Waupaca Foundry plans to cease operations at its Ironwood, MI, plant in February and close the finishing operation permanently. Since it was opened in 2019, the 50,000-sq.-ft. plant has offered grinding and cleaning services for complex gray-iron castings produced at Waupaca Foundry’s Plant 1 in Waupaca, WI. At that time, it was described as a $4.3-million investment and projected to have more than 60 employees.
Now, the Wisconsin-based foundry group has explained that Ironwood’s grinding and cleaning services have been “affected by changing industry demands and economic pressures,” notably declining demand from manufacturers of agricultural equipment.
“This decline reflects broader shifts in customer willingness to pay premiums for non-value-added logistics alongside labor shortages and volatile freight costs,” according to Waupaca’s announcement. “These trends highlight the need for strategic adaptation to maintain competitiveness in this challenging economic environment.”
Waupaca Foundry casts gray iron, ductile iron, austempered ductile iron, and compacted graphite iron for automotive, commercial vehicle, off-road and construction equipment, and industrial customers. In the future, castings formerly processed at Ironwood will be ground and finished at one of the three plants in Waupaca.
Eighteen full-time employees from Ironwood have been offered employment at Waupaca Foundry plants in Waupaca or Marinette, WI, or Tell City, IN.
“We have been fortunate to have a highly skilled workforce in Ironwood,” stated human resources manager Carmen Peskie. “We sincerely appreciate their dedication and service and hope many will explore opportunities at our other manufacturing facilities.”