that time a male dominated society. As early as the mid-1800s women had begun to make their mark on the world. In 1855 they won the right to be admitted to college and by 1910 the number of women attending college had increased by as much as 150%. During WWI women helped the cause by performing traditionally male jobs in the mining, chemical manufacturing and automobile plants. They ran street cars, conducted trains and delivered mail. As the war came to an end women returned to the home and men returned to their jobs. Then again in WWII, 7 million women answered the call, 2 million of whom would ultimately create the moniker, "Rosie the Riveter." Even though women proved over and again that they were capable of performing these jobs the end of the war brought men back to their jobs. Although women proved they were just as capable, engineering societies still refused to grant them membership. In response to this the Society of Women Engineers was chartered in 1952. Still, the majority of women were relegated to traditional roles. It wasn't until 1969 and then again in 1973 that the Supreme Court ruled that women meeting the physical requirements could apply for police, park service and fire fighting jobs thus opening the way for women to come out from behind the desk and pursue new careers.

The engineering field is no exception. Although women worked as engineers prior to 1893, most did so without college degrees. Perhaps the most notable was Emily Warren Roebling. Ms. Roebling was a master bridge builder and renowned for making the Brooklyn Bridge a reality. Although her father and husband were the master builders of record, Emily learned the business when both men became incapacitated and she supervised the day-to-day building of the bridge. While she went unrecognized by professionals, she is listed as one of the builders on the dedication plaque.

Records differ as to which woman received the first engineering degree handed out. According to Iowa State College it was Elmina Wilson in 1892; but according to the University of California it was Elizabeth Bragg in 1876. No matter who it was, the pathway was opened for others to follow.

Lillian Moller Gilbreth (1878-1972) was an industrial engineer and expert in motion studies. Her theory asserted that the quality and efficiency of the workplace was directly related to the quality and efficiency of the work performed by the employees. Her ideas were widely used in engineering school curricula and directly contributed to the growing career assessment field. Although the Society of Industrial Engineers did not admit women at the time, Lillian Gilbreth was named an Honorary Member. She encouraged women to become engineers and for that commitment received honors from The Society of Women Engineers.

By 1992 women-owned businesses employed more workers in the U.S. than Fortune 500 companies did worldwide. Among those was Loretta Molter. Owner of Molter Corporation, Loretta, to some degree, followed the footsteps of Emily Roebling. Loretta's husband was a brick layer by trade. During their early years together Loretta traveled the country with him as he worked in petrochemical and power plants. It was in this manner that Loretta learned the business. She developed many business relations along the way, which would aid in developing a customer base in future years. After the untimely death of her husband Loretta made the decision to follow his lead. Entering a field in which she already had a commanding knowledge of, Loretta etched her name in the world of refractories.

The actual word "refractory" is a French word, refractaire, meaning "high-melting." According to the encyclopedia Britannica "Refractories are non-metallic materials capable of maintaining physical and chemical stability at high temperatures." Typically these materials are employed in the lining of boilers, furnaces, and kilns in the glassmaking, metallurgical, and ceramic industries where temperatures reach an excess of 3000�. Refractories actually perform two roles. They have been developed as a protective lining to contain the materials inside the vessel and to perform as insulation to the vessel. In this way refractories now serve in capacities that range from the super cold of outer space to the extreme heat encountered by the space shuttle upon re-entry.

In the early days of refractory work preformed clay-based bricks were used. More commonly known as fire clay, or firebrick, these bricks were the backbone of refractory work. Ironically, you need refractories to make refractories. These bricks are mixed and blended and then made into a variety of special shapes and are then fired to stabilize the materials.

As with most companies in today's business market, Molter is continually changing to keep abreast of all the changes being made in the industry. New materials now being used in the field include castables, or materials mixed together with water in much the same way as cement and then poured or gunned into place. Once in place they are fired to achieve their maximum hardness; and plastics, or unfired bricks molded into place and then fired to develop their bond. Because of the ease of use and reduction of labor needed plastic is used whenever possible. During the bidding process estimators for Molter will be able to determine which materials to use by answering these questions: (1) what will the vessel be used for; (2) what conditions will it be up against; (3) what materials have been used in the past; and (4) is there any newer product on the market that might be better suited for this application. For this reason all Molter employees pride themselves on the fact that they are extremely knowledgeable on all available materials.

According to Loretta, "Each job comes with its own set of challenges and specialties needed." To ensure that each job is given the critical attention it needs Molter's staff has developed specialty fields among themselves.

