Waupaca Foundry Inc. will merge with Hitachi Metals Automotive Components USA LLC (HMAC), joining the iron foundry group with the automotive parts business, which has its own ductile iron foundry. The consolidation is described as part of a larger reorganization of the Hitachi Metals Foundry America organization. Wisconsin-based Waupaca Foundry was acquired by Hitachi Metals Ltd. in 2014 for a reported $1.3 billion.
According to HMAC CEO Mike Nikolai, the merger is a response to increased customer demand. “Centralizing machine and assembly operations allows us to be more flexible in meeting the evolving demands of our customers,” Nikolai said. “We’ve already increased overall operational capacity and are positioning our organizations for long-term, sustainable growth.”
The six Waupaca Foundry plants (Waupaca and Marinette, WI; Tell City, IN; and Etowah, TN) produces gray iron, ductile iron, compacted graphite iron, and austempered ductile iron castings for automotive, commercial vehicle, agriculture, construction, and industrial markets.
HMAC casts, machines, and assembles ductile iron parts for automotive suspension and exhaust systems. The ductile iron foundry is in Lawrenceville, PA. It has precision machining and assembly plants are in Effingham, IL, and Wellsboro, PA.
Following the merger, HMAC will maintain its current name but will operate as a division of Waupaca Foundry.
Waupaca Foundry CEO Gary Gigante explained “the merger with HMAC allows us to further integrate castings and value-added services for our customers in diverse markets. We are committed to being the world’s leading casting solutions provider and this is a critical step in achieving that goal.”
The merger is expected to be complete on April 1, 2016.