Waupaca Foundry plans to close its Lawrenceville, PA, ductile iron foundry in August, eliminating positions for about 200 salaried and hourly workers. The Wisconsin-based metalcasting group stated that the shutdown as "a result of capacity that exceeds demand in the supply chain."
The iron foundry group also described the closing as "an alignment of manufacturing operations in the United States." Waupaca Foundry was acquired by Hitachi Metals Ltd. in 2014, and in 2016 the six Waupaca foundries were consolidated with the Hitachi Metals Automotive Components USA LLC foundry at Lawrenceville, PA, as well as machining and assembly plants in Effingham, IL, and Wellsboro, PA.
The Lawrenceville foundry casts automotive suspension parts, including steering knuckles, control arms, and brackets. Parts produced there will be reassigned to other Waupaca Foundry plants. Finish machining and assembly will continue at the Effingham, IL, plant.
“It’s critical that we stay in front of changing market conditions and customer demand for long-term sustainability,” stated Waupaca Foundry president, COO and CEO Mike Nikolai. “Our ability to remain flexible in an evolving marketplace will continue to create opportunity for our employees and customers."