Citation Corp., based in Novi, Mich., has completed the purchase Blackhawk Foundry & Machine Co. in Davenport and will close the longtime business in January.
Citation announced that it also has sold its Albion, Ind., facility to Busche Machine. "Our focus continues to be on further strengthening our diversification strategy," Doug Grimm, Citation's president and chief executive officer, said in a news release. "The Blackhawk acquisition further enhances our market diversification while the sale of our Albion facility allows us to concentrate on our core iron casting and machining capability."
In a news release last month, Blackhawk company president Jim Grafton blamed the economy for a "significant slowdown" in demand for Blackhawk's products since late 2008, which resulted in almost 100 layoffs earlier this year.
Blackhawk Foundry has been in the iron casting business since 1920 and is privately owned, primarily by the Grafton family. It customers are in the areas of agriculture, heavy industry, construction and manufacturing.
Blackhawk's customer contracts and some equipment will be transferred to Citation facilities in Berlin, Wis., Bessemer, Ala., and Biscoe, N.C.
Citation employs 1,100 people at 10 manufacturing facilities in Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin. The company designs, develops and manufactures cast, machined and assembled components for the transportation and industrial markets.
