“It is such a hands-on, hot, hard-working place, but it is what I grew up believing; looking at a man’s hands will tell you what kind of person he is,” he said. “It is an honest day’s work. It felt like home. There is some level of excitement in the job. When you are working with hot metal, you have to be careful. Not everything is going to be easy. If you want to make a good living, you have to work for it.” - Dan Botting, Waupaca Foundry's Plant 3 Process Engineer.
A Journey from Waupaca Foundry to the Marine Corps and Back, Twice
Megan Mulholland | Waupaca FoundryDaniel “Dan” Botting, a Process Engineer at Plant 3 in Waupaca, Wis., took a journey from Waupaca Foundry to the Marine Corps with not one but two separate deployments overseas and back. He exemplifies resilience, leadership, and gratitude. Botting’s story is one of commitment to his country, community, and workplace that shaped his life.
Botting was born and raised in
Manawa, graduated in 1998, and workedon a farm for a year. His friend Justin Brown, now a head electrician at gray iron foundry Plant 1, encouraged him to work at Waupaca Foundry, where Botting’s father Tim also worked. He started in October 1999 as a molding operator.
After a few years, he sought a new path. “All I had done was work,” he said. “I saw myself staying at the Foundry and working, but I wanted a little adventure. I needed to do something with my life before staying here.”
In 2003, Botting enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He completed boot camp in San Diego, Calif. as war was declared in Iraq. After training as a landing support specialist at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, for a year. He returned to North Carolina before deploying to Iraq with Combat Logistics Regiment 27 from January to September 2005. He ran airfields, overseeing the movement of cargo and troops, and provided convoy security.
He planned to serve for just four years, although he excelled in his duties and rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. “I should have stayed in, but I was a homebody. I liked it here and my friends, but I was decent at [my military job].”
When Botting returned from his deployment, Waupaca Foundry honored its commitment to its service members, preserving his seniority, benefits, and tenure during his service. “It’s a good job, great pay and benefits,” Botting said. “I was out February 23, and by March 1, I was pouring iron again.”.jpg "Screenshot_20241104_091117_Facebook-(1).jpg")
In 2008, life took an unexpected turn when the Marine Corps called Botting back to serve. His son, Cash, was born on May 28, just two hours before Botting picked up his deployment orders. He redeployed to Iraq in January 2009 for another 10 months. While it was difficult to leave his family again, he found peace in the fact he was serving during a challenging economic time. “It was during the [Great] Recession, and people worked minimal hours. I was over in Iraq, doing the same job as before,” he said.
Upon his return, Botting’s leadership abilities again opened doors for him at the Foundry. Three days after his return, the HR manager offered him the team leader position, a promotion he attributes to the leadership skills he developed in the military. “That is a lot of what helped me from the military — the leadership part of it,” he noted. “The hands-on training wasn’t the same field, but the leadership training is.”
As a team leader, he learned to navigate diverse personalities and foster cooperation. “If you have to persuade them… it teaches you more ways to get them to listen than saying, ‘I am in charge’ or ‘I am bigger than you.’” His experience in the military helped him understand the importance of diversity and inclusion. “You learn how to deal with every type of people — city, country, East and West coasts.”
This year, Botting celebrates 25 years with Waupaca Foundry, a milestone that has led him to reflect on his journey.
Botting appreciates both his time in the Marine Corps and the opportunities afforded to him by Waupaca Foundry. “I am very thankful for my time in the Marine Corps and programs like that out there that let you leave and try different things. Many kids coming out of high school, if they didn’t have that, they may have missed out on opportunities. I am thankful for the Foundry and look forward to (work).”
Waupaca Foundry is proud to employ many people who are veterans. Ten percent of our employees have served in uniform, and we thank them for their service.
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U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and Waupaca Foundry's Process Engineer, Daniel Botting, in a staged photo at the rifle range.
Manawa, graduated in 1998, and workedon a farm for a year. His friend Justin Brown, now a head electrician at gray iron foundry Plant 1, encouraged him to work at Waupaca Foundry, where Botting’s father Tim also worked. He started in October 1999 as a molding operator.
After a few years, he sought a new path. “All I had done was work,” he said. “I saw myself staying at the Foundry and working, but I wanted a little adventure. I needed to do something with my life before staying here.”
In 2003, Botting enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He completed boot camp in San Diego, Calif. as war was declared in Iraq. After training as a landing support specialist at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, for a year. He returned to North Carolina before deploying to Iraq with Combat Logistics Regiment 27 from January to September 2005. He ran airfields, overseeing the movement of cargo and troops, and provided convoy security.
He planned to serve for just four years, although he excelled in his duties and rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. “I should have stayed in, but I was a homebody. I liked it here and my friends, but I was decent at [my military job].”
When Botting returned from his deployment, Waupaca Foundry honored its commitment to its service members, preserving his seniority, benefits, and tenure during his service. “It’s a good job, great pay and benefits,” Botting said. “I was out February 23, and by March 1, I was pouring iron again.”
Deployed to Iraq, Dan Botting helps secure Forward Operating Bases near Ramadi and Fallujah by moving HESCO barriers via helicopter. He's pictured bent down atop the load.
Upon his return, Botting’s leadership abilities again opened doors for him at the Foundry. Three days after his return, the HR manager offered him the team leader position, a promotion he attributes to the leadership skills he developed in the military. “That is a lot of what helped me from the military — the leadership part of it,” he noted. “The hands-on training wasn’t the same field, but the leadership training is.”
As a team leader, he learned to navigate diverse personalities and foster cooperation. “If you have to persuade them… it teaches you more ways to get them to listen than saying, ‘I am in charge’ or ‘I am bigger than you.’” His experience in the military helped him understand the importance of diversity and inclusion. “You learn how to deal with every type of people — city, country, East and West coasts.”
This year, Botting celebrates 25 years with Waupaca Foundry, a milestone that has led him to reflect on his journey.
Waupaca Foundry is proud to employ many people who are veterans. Ten percent of our employees have served in uniform, and we thank them for their service.
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