Articles: Industry News

AFS Corporate Member Wellman Dynamics announced that the US Army Contracting Command has selected Wellman as the recipient of a Defense Production Act Title III award of $15.7 million. As a condition of the award, Wellman is required to fund a matching investment of $7.9 million. The total investment of $23.6 million will be used for plant modernization in response to the growing demand for Wellman’s products.

AFS Corporate Member Mueller Water Products announced it is adding a Kimball, Tennessee, facility that is expected to bring 325 jobs.

Mueller is investing $41 million in the project, which will use a 233,000 sq. ft. building that was vacated when another company closed this spring.

“The new location in Marion County supports the expansion of our manufacturing capabilities around our Chattanooga operations,” Mueller Water Products president and CEO Scott Hall said in a news release.

The facility is expected to open in 2020.

AFS Corporate Member Aristo-Cast (Almont, Michigan) announced the company is now fully AS9100D certified, in addition to its existing ISO9001:2015 certification.

The AS9100 standard expands the requirements of ISO9001 to meet demands of the defense and aerospace industries.  

“This milestone was achieved with the dedication of the whole Aristo-Cast team,” the company said in a news release.

Aristo-Cast, which won the 2017  Casting of the Year, is an investment caster that serves industries such as defense, construction, marine, mining, and electronics.

AFS Corporate Member Mueller Water Products (Atlanta) broke ground on its new, state-of-the-art foundry in Decatur, Illinois.

Alloy Die Casting Co. (Buena Park, California), a provider of value-added manufacturing and supply-chain solutions for engineered metal components, announced an investment from PWP Growth Equity.

In a news release, Alloy Die Casting said the investment “will enable the company to further invest in people and equipment to provide additional value-added services to its customers.”

“This partnership will allow us to accelerate our investments in people, state-of-the-art equipment, and technology to support our customers’ growth,” ADC CEO Rick Simpson said. 

AFS Corporate Member Faircast Inc. (Fairfield, Iowa) announced it has acquired Corporate Member Galesburg Castings (Galesburg, Illinois).

In a news release, Faircast said "the increase in business with this acquisition will bring Faircast one step closer to a major modernization that includes new molding lines and sand systems." 

The American Foundry Society (AFS) highlighted metalcasting careers to students, teachers, and families during its Manufacturing Day Open House on Oct. 4, 2019.

The event is part of a coordinated annual national celebration by the manufacturing industry to show the public its importance to the economy and address common misconceptions about manufacturing. Companies are encouraged to open their doors to their communities and show what they make, the technologies they use, and the promising career paths available.

Impro Group held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Impro Mexico SLP Campus in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

The campus will cover almost 2.5 million sq. ft. and have five plants, including precision machining, sand casting, investment casting, aerospace components and surface treatment.

Impro plans to invest over $100 million into the campus over the next 3-5 years, which will generate up to 1,500 new jobs locally.  

The Board of Directors of AFS Corporate Member Deere & Company has elected John C. May as a member of the board, and to the position of CEO, effective November 4.

May has served as Deere’s president and COO since April 2019.