Waupaca Foundry Inc., Waupaca, Wisconsin, announced it will merge with Hitachi Metals Automotive Components USA LLC (HMAC). The merger is part of a larger reorganization within Hitachi Metals Foundry America designed to position the integrated organization for growth and meet customer demand.

Linamar Corp., Guelph, Ontario, and GF Automotive, a division of Georg Fischer AG, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, announced they will place jointly owned GF Linamar LLC’s new aluminum diecasting facility in Mills River, North Carolina.

Tennessee Tool & Engineering Inc., Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is adding 10,000 sq.-ft. of manufacturing space and is expected to create 20 jobs. The addition is to the company’s diecasting division.

Omen USA, Kibboutz Hatzor, Israel, is planning to place its first North American facility in Richmond, Indiana. According to a press release, up to 100 jobs will be created by 2019.

The facility was named the 2015 "Small Business of the Year" by a local economic development group.

In December, the former First Lady and current Democratic candidate for president visited the University of Northern Iowa Metal Casting Center at the Cedar Valley, Iowa TechWorks campus in Waterloo, Iowa.

Taurus 80, Torino, Italy, is setting up its first U.S.-based facility, Taurus Die Casting LLC, in Rockford, Illinois.

The Indiana-based metalcaster and Mexican industrial conglomerate will jointly own and operate Blackhawk de Mexico, S.A. de C.V., Santa Catarina, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.