Waupaca Foundry announced it will “idle melt, molding and core room production and continue iron casting processing operations at its Etowah, Tennessee facility” Tuesday in a press release. According to the company, “parts will transfer to Hitachi Metals, Ltd. operations, as well as to Waupaca Foundry plants located in Marinette, Wisconsin and Tell City, Indiana.”
Waupaca Foundry is the leading supplier of cast and machined iron components for automotive, off-highway, commercial vehicle, and other industrial markets. The Etowah plant, also known as Plant 6, is located on 95 acres outside the city limits of Etowah. The plant was built from the ground up in 2001 and spans 387,000 square feet.
The company cites “aligning manufacturing efficiencies with market demand” for the production shift.
“Our responsibility to our customers and our team members rests on our long-term sustainability,” Waupaca Foundry President, COO, and CEO Mike Nikolai said in a statement. “We will continue to supply the high-quality cast and machined components and service that Waupaca is known for in the market.”
According to a news release from the McMinn County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA), it “is working with company, state and local officials to make the process as smooth as possible. Waupaca Foundry has a long-standing history in McMinn County. We will continue to support them through the changes they face and appreciate their continued commitment to our community. In the coming days and weeks, the MCEDA will assist in sponsoring a job fair as well as support employees with knowledge of the local benefits and services available in our community.”
As of January 2022, Waupaca Foundry was listed as the fourth-largest employer in McMinn County, employing roughly over 680 workers, according to MCEDA data. It is unclear how many workers will be affected by the operations shakeup at the Etowah plant.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Etowah Facility” by Waupaca Foundry.
So is this another American company,that will end up closing and the jobs go to Asia ?? If so I am sick of our company’s going overseas. Just my two cent’s