Released on March 14, 2008

Metal Technologies’ West Allis, Wis., gray iron metalcasting facility has been under a “suspension of production” for the past week due to a market slowdown, a company official said.

“We thought it was wise to restrict our capacity until the market returns,” said vice president and general council Jeffrey Turner. He added that no estimates on when production would restart could be made.

The West Allis facility is an automatic green sand gray iron plant employing 22 salaried employees and approximately 90 hourly workers. The plant claims 63,000 tons of casting capacity, producing parts for the small engine, automotive, heavy truck, trailer axle, compressor, irrigation, oil and gas, appliance and agriculture markets.

In addition to the gray iron plant, Metal Technologies, Aurburn, Ind., operates a ductile iron plant in West Allis, as well as plants in Ravenna, Mich., Three Rivers, Mich., and Kitzingen, Germany. The company produces primarily ferrous castings for a variety of markets. Its European plant contributes some aluminum production.

Prior to the shutdown, Metal Technologies’ total domestic ferrous capacity was 386,000 tons, according to the company’s website. Some, but not all, of the production and employees from the West Allis gray iron plant will be moved to the company’s other gray iron facilities, Turner said.

“We don’t anticipate [the other plants] shutting down,” he said.