A manufacturing holding company has purchased a former Pace Industries aluminum diecasting operation in Jackson, TN, and will restart the operation. The buyer, ArtiFlex Holdings of Grand Rapids, MI, has committed $10 million to improve and update the plant, and expects to employ 100 there by 2031.

The newly branded ArtiFlex Jackson aims to supply diecast parts to manufacturers in “aerospace, drone, defense, humanoid robotics, automotive, aftermarket, commercial truck, industrial, and agricultural industries.”

“The facility brings valuable high-pressure diecasting capacity to the ArtiFlex family and gives us room to grow with both current and future customers,” stated Jon Husby, CEO of ArtiCast, ArtiFlex ADP, and AutoMatrix/Ingemat. “Our team is ready to build on the operation’s capabilities, pursue new opportunities, and serve customers across a diverse range of industries by growing with a talented team in Jackson.”

Among its other assets, ArtiFlex Holdings owns Falcon Lakeside Manufacturing in Stevensville, MI, a vacuum diecasting and squeeze casting operation.

The value of the private purchase has not been disclosed. No restart date has been announced.

Pace Industries acquired the Jackson plant from Metal Technologies Inc. in 2023, committing to new investments and job creation there. However, Pace filed a Worker Adjustment and Readjustment Notification (WARN) on February 26 of this year, indicating a closing date of April 26. That record indicates 59 workers were affected by the closing.

Records describe the plant as a high-pressure diecasting operation, with multiple furnaces and diecasting machines ranging up to 1,800 tons of clamping capacity.

The buyer’s announcement noted that ArtiCast Jackson will benefit from other the group’s other business, including ArtiCast Tooling and AutoMatrix.

“ArtiCast Jackson is an important step in expanding our casting and manufacturing platform and bringing more capability closer to customers in the Southeast United States,” stated Erin Hoffmann, CEO and chairman of ArtiFlex Holdings. “We are excited to become part of the Jackson community and to work with the State of Tennessee as we build a strong foundation for long-term growth. We can put capital investment anywhere. The talented workforce in Jackson makes this the ideal location.”