A team of former employees of Accuride Corp. aims to purchase and restart the former Gunite foundry in Rockford, IL, which closed in February 2025 as a consequence of Accuride’s bankruptcy and reorganization process. Brandon Baumann, Mike Brandi Jr., Tim Davis, and Scott Henderson have established Rockford Brake Manufacturing and plan a reported $6.6-million investment in the plant.
They would resume casting and machining gray iron brake drums for commercial vehicles, though the date of the restart has not been announced.
Foundry operations at the site are traced to 1854. The restart plan would involve hiring 150 workers, about half as many employed there under Accuride ownership.
The Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is providing an incentive package for the project, under its Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) for Startups program, related to the restart effort, its employment levels, and training costs.
“Our state incentives are empowering Rockford Brake Manufacturing to bring 150 jobs to the area and reopen a historic Rockford factory,” stated Governor J.B. Pritzker.
According to one report, Rockford Brake Manufacturing has secured supply commitments from domestic medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturers, and is benefiting from anti-dumping tariffs on brake drums and Section 232 tariffs on imports of commercial vehicle parts.
