The American Foundry Society Western Michigan Chapter hosted Congressman John Moolenaar (R-MI) on October 8. He also visited Eagle Alloy that day as well. While there, he witnessed highly engineered steel castings being manufactured. 

In October 2024, AFS Corporate Member, Alliant Castings hosted Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN) at their facility in Winona, Minnesota. While there, Finstad learned about EPA’s PM2.5 rule, and all that Alliant Castings offers.

Pictured left to right: Rep. Finstad, Jamie Burt, Tom Renk, Chris Pflug.

On August 9th, 2024, AFS Corporate Member Rochester Metal Products hosted Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-IN) for a plant tour at their facility in Rochester, Indiana. While there, Yakym walked the floor and got a first-hand look at day to day operations.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) got a tour of AFS Corporate Member Charlotte Pipe and Foundry's new plant in Oakboro, North Carolina, on April 2. In addition to getting an up-close look at the foundry's operations, Tillis talked trade, energy policy, and the 2024 election outlook during his visit. Pictured in the photograph are Tillis, left, and Roddey Dowd, Vice Chair of the Board at Charlotte Pipe.

On August 21, 2023, Oil City Iron Works hosted Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Representative Jake Ellzey (R-6-TX), and State Representative Cody Harris (R-8-TX) at their facility in Corsicana, Texas. While there the congressmen were made aware of key issues impacting the foundry industry.

Pictured, from left, are: Mark Shelton, Texas Cast Metals Association and Oil City Iron Works VP of Sales; Texas State Rep. Cody Harris (R-8-TX); Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-6-TX); Eric Ryan Meyers, President, Oil City Iron Works; Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX); Clifford Smith, Executive Director, Texas Cast Metals Association; and Brett Morehead, TCMA Chairman and Southwest Operations Manager, Porter Warner.

On August 11th, Congressman, Rudy Yakym (R-IN-2) and District Director, Griffin Nate visited Ford Meter Box in Wabash, Indiana. Ford Meter Box was able to provide a tour outlining their current manufacturing processes and the importance of their product in delivering clean water.

On August 8, 2023 AFS Corporate Member, BCI Solutions Inc., hosted Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-IN-2) at its facility in Bremen, Indiana. During his tour, Yakym met with team members and learned about the defense castings that BCI produces. (Yakym pictured on left.) 

On May 3, 2023 AFS Corporate Member, Amsted Rail, hosted Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN-1) at its Hammond, IN facility. Mrvan toured the facility where Amsted Rail produces hot coil springs for freight cars and locomotives. Amsted Rail also highlighted the employee ownership culture at the company for the Congressman. (Mrvan pictured third from left.)

U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) visited Wabash Castings in Wabash, Indiana on April 11, 2023.  Braun and others on the visit discussed workforce shortages, concerns over tax breaks, and other manufacturing issues. [Picture (Left to right): Pat Meredith- VP/GM of Wabash Castings LLC, Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), Scott Long - Mayor of Wabash, Keith Gillenwater - President & CEO of Grow Wabash County]

U.S. House Representative Randy Feenstra (R-IA-4) tours Seneca Foundry in Webster City, Iowa on April 4, 2023. Seneca Foundry is a manufacturer of gray and ductile iron castings, ranging in size from ounces to 250 pounds. [Picture: Left: Lori Mason, Seneca Foundry President, Right: Rep. Randy Feenstra]

Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR) tours Amsted Rail's facility in Paragould, Arkansas on October 27, 2022. Amsted Rail is a global leader in providing systems and components for freight and transit railcars. Pictured, from left, are: Kevin Young - facility GM, Rep. Rick Crawford, Pat Ameen - Amsted V.P. of Industry Relations

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) tours Amsted Rail Company's Keokuk, Iowa, freight car and wheel manufacturing facility August 24, 2022. While on the tour, Amsted employees explained to Miller-Meeks the need for reliable, competitively priced electricity, and natural gas supply. The tour was a direct result of a meeting with Miller-Meeks ahead of the 2022 Government Affairs Fly-In.

Denison Industries hosted Congressman Pat Fallon (TX-4) on August 19, 2022 to showcase the key castings the foundry is producing for defense systems. This includes the Bell V-280, Sikorsky CH-53K, Boeing JDAM and Harpoon missiles, Raytheon Long Range Stand Off missiles, and a wide array of Renk ground combat, Raytheon naval defense and commercial castings. This is in advance of impending major expansions on-site. [Picture: Left – Rep. Pat Fallon and Right – Chris Norch, President/CEO at Denison Industries]

Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL-06) and his staff visit AMERICAN's ductile iron pipe and steel pipe manufacturing facility in Birmingham, Alabama on August 4, 2022. The purpose of the visit was for the group to see how products made at the facility contribute to America's water, wastewater and energy infrastructure.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) visits with staff members at AFS Corporate Member St. Marys Foundry in Saint Marys, Ohio, on June 29, 2022. St. Marys is an iron foundry with a reputation for producing intricately-cored, complex castings.

U.S. Rep Michelle Fischbach {R-MN) tours AFS Corporate Member Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry's facility on May 2, 2022 in Crookston, Minneosta. The foundry is 75,000 square feet, and the machine shop is 25,000 square feet. Fischbach got to see how employees make parts like diesel engine components and filtration components.

U.S. Rep. Michael Bost (R-IL) visits AFS Corporate member Amsted Rail's Granite City plant on Oct. 6, 2021. The facility produces couplers, yokes, truck side frames, truck bolsters, draft sills, and articulated connectors. Pictured, from left, are : Matt London, Director Government Affairs; Matt Cook, Chief Operations Officer-ASF Truck Systems; Rep. Bost; Donnie Chandler, Vice President Operations-ASF; and Patrick Ameen, Vice President Industry Relations.

