ATLANTA – With a set of oversized scissors, current AFS president Jean Bye cut the ribbon early Saturday morning to officially open CastExpo. And while he clearly had fun as the emcee of the event, incoming AFS president Peter Reich relished seeing everybody in attendance.
Articles: Industry News
04.27.19: AFS cuts ribbon to open CastExpo
04.23.19: Barron Industries increasing capacity
Barron Industries (Oxford, Michigan) is increasing capacity to meet demand from its defense customers for aluminum, stainless and carbon steel precision castings. The company is growing its workforce by more than 30% and investing in new equipment to bring on a second and third shift at its 65,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in southeast Michigan.
04.17.19: Latrobe Foundry establishes new location
AFS Corporate Member Latrobe Foundry Machine & Supply Co. (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) announced the opening of a second machining location in Pasco, Washington. The site will machine items from aluminum bar and tube stock and will increase capacity to better serve customers across the country. The manufacturing facility in Whitney, Pennsylvania, will continue to cast and machine aluminum products.
The new facility is led by Michael Steiner, a fourth-generation owner. Steiner joined the company in 2014 after several years with Ferguson Enterprises (Oaks, Pennsylvania).
04.11.19: NAM honors Gibbs Die Casting
Gibbs Die Casting Corp. (Henderson, Kentucky) won the Operational Excellence Leadership Award from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Manufacturing Leadership Council.
The Weir Group (Glasgow, Scotland) is investing an additional $15 million in its Newton, Mississippi, manufacturing facility, as part of a total $50 million plan supporting an additional 150 jobs at the plant.
There will be over 400 employees at the facility after the investment is complete.
03.21.19: Eagle recognized by John Deere
AFS Corporate Member Eagle Alloy Inc. (Muskegon, Michigan) was recognized by John Deere as a 2018 partner-level supplier. In a news release, Eagle said the partner-level status is Deere & Company’s highest supplier rating.
"Eagle Alloy was selected for the honor in recognition of our dedication to providing products and services of outstanding quality as well as our commitment to continuous improvement," the company said in a release.
03.21.19: Burleigh Jacobs: 1920-2019
Burleigh Jacobs, a former chairman of Grede Foundries Inc. and the oldest living past-president of AFS, died March 8, 2019. He was 99.
Born Feb. 3, 1920, in Milwaukee, Jacobs graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1942. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy and rose to the rank of lieutenant commander. In 1945 he joined Grede as a trainee. He held positions of assistant vice president, president, and eventually became chairman and CEO.
Bruschi USA is establishing a zinc diecasting plant in Milwaukee.
According to reports, the Italian company Bruschi (Milan, Italy) bought two pieces of land for $1.1 million.
On its website, Bruschi said it is starting North American production to “bring into the U.S. our vacuum technology in zinc diecasting, our co-design service and innovative surface treatment, integrated in a vertical approach
AFS Corporate Member Waupaca Foundry Inc. (Waupaca Wisconsin), a Hitachi Metals company, announced it has entered into separate manufacturing agreements with fellow Corporate Members Dotson Iron Castings (Mankato, Minnesota) and Kohler Industrial Castings (Kohler, Wisconsin).
Per the announcement, Waupaca Foundry customers requesting horizontal molding will access Kohler’s and Dotson’s capabilities with a supply chain managed by Waupaca Foundry.
Toyota announced investment plans of nearly $750 million at five of its plants as part of a pledge to invest $13 billion in its U.S. operations by 2021. AFS Corporate Member Bodine Aluminum’s Troy, Missouri, foundry is set to receive $62 million and its Jackson, Tennessee, foundry to receive $50 million.