Brillion Iron Works’ Rejuvenation


Once bankrupt, Brillion Iron Works is now a lean, profitable iron casting facility, thanks to the “Fix and Grow” strategy of parent company Accuride Corp. SHANNON WETZEL, SENIOR EDITOR


the company as its new president and CEO in 2011, the objective was to turn the wheel business into an international company. Six months later, after touring the various machin- ing, assembly and metalcasting plants, Dauch approached the board with a hard truth: Te company was not in shape to go global. “I said, let’s put that talk on hold,


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because our current operations were substandard, especially at Brillion Iron Works and Gunite,” he said. “Te board’s reaction was silence. Some of the members at the time were credi- tors from the bankruptcy and had not done a deep dive into the organization or operations.” Dauch, who came to Accuride


with 16 years’ experience in automo- tive supplier companies, had taken the closer look, and he was dismayed with the iron casting facilities in Brillion, Wis. (Brillion Iron Works), and Rock- ford, Ill. (Gunite). “Brillion had tired equipment, an


ineffective layout and a challenged operation,” Dauch said. “Both Brillion and Gunite were losing money.” After considering each metalcast-


26 | MODERN CASTING October 2014


hen Accuride’s board of directors brought in Rick Dauch to lead


ing facility’s role within the company, Accuride determined the units were core to its business. Tey were incor- porated into the organization’s new “Fix and Grow” strategy. For Brillion


Iron Works, this meant a $23 million investment over three years to address roof repairs, an air management system, building repairs, casting line upgrades, new coremaking equip-


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