Neenah Enterprises acquired, foundry lays off 115 workers
Effective July 13, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company of Charlotte, North Carolina has purchased Neenah-headquartered Neenah Enterprises, Incorporated — the 150-year-old construction and industrial castings manufacturer with plant locations in Medley, Florida; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Neenah.
“This acquisition in an adjacent sector builds on our core competency in the manufacturing of grey iron castings,” said Hooper Hardison, president and CEO of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company. “We believe that Charlotte Pipe’s financial strength and manufacturing expertise will strengthen Neenah’s portfolio.”
The news of the acquisition was followed in August by an announcement that Neenah Foundry plans to lay off 115 employees by the end of September. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development received notice from the company at the end of July regarding the anticipated layoff. Kris Chosa, vice president of human resources, said in a letter to the DWD that the layoffs are a result of a previously announced divestiture of certain heavy truck part sales and manufacturing by the company.
The layoffs affect both production workers who are members of the United Steel Workers Union and its affiliated Local 121B, as well as non-union employees.
Neenah Foundry was featured in the July 2022 Insight on Manufacturing cover story highlighting Northeast Wisconsin’s foundries. Details of the acquisition and layoffs were not known at press time.
Neenah Inc. merger creates new company
This summer Neenah, Inc., announced a merger with Alpharetta, Georgia-based specialty materials manufacturer Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. and is now operating as Mativ Holdings, Inc., effective July 6.
“This merger is a unique opportunity to boldly reimagine our future as a stronger and faster-growing global enterprise,” said Julie Schertell, president and CEO of Mativ, formerly president and CEO of Neenah. “As we come together, we see significant near and long-term value creation opportunities to accelerate growth and amplify margins.”
Mercury Marine to partner with Alliant Energy on sustainable energy project
Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation, has announced a partnership with Alliant Energy to build a 5-megawatt, 32-acre solar array in eastern Fond du Lac County. The Ledgeview Solar Project, pending review and approval by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in the coming months, is the first to be developed under Alliant Energy’s Renewable Energy Partner program. The project will offset 10% of the electricity Mercury uses on its Fond du Lac campus.
“This solar project is good for Mercury, the Fond du Lac community and the environment,” said Mercury Marine President Chris Drees. “Our investment in this solar infrastructure, combined with our other solar investments, will provide clean, renewable energy and propel us toward our goal to derive 50% of our electricity usage from renewable sources by the end of 2030.”
The project will include more than 12,000 solar panels generating enough electricity to power approximately 1,300 homes annually. The array will be located on privately-owned land in eastern Fond du Lac County south of Highway 23 and east of County Road UU.
Construction on the project is anticipated to start in spring 2023 with operation to begin in October 2023.
Burger Boat Co. christens new ferry
Burger Boat Co. held a christening ceremony for its new 92-foot vehicle and passenger ferry, the Neebish Islander III, Aug. 13 at its Manitowoc shipyard. Ordered by the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority, the ferry will operate year-round on the St. Mary’s River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Officials said the ferry has been designed to operate in the harsh winter environment and through the solid ice conditions it will encounter on its route.
The christening coincided with an open house and job fair showcasing the 159-year-old custom boatbuilding operation in Manitowoc.
VPI rebrands, hosts inclusion camp
Valley Packaging Industries, Inc., an Appleton-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides a variety of community programs and services, as well as packaging services to private industry, has changed its name to VPI, Inc. Officials say the name reflects extensive external feedback that the prior name was not reflective of all that VPI does.
In addition, VPI this summer was the host site for the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation and Nuts, Bolts, & Thingamajigs Foundation’s NBT Inclusion Manufacturing Camp. The 4-week manufacturing camp, presented by Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation and Nestle USA, is designed to help train and prepare young adults with disabilities for employment in manufacturing while also showing local employers that this group of individuals is a viable option to meet their workforce demands.
C.A. Lawton Co. gains sister company
The Lawton Standard Co., which owns the C.A. Lawton Co. in De Pere, has acquired St. Paul, Minnesota-based Northern Iron & Machine (NIM), a producer of high-quality, cast gray, ductile and austempered iron castings.
Officials says the merger will benefit both Lawton and NIM customers with expanded sourcing options.
“Northern Iron & Machine’s history goes back to 1906, when they first started serving the agricultural industries,” Lawton Standard CEO Alex Lawton said. “They quickly advanced to serve more markets with malleable and ductile iron. We appreciate their strong desire to meet customers’ expectations for quality and delivery and their commitment to continuous improvement.
Lawton added that NIM uses modern and efficient equipment and is run by well-trained, dedicated workers. “We’re eager to develop and grow from an interchange of knowledge and projects between NIM and all locations.”
State announces advanced manufacturing tech ed grants
Clintonville and Cedar Grove-Belgium are among the 11 Wisconsin school districts that will receive $50,000 Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development grants, funded through the Wisconsin Fast Forward Program, to help prepare more than 1,400 students for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill and high-demand careers.
High school students will train in advanced manufacturing fields to prepare for stable careers while they obtain dual enrollment credits, industry-endorsed certificates, and technical endorsements on high school diplomas.
The Clintonville Public School District will use grant funds to purchase several Amatrol Industry 4.0 Learning Systems. The Cedar Grove-Belgium Area School District will use grant funds to purchase an industrial CNC Mill and an industrial HVAC Learning System to launch two credit-aligned CNC and HVAC career pathways at the district’s new Rocket Academy Charter School, a regional advanced technology training center serving Sheboygan and Ozaukee counties.
WMC’s Business Day, “Coolest Thing” coming in October
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce will host its annual Business Day Oct. 19 at the Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center in Madison. This event brings business leaders from all over the state together to discuss important issues facing the business community and our state and culminate with the announcement of the 2022 winner of the “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin” contest, voting for which begins Sept. 19 at www.madeinwis.com. For more information and to register for Business Day, visit www.wmc.org/events/businessdayinmadison/.
Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council Conference is Nov. 15-16
The 15th annual Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council conference and awards ceremony will be held in Green Bay Nov. 15-16. The event will kick off at 1 p.m. Nov. 15 with facility tours around Green Bay and an in-depth look at the TitleTown redevelopment with Miron Construction, which will host the Sustainable Business Awards the evening of Nov. 15. The conference will take place from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. the following day at Lambeau Field. More info at www.wisconsinsustainability.com/2022-conference.
