June 21, 2006 -- Progress Casting Group Inc. (PCG), will hold a formal dedication of its new foundry operation in New Hampton, IA, on June 24. The plant began shipments to customers in April, including the first production casting to Harley-Davidson. Among the plant’s other customers are Polaris, Honda, BRP, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Lockheed, Raytheon, and Hobart.
PCG is a privately held manufacturer of complex cast-aluminum products, headquartered in Plymouth, MN. Along with the Iowa plant, it operates foundries in Plymouth and Albert Lea, MN. It produces aluminum castings for a wide range of applications in products such as motorcycles, RVs, and other vehicles, food service, and marine and aerospace products.
The New Hampton plant has about 80,000 ft2 of manufacturing space, with room to expand to 180,000 ft2. The operation features new CPC low-pressure molding technology and state-of-the-art process-control capability. Modular furnaces minimize production downtime for recharging. And, PCG reports the new building was designed specifically for metalcasting, with attention given to ensure a lean product flow throughout the facility, and 30-ft ceilings with ventilations systems for workers’ comfort.
The new plant employs 70 workers, and PCG indicates that total may rise to 150 in the coming years.
PCG president Robert Silhacek stated: “Our expansion into New Hampton will enable us to combine new state-of-the-art low-pressure molding technology with a plentiful, capable and dedicated workforce well located to serving our customer base. The present employee team far exceeds our highest expectation, and their level of commitment to quality and satisfying our customer will be key to insuring the success of this new operation.”