Articles: Industry News

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced AFS Corporate Member Waupaca Foundry, a Hitachi Metals company, plans to expand in the city of Ironwood. According to a news release, the project is expected to generate an investment of $4.3 million and create 61 jobs.

“Waupaca Foundry’s decision to establish a facility in Ironwood is great news for Gogebic County and will mean good jobs for many of the talented workers in the region,” Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said. “We applaud the company for choosing to locate here and are thrilled to welcome them to Michigan.”

Nucor Corporation (Charlotte, North Carolina) announced it is acquiring Corporacion POK, S.A. de C.V. (POK), a fully integrated precision castings company with a facility in Guadalajara, Mexico. POK produces complex castings and precision machined products used by the oil and gas, mining and sugar processing industries.

In December, Clinkenbeard relocated to a 40,000-sq.-ft. facility in South Beloit, Illinois. The new facility is twice as big as the previous facility, and includes space for engineering, machining, a mechanical mockup build shop, and a foundry pattern shop.

In addition, several upgrades to the business have recently been made. The company recently installed a DMG Mori 5-axis milling center and a DMG Mori turning center.

During the G-20 talks held over the weekend in Argentina, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to halt new tariffs and not increase tariffs already in place.
 
The U.S. had been scheduled to increase tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods from 10% to 25% on Jan. 1. The agreement keeps those tariffs on thousands of products, including hundreds of types of Chinese castings at 10% for at least the next 90 days while the countries negotiate further.
 

The Michigan Manufacturers Association announced Eagle Alloy (Muskegon, Michigan) has been selected as the 2018 recipient of the John G. Thodis Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Award. The award honors the important, positive and tangible contributions individual manufacturers make to their employees, customers and communities. The Eagle Alloy team received the award during the 2018 MFG Excellence Awards on November 8 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.

The AFS/Metal Casting Design & Purchasing 2019 Casting Competition will have four new categories this year.

Along with an all-around Casting of the Year winner, winners in the following categories will be recognized:

- Newcomer (Rookie of the Year)

- Best Example of a Casting Conversion

- Achievement in a Small Foundry Business

- Best Innovation/Prototype

Entries are due Jan. 31, 2019. The form can be found here.

AFS Corporate Member Busche Performance Group (Southfield, Michigan) announced it has secured $150 million with the completion of a senior secured credit facility.

Along with previously announced equity infusion from its shareholder group, BPG has now completed its planned capital structure.

AFS Corporate Member EJ hosted a private open house for its new greenfield foundry in Warner Township, near Elmira, Michigan.

In a news release, the company said “the new (facility) will allow EJ, previously known as East Jordan Iron Works, Inc., to remain competitive, grow the business, and retain 340 jobs in Northern Michigan.”

The U.S. defense industrial base has serious supply chain deficiencies, according to a report just issued by the Trump Administration. The 250 supply chain risks covered in the report include metal castings for military applications.

The study, “Assessing And Strengthening the Manufacturing and Defense Industrial Base and Supply Chain Resiliency of the United States,” warns that if the supply chain risks are not fixed quickly, the Pentagon faces “limited capabilities, insecurity of supply, lack of R&D, program delays, and an inability to surge in times of crisis”