Released on August 17, 2010

Municipal castings supplier U.S. Foundry, Medley, Fla., has confirmed it purchased the former Warrenton Casting Center, Warrenton, Ga., in early summer.

According to a U.S. Foundry spokesperson who did not wish to be named, the ferrous metalcaster purchased the plant, closed in early 2009 by former owner TRW Automotive, Livonia, Mich., in order to enter into commercial casting markets and long run production not possible at its existing metalcasting facility in Medley. The spokesperson would not disclose the facility’s purchase price.

TRW operated the Warrenton Casting Center as a gray iron automotive facility with a reported capacity of 600 tons per day. The facility employed about 215 on two shifts and operated two automatic molding machines, four 10-ton induction furnaces and four core machines. TRW used the plant to produce electronic, steering, braking and occupant safety systems for vehicle manufacturers.

U.S. Foundry currently is in the process of evaluating the Warrenton facility’s equipment and infrastructure and expects to have enough of the plant’s capacity sold to officially start production by the first of 2011. The U.S. Foundry spokesperson said the facility was shut down efficiently and in good working order. The spokesperson also said U.S. Foundry expects to produce more than the capacity reported by TRW at the time of the plant’s closing.

“We think it’s a good time to get into commercial castings, and it also is a good [metalcasting facility] to develop some products that we were not able to develop in Medley,” he said.