McWane Poles, part of AFS Corporate Member McWane Inc.’s family of companies, has opened its newest ductile iron utility poles facility in Provo, Utah. The $18.5 million investment complements McWane’s existing presence in the area and marks the second facility dedicated to poles.
Articles: Industry News
05.30.23: McWane Poles expands operations in Utah
MacLean Power Systems, (MPS) a manufacturer of products for transmission, distribution, substation, and communications infrastructure, has completed the purchase of AFS Corporate Member Dotson Iron Castings, a ductile iron foundry located in Mankato, Minnesota.
The 5th annual Cast in Steel competition put on by the Steel Founders Society of America (SFSA) brought the wow factor this year, attracting 34 teams from 31 universities to give their best shot at creating an African spear point. This year’s grand prize winner, announced April 25 following performance testing the day before, was the Steel Broncos team from California Polytechnic University-Pomona including Alexander Ann, Elise Boyd, Anthony Landaverde, William Manzon, and Nikole Sauter.
Embrace Software Inc., a provider of business software solutions, has acquired Guardian Software Systems, Inc. (“Guardian”), a developer of ERP and MES software tailored for the metalcasting and foundry industry. This acquisition will expand Embrace’s product offerings and strengthen its position in the manufacturing software market.
05.15.23: ABB invests $170 million in the U.S.
ABB plans to invest approximately $170 million in its U.S. electrification and automation businesses, which includes a $20-million expansion of its North American robotics headquarters and manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, to be completed by the end of 2023.
AFS Corporate Member Waupaca Foundry has expanded production capabilities at Plant 1 located in Waupaca, Wisconsin, adding horizontal molding to existing vertical molding capabilities. Installation on the new line began in February. To mark its new capabilities, the foundry held a “first pour” event on April 18.
05.15.23: Reshoring and FDI up 53%, a new record
Reshoring and foreign direct investment (FDI) job announcements in 2022 were at the highest rate ever recorded, according to the Reshoring Initiative’s 2022 Data Report. The report said fourth-quarter announcements accelerated even more than anticipated due to the Chips and Infrastructure legislation and deglobalization trends.
On March 30, Victaulic, a manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining, fire protection and flow control solutions, acquired Horizon Metals Inc., located in Nephi, Utah. Victaulic stated the addition of the 1.4-million sq.-ft. foundry increases its capacity for large-diameter piping solutions and is aligned with the strategy to manufacture these products in the U.S.
05.15.23: AFS magazines win publishing awards
Modern Casting and Casting Source received two writing awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) at the Upper Midwest Region awards banquet in Chicago on April 13. Called the “AZBEES,” the awards recognize excellence in journalistic reporting for business-to-business and trade publications.
The LIFT manufacturing research institute and undergraduate teams at Michigan Technological University have developed a new metal atomization chamber to support production of powdered metals in support of hypersonics materials production. The research is expected to contribute to developing new materials and “road maps” for hypersonics applications.