Industry News

New family owners at Tonkawa Foundry

The sibling owners of Tonkawa Foundry, Inc., (TFI) Tonkawa, Oklahoma, have sold their family business to Mauricio and Alhena Torres, who assumed ownership January 1. The couple has relocated from Dallas with their four-year-old daughter, Paloma.

Having operated the foundry for over 40 years, Sandy Salisbury Linton and Jim Salisbury said they’re pleased the company will remain a family-owned business. 

REFCOTEC, Inc. acquires EXOCHEM Corp., forms THERMOTECH with KML

AFS Corporate Member REFCOTEC, Inc. (Orrville, Ohio) has purchased the assets of EXOCHEM Corp, a supplier of riser sleeves and other consumable products to the foundry and steel industries since 1968. The ISO-certified company operates production facilities in Lorain, Ohio, and in East Palestine, Ohio. The acquisition follows REFCOTEC’s strategic goal of continuing to diversify within the foundry segment with a focus on high quality, efficient manufacturing. 

The Lawton Standard Co. adds QESC, buoying casting growth strategy

The Lawton Standard Co. recently added the facilities and employees of QESC (Quality Electric Steel Castings, Houston, Texas) to its growing casting business. The new site will operate as a sister operation to The C.A. Lawton Co., De Pere, Wisconsin; The C.A. Lawton Co., Minster, Ohio; Temperform, LLC, Novi, Michigan; and Penn-Mar Castings, LLC, Hanover, Pennsylvania. Each company will access the other’s products and benefit from adopting best practices across the family.

Benton Foundry project receives state funding

AFS Corporate Member Benton Foundry (Benton, Pennsylvania) was awarded a $3 million grant through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), according to Senator John R. Gordner (R-27) and Representative David Millard (R-109). 

The company’s footprint will expand by 70,000 sq.ft. and new robotic equipment will be installed. This will result in at least 50 new jobs and a rise in daily production to 200 tons, an increase of 50 tons per day. 

GM to upgrade Indiana foundry to support electric pickup

General Motors is planning a $51 million upgrade at its aluminum die casting foundry in southern Indiana to support manufacturing of the upcoming electric Chevrolet Silverado pickup.

GM said it will install state-of-the-art equipment at its sprawling Bedford plant, which this year began producing electric drive unit castings for the 2022 GMC Hummer EV Pickup and 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV, The Herald-Times reported.

Production of the 2022 GMC Hummer EV Pickup will begin in December at GM’s Factory ZERO assembly plant, located in Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan.

Inductotherm founder’s legacy fuels numerous scholarships through FEF

AFS Corporate Member Inductotherm continued its annual support in 2021 of the Foundry Educational Foundation (FEF) through the Henry M. Rowan (HMR) Family Foundation to further his desire to give “where it would do the most good for the most people.” Thanks to the unwavering support from the HMR Family Foundation since the endowment was created in 2013, FEF was able once again to sustain this commitment to provide uninterrupted scholarships of over $200,000 to 169 students from this fund.