“We like value-added and complex parts, such as military parts, which have tight tolerances, or the high-end aerospace market because it is low-volume with tight tolerances.” —Andy Stroh, Vice President of Stroh Precision Die Casting
The diecaster also voluntarily exited business with another major customer because it was losing money on the parts it had been producing for more than 12 years. “That, plus the recession meant
we didn’t have the volume anymore for two plants,” Andy Stroh said. “We knew we had to close one, sell or bring in partners.” Stroh Die Casting finally closed its Milwaukee facility in September 2009
and moved its remaining diecasting operations in with its zinc and aluminum coun- terpart Stroh Controls in Mauston, Wis. The Mauston facility, founded in 1994, is a union-free shop with HUBZONE status. Because it is located in an economically disadvantaged area, the business gets priority on government jobs, including military parts. But Stroh still had debt to deal
with, so the assets were sold to new company Stroh Precision in Novem- ber 2009. The new majority owners, who want to remain anonymous at this time, went through a similar constriction in their own business
A Stroh Die Caster employee visually checks an aluminum part after taking it off the automatic trim press. MODERN CASTING / September 2010 23
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