New building is part of multi-year plan to improve capabilities and increase capacity
De Pere, WI – As part of a multi-year master plan to increase overall capacity and modernize its facility, The C.A. Lawton Co. (Calco) recently broke ground on a new building that is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2012. The 15,000-square-foot building is the first phase of a more than 25,000-square-foot expansion to the current foundry facility. The building, part of a plan to both improve the capability and increase the capacity to clean castings, includes a new table blast machine, space for additional casting cooling, and a new processing area for gating and risers. The second phase will incorporate improvements from ongoing R&D efforts that focus on improving air quality as well as ergonomics and productivity in the cleaning processes.
The plans for a better operation with greater capacity from the multi-year expansion also include increased melting capacity and efficiency with the addition of new furnaces and also new production space with an updated molding system. The improvements and capacity increases not only help Calco better serve customers with increased demand but also benefit the local economy including Calco suppliers.
“Anytime you can demonstrate to your stakeholders, from employees to customers to owners to suppliers to your community, that you’re doing well enough to invest and that you’re optimistic enough to expand, it’s a great thing,” commented president and CEO Alex Lawton. “More security of things like employment and supply are good, as are improvements in things like technology and work conditions.”
The new building represents a major step in the Calco multi-year plan to increase overall capacity while improving capabilities and addressing constraints to the current casting process. The current plan began in 2011 when Calco improved the cleanliness, productivity, and capacity of its sand system, which included a new transport technology and silos for storage. Together with other enhancements to both the foundry and other areas of the business, Calco has made steady improvements in recent years, including ISO 9001:2008 certification (2010) and other technical advancements, all of which have positioned it amongst the best foundries in the world for supplying large grey and ductile iron castings.
“We have worked very hard to create a unique value proposition consisting of the right mix of capital assets, technical proficiency, operational effectiveness, skilled people, good processes, and a strong culture,” commented Lawton. “A lot more hard work and investment lie ahead in order to bring our vision to the next level and accomplish our goals, but we’ve got a great group of people working on the strategies and plans to get there, including the team running point on the master plan for capital investment.”
Sourced from calwton.com
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