Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry reported it has acquired the assets of DEE Inc., a custom aluminum casting operation in Crookston, MN, expanding its current organization. The terms of the purchase were not detailed.
DEE is a shell core and permanent molding foundry that Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry CEO Sachin Shivaram noted “operates much of the same equipment as our Manitowoc (WI) plant, making it a natural extension of our business as we look to meet the growth in our customers’ demand for aluminum castings.
“It also creates new opportunities as manufacturing continues to evolve, so we envision significant growth at DEE as well as Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry,” he added.
DEE offers heat treating and finish machining in addition to aluminum casting.
Shivaram indicated that WAF aims to add 30 new positions to the current 72 employees at DEE, as output increases there.
The DEE operation will be headed by v.p. and general manager Paul Cwikla, one of the three previous owners. “This is a wonderful opportunity for the team, the community, and for WAF,” Cwikla said.
With is main plant in Manitowoc, WI, Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry uses green-sand, air set, and permanent mold casting and low-pressure molding to pour a range of aluminum and copper-based alloys for automotive, agriculture and construction, commercial vehicles, defense, medical, and railroad manufacturing, among others. It’s holdings also include Manitowoc Pattern & Machining, MP&M a precision machining and foundry tooling producer with engineering capabilities for prototyping through assembly, NDT, and other services.
Last year, WAF acquired Wabash Castings in Wabash, IN. that purchase, Wabash Castings has doubled revenue and increased employment by 50%.
“There has been tremendous growth in demand for products manufactured in America, and we are positioning ourselves to meet that demand,” Shivaram said.