U.S. Department of Labor Sec. Eugene Scalia tours AFS Corporate Member Charlotte Pipe & Foundry in February 2020. Scalia was later a featured speaker in the virtual AFS Advocacy Summit in May 2020, discussing public policy, supply chains, and their impact on the $44B metalcasting industry.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) visited AFS Corporate Member Oil City Irons Works to discuss the needs of the workforce and the Education Freedom Scholarships & Opportunity Act. Senator Cruz participated in a roundtable discussion with several local officials, business leaders, and education leaders about manufacturing in Texas. 

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and his team visited AFS Corporate Member Goldens' Foundry and Machine Co.  in Columbus, GA in August 2019. Governor Kemp had a chance to tour the family-owned foundry and meet employees.

Left to right: Gov. Kemp, George Boyd, Jr, VP of Sales & Administration, GFMCO and John Boyd, Plant Manager, GFMCO - Columbus.

AFS Corporate Member Elyria Foundry hosted Representative Jim Jordan (OH-4) for a plant tour on Aug. 8, 2019. He also spoke to foundry employees and praised them for their hard work. Elyria Foundry produces large gray and ductile iron specialty castings.

(Credit Bruce Bishop / Chronicle)

Representative Mike Kelly (PA-16) toured Harmony Castings August 1, 2019 at the foundry's Harmony, PA location.

Left to right: Harmony Castings Plant Manager Mark Fallen, Rep. Mike Kelly, and Rep. Kelly aid Tim Butler. 

U.S. Congressman Jim Banks (IN-3) tours AFS Corporate Member Metal Technologies in Auburn, Indiana.

Ryan Burke, President of a family-owned iron foundry, OSCO Industries, Jackson, Ohio, hosted Congressman Bill Johnson (OH-6) for a plant tour on Friday, October 12, 2018. They discussed recent improvements to the foundry, as well as shortage of unskilled and skilled workers throughout the metalcasting industry, as well health care costs, and the impact of the Section 232 and China 301 tariffs. Congressman Johnson was a 2018 recipient of the AFS Metalcasting Industry Eagle Award for his strong support of the metalcasting industry as a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee.

AFS Corporate Member Charlotte Pipe and Foundry hosted Rep. Mark Meadows (NC-11) and congressional candidate for an Oct. 9 2018 plant tour to see first-hand how pipe castings are produced and discuss key issues impacting the metalcasting industry.

Left to right in the picture -- Roddey Dowd Jr, CEO, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry; Rep. Mark Meadows (NC-11); Mark Harris, congressional candidate for NC-9th district; TJ Costello, Foundry Director of Operations, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry; and, Greg Simmons, Senior VP, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry.

Eric Meyers, president of AFS Corporate Member Oil City Iron Works (Corsicana, Texas) meets in August 2018 with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Meyers presented Cruz with an elephant casting poured at Oil City Iron Works.

AFS Corporate Member Bremen Castings (Bremen, Indiana) hosts Indiana Senate Republican candidate Mike Braun in August 2018 for a foundry tour. Pictured in the front row, from left, are Jordan Brown, Bremen Castings President JB Brown and Braun.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) joined Corsicana Mayor Chuck McClanahan, Navarro County Judge H.M. Davenport, and local job creators for a roundtable discussion on legislative issues that affect Corsicana’s economy, including trade, infrastructure, labor, and environmental regulation. Sen. Cornyn toured the Oil CIty Iron Works facility during his visit. “For me personally and on behalf of Oil City Iron Works, It was an excellent open discussion on critical issues, primarily technologically and economically infeasible rules and regulations several federal agencies have rolled out under the previous administration, and why now is the perfect opportunity to tackle these truly overburdening regulations,” Meyers said. “Senator Cornyn was very open and understood the harm these regulations are doing to our economy.”

Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, is a member of the Senate Finance, Intelligence, and Judiciary Committees.

Galesburg Castings, Inc., an AFS Corporate Member (Galesburg, Illinois), hosted Representative Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois, right) for a plant tour and presentation on Tuesday, August 22, 2017.  Representative Bustos serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as the Agriculture Committee. Nick Fox (left), second generation owner of Galesburg Castings, discussed a host of issues impacting his foundry including: the importance of federal tax reform, workforce shortages, and the significant challenges of meeting OSHA’s new silica rule to Representative and highlighting the cost to his plant and to the entire metalcasting industry.

Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas, at right) visited Denison Industries August 18, 2017 for a plant tour and town hall-style meeting with the metalcasting facility's staff. Here he is shown with Denison Industries CEO Chris Norch (center) and County Judge Bill Magers. The representative's appearance was part of a 15-stop tour of businesses.

Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania (left) met with AFS Member Janis Herschkowitz, President & CEO, PRL Inc. (Lebanon, Pennsylvania) July 15, 2016, at a Roundtable Event sponsored by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.
Herschkowitz joined Sen. Toomey and 20 other Chamber members for a discussion about the federal tax code and economic growth in the state of Pennsylvania.

AFS Past President, Jeff Cook, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Eagle Alloy (Muskegon, Michigan) discussed the foundry process with Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan on July 19, 2016. Sen. Stabenow visited Eagle Alloy as part of her small businesses tour. 

AFS Vice President, Jean Bye, President and CEO Dotson Iron Casting (Mankato, Minnesota) and Nick Johnson, also of Dotson (center), provided a plant tour to Congressman Tim Walz of Minnesota on July 25, 2016. Congressman Walz presented the company with an I Hire Veterans certification at the end of the tour. Out of 140 Dotson employees, 25 have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Vice President Mike Pence visited Charlotte Pipe & Foundry (Charlotte, North Carolina) on August 23, 2016. While there Pence stressed the importance of trade and small business. He also toured the plant, walking around with employees and management.