AFS Corporate Member The Lawton Standard Co. has recently added American Iron & Alloys, LLC (AIA), located in Waukesha, Wisconsin, to the Lawton Standard family as part of its expansion strategy. AIA processes and distributes continuous cast iron, bronze bar, tubing, and other metal components. It also provides metal finishing and other services to the North American market. AIA primarily focuses on ductile and gray iron in round, square, and rectangular bars under the well-known Versa-Bar brand. The bars can be processed into cut-length, tubed, milled, or slit to plate configurations. Sizes range from 1.5 in. up to 24 in. for all shapes to serve customers that produce and machine high-quality, gray, ductile, and austempered iron castings up to 250 lbs.

Alex Lawton, CEO of Lawton Standard, said, “We have been exploring ways—both via acquisition and organically—to augment our production efforts and further serve the marketplace. From the moment I met AIA’s founder and president, Rick Janes, and his team, I felt we found a great fit. Working with AIA and Versa-Bar is a springboard to our developing services, including a distribution arm. We will support AIA’s growth as it works to support our foundries and their customers. When we look back in several years, both parties and all stakeholders will be astounded at what has been accomplished.”              

“We had known of C.A. Lawton for many years as a foundry leader,” Janes said. “They had even been a customer of AIA for their pattern shop materials. When I was first introduced to Lawton Standard, I quickly saw where they could be a great fit for AIA. Their strategy and focus on foundry-related businesses and locations were an obvious attraction for what I aspired to with AIA’s distribution capabilities. They have now brought that to the table for AIA and Versa-Bar. Alex Lawton saw this, and we quickly got to work to see how well these synergies would fit. So, here we are, and I really couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity to have AIA join such a great group of companies and people.”