William Scott specializes in boiler refractory. Part of the Molter Corporation since 1988, Bill started as a brick layer and has learned the trade through his experiences in the field. Working with him is Jay Molter, specializing in the artistic side of the restoration process. Jay and Loretta attended a special licensing class held in Maryland to obtain certification in this field. According to Jay, "Four years ago there were only nine people in the United States certified to do this type of work. The field is really growing now." With so much emphasis being placed on protecting the natural beauty of older buildings, restoration work has become an increasingly large part of Molter's business.

Damaged terra cotta, marble and limestone can be replaced with new products imitating their characteristics. Part of the challenge of Jay's work is the amount of time in which he must be able to perform his magic. He has approximately two hours in which to complete his work before the material hardens. Should that happen, he must then chip it all out and start over. To facilitate Jay's work, an on-staff artist is available to assist with color matching the materials. When asked what was the most challenging job they have worked on to date, Jay replied the Goodman Theatre. Located at Dearborn and Lake Streets, the Goodman underwent a total renovation. Three of the four walls, the north, south and west, were torn down, leaving only the east wall with the decorative stone standing. A year and a half later the restoration project was finished with old pieces fixed and new ones ordered and installed.

While artistic ability is important in Jay's line of work, on most refractory jobs cosmetics are not important. What is critical is the precision needed to make the joints between bricks as small as possible. In almost all instances mortar will bond and become hard but it is important to keep in mind that it is still the weakest point in the structure. Loretta gave the example of refractory work used in the steel business.

Once steel has been melted it is moved from one area to another in what is known as a torpedo ladle car. These cars are lined with several layers of brick. This lining is critical in that it is used to prevent leakage of the steel as it is transported to its final destination. After a pre-determined amount of steel is transported the lining is then replaced.

When Bill is not busy working at Molter Corporation he likes to coach his children's athletic teams. Bill is married with four children and resides on the south side. He considers his children his hobby.

Jay is single to date and loves to do odd jobs around the house and yard. His current endeavor is building a water fountain, which has grown considerably in size since its inception, on the property immediately adjacent to the office.

Leo Bormann is probably the most traveled employee of Molter Corporation. Working all over the country Leo specializes in the aluminum aspect of refractory work. With 51 years in the business, Leo can honestly say he has worked his way up and down the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. He boasts of the beautiful job of concrete restoration done on the Shedd Aquarium and currently his expertise finds him working on a bridge restoration. Leo lives on a lake in Montgomery, Illinois. He has raised six children and now enjoys five grandchildren. Leo is looking forward to retirement when he intends to move to New Mexico.

Jim Marszalek specializes in industrial chimney maintenance. Early in his career you could find Jim scaling the side of the highest chimney to get a close look at the work needed to be done. Now he leaves that to the "younger crowd" and new technology. Jim relates that chimney work can be especially challenging because you really never know what is waiting for you at the bottom until you get there. Depending upon the age of the stack this can be accomplished in several ways.

In the case of an older chimney there will be step irons built in to them. You simply climb up. With a little bit of luck newer chimney stacks will have elevators built in them. Or 10 foot scaffolding is used to slowly make your way to the top. Once there a camera can be lowered down to present a clear view of the work needed to be done and what awaits them inside. Because of the element of danger involved OSHA is an ever-present force on the job site.

Currently Jim and his crew are working on the preservation of the chimney stack located at the former Ovaltine plant. Current owners have undertaken the task of renovating the area into a unique residential housing complex and wanted to preserve the aesthetics of the stack. Upon initial inspection, it was noticed that the stack was actually about to fall down. Molter employees needed to perform some preliminary work to secure the stack. Molter reinforced the area and then proceeded. They have capped the top of the chimney approximately one foot below the actual rim so that it is unnoticed by the passer-by. When finished the stack will look like new and maintain the identity of the plant once known as The Ovaltine Plant. Playing the role of right hand man, Reiner Teets works closely with Jim on all of these projects.

Jim currently lives in Tinley Park with his wife. He has raised two children and is now enjoying life watching his four grandchildren grow up.

In addition to the aforementioned employees, Tom Hess lends his expertise in the firestopping department, Don Schrader works in Mechanical Insulation and office support is provided by Mary and Vicki.

Loretta Molter has accomplished what many women have set their sites on. A savvy businesswoman, she has established a reputation in this business and built upon it. Employing 35 people Loretta has branched out into other areas as well. Although refractory work and restoration remain as their primary business, they are also doing pipe covering projects and firestopping. No matter what the project chances are you will find Loretta herself on the job as often as possible making sure that everything is completed with precision and accuracy. Bill Scott relates, "Loretta is fair but tough. Only the best is good enough."

Can history really teach us anything useful in this life? You bet it can. Elizabeth Smith Miler and Emily Roebling have led the way for women like Loretta Molter and Diane Smalec to accomplish what once may only have been a dream. If you put your mind to it, there is nothing that can stop you.

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