Waupaca Foundry Opens Ironwood, Michigan, Manufacturing Center
07/22/2019
The new facility will process iron castings produced at its Waupaca, Wisconsin plants. The company’s expansion into the city of Ironwood is expected to generate an investment of $4.3 million and create 61 new jobs.
According to state officials the expansion addresses increasing customer demand and adds iron casting processing capabilities, including cleaning and finishing, in a location where there is enough labor supply and an abundance of iron ore deposits.
“The economy is strong, and Waupaca Foundry is growing due to increased customer demand for cast and machined iron castings. Opening a facility to handle cleaning and finishing of cast parts will allow us to meet customers’ expectations in quality and delivery of their parts,” said Waupaca Foundry Executive Vice President John Wiesbrock.
“Like many employers across the nation Waupaca Foundry is finding ways to overcome low unemployment and a shortage of skilled workers,” said President, COO & CEO Mike Nikolai. “There simply are not enough workers to fill the open positions we have so we explored expansion in regions that had a solid base of talented workers.”
“Not only are we recognizing the opening of Waupaca Foundry, which is creating good-paying jobs for the U.P. workforce and generating a private investment of up to $4.3 million in the Gogebic County region, but we are celebrating the company for choosing to invest in Michigan’s people and build its future here in our state,” said Jeff Mason, CEO of MEDC, the state’s chief marketing and business attraction arm that administers programs and performs due diligence on behalf of the Michigan Strategic Fund.
“Waupaca’s decision to establish a facility in Ironwood following the closure of the Ojibway Correctional Facility is good news for Gogebic County and will provide great jobs for many of the talented workers here,” Mason said.
Prior to choosing a new location, Waupaca Foundry leaders conducted exploratory job fairs and identified a strong pool of motived, talented workers in the Gogebic County region. As a result of the company’s decision to invest and create jobs in Ironwood, the Michigan Strategic Fund in December 2018 awarded Waupaca a $1.2 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant.
"Today’s celebration is made possible thanks to the strategic partnership and collaboration between the city of Ironwood, our local economic development partners at InvestUP, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and of course, Waupaca Foundry,” Mason said. “On behalf of all of us at the MEDC, we are looking forward to working with Waupaca as it begins working in the region.”
Project Announcements
Finland-Based ADMARES Plans Waycross, Georgia, U.S. Manufacturing Plant
06/01/2023
Toyota Plans Georgetown, Kentucky, Electric Vehicle Operations
06/01/2023
Ranger Design Establishes North Charleston, South Carolina, Operations
05/31/2023
Austrian-Based Kronospan Expands Oxford, Alabama, Operations
05/30/2023
TiiCKER Expands Grand Rapids, Michigan, Operations
05/30/2023
Hanon Systems Establishes Bulloch County, Georgia, Operations
05/26/2023
Most Read
-
Is a Flurry of Fads Shaping Economic Development Policy?
Q2 2023
-
37th Annual Corporate Survey: Economic Pressures Exerting Greatest Effect on Decision-Makers
Q1 2023
-
Nearshoring — North America’s Next Factory
Q2 2023
-
Front Line: Water Supply Increasingly Affecting Location Decisions
Q2 2023
-
First Person: Labor Crunch in the Construction Industry
Q2 2023
-
Life Science Conversions in Real Estate
Q2 2023
-
19th Annual Consultants Survey: Clients Challenged by Tight Labor Market, Energy Availability
Q1 2023