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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
James M. Proctor II, senior vice president and general counsel for AFS Corporate Member McWane Inc. testified before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Feb. 26.
The special hearing was on “Examining How Federal Infrastructure Policy Could Help Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change.”
Signicast (Charlotte, North Carolina), a Form Technologies company, announced it has signed an agreement to acquire CIREX, a European investment casting specialist based in the Netherlands from Amsterdam-based companies Convent and Nedvest.
Mark Lamoncha, CEO and president of AFS Corporate Member Humtown Products (Columbiana, Ohio), was appointed to the Ohio State Board of Education by Governor John Kasich. His term began January 2, 2019 and runs through December 31, 2022. The board is made up of 19 members – 11 who are elected and eight who are appointed by the governor.