AFS Corporate Member Hunter Foundry Machinery announced it is celebrating its 60th anniversary. In 1963, Al Hunter had an idea for a new type of automated green sand molding machine and founded the company the following year.
Waupaca Foundry Plant 4, a ductile iron foundry located in Marinette, Wisconsin, installed two new heavy-duty Magaldi Superbelt conveyor systems designed to improve downtime by as much as 60%. The company says it anticipates a two-year return on investment due to reduced maintenance and energy costs along with significantly reduced silica dust and noise pollution.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill into law that will allow the state’s foundries to transport more raw pig iron to their facilities using fewer truckloads. The law, 2023 Wisconsin Act 156, changes weight limits and length limits on vehicles transporting metallic or nonmetallic scrap.
The President and CEO pf the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Vanessa Green Sinders, visited Plymouth Foundry on April 16. The foundry’s president, Sam Schlosser (pictured with Green Sinders), is the third generation leader of the company. He has been a pivotal contributor to the Indiana Chamber through the years, said Green Sinders––“so pivotal, in fact, that our annual honor for volunteering is now called the Samuel C. Schlosser Volunteer of the Year Award,” she added.
AFS Corporate Member Superior Graphite has reached an agreement with Unimetal to divest its recarburizer business.
Unimetal will take over the Desulco trademark, the X-Carb brand, and commercial operations, using the Superior Graphite Heat Treatment process.
“These products will perfectly fit into our portfolio for metallurgical applications”, says Alan Yung, CEO of Unimetal.
Georgia Southern University received the Foundry Educational Foundation overture grant to build 20 Foundry In A Box kits for high schools in the Statesboro region. The first kit was delivered to engineering teacher John Hendrix at Portal Middle High School.
“The students really enjoyed it. I had several say they thought they wouldn’t like it but at the end they were telling me how fun it was,” said Hendrix.
AFS Corporate Member Grede received the 2024 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award, which honors a select group of businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to energy efficiency and the transition to a clean energy economy. Winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners.
AFS Corporate Member Bingham & Taylor honored its workforce on National Employee Appreciation Day, observed annually on the first Friday of March––but the company says it extends staff recognition beyond just a single day. To further its mission of fostering a culture of collaboration, Bingham & Taylor has dedicated years to developing and enhancing the C2ARES values program, a cornerstone of its corporate culture. The initiative, shaped by both executives and staff, stands for Collaboration, Creativity, Accountability, Respect, Excellence, and Sustainability.
AFS Corporate Member Eagle Alloy hosted a visit from its Michigan State Representative, Luke Meerman and his son Kennett. Rep. Meerman has fought against damaging regulations that present obstacles for the company and the metalcasting industry in general.
“As a fifth generation dairy farmer, Rep. Meerman is intimately aware of the challenges that face small businesses, and we thank him for his efforts on our behalf,” said Jeff Cook, chief sales and marketing officer Eagle Alloy.
The Manufacturing Leadership Council announced AFS Corporate Member Humtown is among the finalists in the 2024 Manufacturing Leadership Awards for their outstanding achievements in the Transformational Business Cultures Category.
“This is the team of finalists who is leading us all into a new and better direction in the manufacturing future,” said Humtown President Mark Lamoncha.