Management
John Reed
President
As owner and president of American Casting Company since 1999, John Reed designs and builds the systems used to constantly improve the foundry. “Nothing satisfies me more,” says Reed, “than coming up with creative solutions to make business processes run more efficiently.” Under his reign, American Casting has set the industry’s new standard for lead and cycle time, slashing it from months to mere days.
John’s education includes a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison. John’s master’s thesis was the application of solidification modeling for investment castings.
An avid restorer of classic homes and cars, John and his wife Barbara are currently restoring an early 1900’s Victorian home in downtown Hollister, CA.
jreed@americancastingco.com
Chris St. John
Executive Vice President
Chris St. John has been with American Casting Company since 2007, working his way through a range of increasing responsibilities. As Executive Vice President, St. John is responsible for ensuring Customer Satisfaction, Sales Growth Objectives, Marketing, Engineering Management, and the HR Recruitment Strategy.
“I have been passionate about metal casting since first working on a foundry production line as a teenager,” said St. John who is involved with the Foundry Educational Foundation, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and American Foundry Society.
When not in the foundry, St. John enjoys experiencing the outdoors with his family and friends, doing everything from camping, fishing, hunting and mountain biking.
cstjohn@americancastingco.com
Richard Galvan
Quality Manager
Richard Galvan joined American Casting in 2019 and is responsible for providing leadership and strategy to ensure we can exceed our customers’ most stringent quality requirements. Richard brings with him a wealth of experience and passion for manufacturing. “Throughout my career, I’ve developed a dedication for manufacturing and leading towards improvement,” he said.
A Hollister community member for over 15 years, Richard loves his country, enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and taking his motorcycles out whenever the sun is shining.
rgalvan@americancastingco.com
Kari Hough
Human Resources & Accounting Manager
Kari Hough joined the American Casting team in 2014. Starting in Accounting Kari quickly elevated our standards for AR/AP organization and cash flow performance. She has also been instrumental for securing key equipment financing and negotiating credit terms with top customers and suppliers. Recently she has increased her responsibilities to take on Human Resources Management including recruitment, on boarding, labor code compliance, safety, and employee benefits management.
“I’m always up for a challenge and love problem solving with a get it done attitude, “she said.
Kari loves traveling, meeting new people, and spending time with family and her pets.
She has been happily married to her husband Nick of 22+ years and has a teenage son Tristan starting his college education.
khough@americancastingco.com
Joe Torquato
Director of Facilities
Joe Torquato joined the American Casting Team in November 2019. He is responsible for implementation of new technologies for improvement of our process and to facilitate accelerated growth into new markets and materials. Joe will also help us apply strategic vertical integration on existing programs to better support client needs for short lead times, improved quality, and consistent customer service.
jtorquato@americancastingco.com
Ed Allen
Quality Engineer
Since 2007, Ed Allen has been responsible for optimizing American Casting Company’s high level of quality and customer satisfaction.
eallen@americancastingco.com