. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inDustry neWs


Chrysler’s Third Round of Investments in Kokomo Is Biggest Yet Chrysler Group LLC, Auburn Hills,


Mich., confirmed it plans to invest $843 million in its transmission manufactur- ing plants in Kokomo, Ind., including the Kokomo Casting Plant. The company said the investment,


pending tax abatement approval by the city of Kokomo, would go towards production of a new front-wheel drive automatic transmission. The invest- ment would fund the installation of equipment and tooling to modernize the Kokomo facilities and help retain nearly 2,250 jobs. Chrysler announced in May 2010 it


would invest $43 million to increase capacity at the Kokomo Casting and


Kokomo Transmission plants, adapt them to support production of the World Engine and improve processes for the 62TE transmission program. In June 2010, the company said it would spend an additional $300 million on the facilities to accommodate a new eight-speed automatic transmission. The latest allocation brings Chrys-


ler’s total investment in U.S. facilities to nearly $3 billion since June 2009. Com- bined with the previously announced investments in the Kokomo facilities, the new monetary layout would make the city the recipient of the largest in- vestment ($1.1 billion) in a single year in a single community.


Chrysler will partner with ZF


Group, Friedrichshafen, Germany, on the next generation front-wheel drive transmission. The German company is making its designs and technology available to Chrysler and its Kokomo plants. “For years, Kokomo has been at


the center of our powertrain strategy and, the potential of an additional investment reaffirms that position,” said Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler’s chief executive officer. “We…look forward to continuing a partnership that will see the Chrysler Group once again become a successful and com- petitive enterprise.”


METAL Esco to Change Australian Strategy With Purchase of Austcast


systems and truck bodies in Australia but supplies the rest of its products to the region through a distribution deal with Bradken Ltd. Esco indicated in its recent announcement it will let that agreement expire in June and supply the market directly. “In recent months, Esco has made significant investments in Australia to directly support a growing number of mining and construction customers in the region,” said Cal Collins, president of Esco’s engineered products division. Austcast manufactures steel cast-


ings for the rail, mining and industrial industries. Doing business as Esco, the company will continue to manufacture rail products and adjust its operations in 2011 to include the purchaser’s ground engaging tools and other mining and construction wear parts. Austcast and Newlcast employ approximately 100, all of whom Esco said would join its workforce of nearly 4,700 globally. Esco provides consumable prod-


Oregon-based Esco is expanding its manufacturing reach to Australia and New Zealand. Wear parts maker Esco Corp., Port-


land, Ore., announced it has expanded its metalcasting capacity with the pur- chase of Austcast Pty. Ltd., Brisbane,


8 Metal Casting Design & PurChasing


Australia, and its subsidiary Newlcast, Dunedin, New Zealand. Esco currently sells crusher wear- parts, bi-metallic buttons, blocks, tooth


ucts for industrial applications in the resources, infrastructure, power gen- eration and transportation markets. The company operates on six continents. The purchase of the two casting fa- cilities follows Esco’s July 2010 acquisi- tion of Swift Group, with offices and facilities in Brisbane, Mackay and Kingaroy, Australia.


METAL January/February 2011


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