June 2008 Charlotte Pipe^®  — Integrity is foundation of success P hc News welcomes you to a new monthly   feature   called   “The Executives   Club,”   where   the editors interview a top executive(s) of a manufacturing  company  for  an  inside look at their company. Phc News kick off this feature with an exclusive   interview   with   Charlotte Pipe’s  Frank  Dowd,  IV,  chairman  and CEO  and Roddey Dowd, Jr., president. Phc: What is the mission statement for Charlotte Pipe? Charlotte    Pipe:    Integrity   is   our foundation. Meeting the expectations of our customers, associates and owners is our commitment. Our mission statement and statement of values set the tone for our company’s business practices and guide the board and management team. The first line of our mission statement — the bedrock of our  philosophy  —  is  integrity.  That’s what  guides  us  in  making  decisions  to benefit  our  customers,  associates  and shareholders. Phc: What were — and are — your personal   initiatives   for   Charlotte Pipe? Charlotte  Pipe:  Safety  is  our  most important  job  and  responsibility  — something   all   in   management   take very personally. We work relentlessly to   eliminate   workplace   accidents. Maintaining  the  safest  and  cleanest plants  in  the  industry  and  improving our safety record each year continue to be our absolute highest priorities. Obviously,  quality  is  very  important as well. It is essential that we make the best  quality  products  possible  or  risk tarnishing our image in the marketplace. Poor quality subjects our company to great danger at the hands of   our   competitors   and   makes   us vulnerable to unfairly traded imports. Phc:   Tell   me   the   importance   of Charlotte    Pipe    being    a    multi- generational   company   —   for   its employees and yourself? Charlotte  Pipe:  After  107  years,  we are   still   a   privately   owned   family company,  which  means  we  can  make decisions  based  on  what’s  best  long- term    for    the    company    and    our associates.  As  the  fourth  generation  of leadership,   our   senior   management team has been entrusted with the future of this company. A lot of people rely on Charlotte  Pipe  for  their  livelihood  — and that’s a responsibility we take very seriously. For example, we have not had a  forced  layoff  at  any  of  our  plants  in more than 26 years — even in difficult economic   times   like   we   have   been experiencing over the last two years. It is our duty, working together with our management team, to take care of our associates and to ensure that Charlotte Pipe is on track to serve our customers’ needs  right  now  —  and  for  years  to come. Phc:   What   is   Charlotte   Pipe’s investment in its employees? Charlotte Pipe: Without a doubt, our associates are our greatest asset. We are PIPING  REPORT AR-PHC (608)