Articles: Industry News

ATLANTA – Frank Abagnale Jr. frequently delivers speeches about forgery, embezzlement, and secure documents. His keynote address Monday at CastExpo focused on his life story, which was made into a blockbuster hit movie by Steven Spielberg and Leonardo DiCaprio.

ATLANTA – When he was asked to reflect on his career accomplishments, Von L. Richards talked about his emotions walking the CastExpo show floor. Everywhere he turned, he saw former students working in important industry and academic roles and keeping metalcasting on a positive trajectory.

Seeing that made a mark.

“That’s really great,” Richards said. “If I not only contributed to the industry, but also to the furtherance of the industry with the new academics that are involved in the industry.”

ATLANTA – Dr. Doru Stefanescu has accomplished a lot during his career. Yet, delivering the Hoyt Memorial Lecture clearly meant something to him.

“It’s an extraordinary honor. It’s something that makes me humble, because if you look at the previous speakers, it’s a kind of who’s who in metalcasting,” Stefanescu said. “To receive such an honor is something very special. I’m very grateful to the selection committee, that they picked me.”

ATLANTA – With a set of oversized scissors, current AFS president Jean Bye cut the ribbon early Saturday morning to officially open CastExpo. And while he clearly had fun as the emcee of the event, incoming AFS president Peter Reich relished seeing everybody in attendance.

“Oh man, can you tell how fun it is? It’s just fun to be able to see the people show up,” Reich said. “We can send emails and texts and we can have your person call our person and then we can read in the magazine and we can call each other and check out each other… no, the big thing is you show up.”

Barron Industries (Oxford, Michigan) is increasing capacity to meet demand from its defense customers for aluminum, stainless and carbon steel precision castings. The company is growing its workforce by more than 30% and investing in new equipment to bring on a second and third shift at its 65,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in southeast Michigan.

AFS Corporate Member Latrobe Foundry Machine & Supply Co. (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) announced the opening of a second machining location in Pasco, Washington. The site will machine items from aluminum bar and tube stock and will increase capacity to better serve customers across the country. The manufacturing facility in Whitney, Pennsylvania, will continue to cast and machine aluminum products.

The conversion of the compact utility tractor component from an 11-piece steel weldment to a single ductile iron casting was the result of a collaboration between companies with different backgrounds but common goals.

Gibbs Die Casting Corp. (Henderson, Kentucky) won the Operational Excellence Leadership Award from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Manufacturing Leadership Council.

AFS Corporate Member Badger Mining Corporation (BMC) was recognized as the 401(k) Plan Sponsor of the Year at an awards banquet in New York City at the end of March. This national honor, awarded by PLANSPONSOR Magazine, recognizes companies that best “show commitment to their participants’ financial health and retirement success.” As one of four finalists in the asset category of $50 million to $100 million, a representative of BMC was in attendance at the awards dinner, not knowing if the company would take home the top honor.

The Weir Group (Glasgow, Scotland) is investing an additional $15 million in its Newton, Mississippi, manufacturing facility, as part of a total $50 million plan supporting an additional 150 jobs at the plant.

There will be over 400 employees at the facility after the investment is complete.