Celebrating 87 Years of Quality Craftsmanship (1936-2023)





DFI Video

An innovative leader in providing superior casting technology and engineering solutions for global infrastructure and industrial markets, enabling the success of our customers, employees and shareholders.

Leadership Team

Keith Thomas

Operations Manager

Robert Emery

Quality Manager

Lindsey Petty

Controller


History

1936
J. L. Johnson purchased a small foundry operation for three pigs and $100 and began producing window sash weights.
1940s
Incorporated as J.L. Johnson and Sons Foundry.
1950s
Decatur Foundry was purchased and we entered the annealing pot market.
1960s
We grew to become the primary supplier of annealing pots for malleable Iron Operations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
1970s
Decatur Foundry began producing gray iron engineered castings using the air set molding in lower volumes and short run, highly-cored castings. Typical casting designs included flywheel housings, boiler sections and pump housings.
1980s
We began producing ductile iron along with gray iron for electric motors, pumps and valves, focusing on difficult to cast, low-volume parts.
1990s
We added induction melting to offer a full range of ductile, gray, and alloy iron castings.
2000s
Decatur Foundry acquired adjacent facilities enabling us to increase flask size volume and pouring capacity up to 15,000 pounds.
2010-Present
We are continuing to institute Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles. In addition, we have developed a modern Matrix-driven manufacturing facility allowing DFI to enter into the compressor and engine block markets.

Location

Decatur Foundry, Inc. (DFI) has called Decatur, Illinois, its home for over 87 years. Located in the central Midwest, DFI is approximately two hours from St. Louis and three hours from both Chicago and Indianapolis. Given our location, we have direct access to multiple highways and interstates, particularly I-55, I-72, I-74 and I-57. In addition, we have access to multiple railways and airports, making us easy to reach by our customers and suppliers.

Conflict Minerals Policy

Purpose:

The Decatur Foundry, Inc. culture is focused on ethics, integrity and trust. Our values drive how we treat each other, our customers, suppliers, partners and even our competitors. As a result, our ethical business culture supports global efforts to assist in the eradication of Human Rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and adjoining countries, where the mining of certain minerals has partially financed the long standing conflict in this region.

Procedure:

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted rules to implement reporting and disclosure requirements related to “conflict minerals,” as directed by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. The rules require manufacturers to disclose whether the products they manufacture or contract to manufacture contain “Conflict Minerals” (identified below) sourced from “Covered Countries” (identified below) that are necessary to the functionality or production of those products. Decatur Foundry, Inc. supports the objectives and intent of this Conflict Minerals legislation and will fulfill any SEC reporting requirements.

“Conflict Minerals” currently refer to gold, tin, tantalum, and tungsten, the derivatives of cassiterite, columbite-tantalite, and wolframite, regardless of where they are sourced, processed or sold. The “Covered Countries” include:  Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Sudan, Zambia, Angola, Congo Republic, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Additionally, Decatur Foundry, Inc. is committed to working toward a conflict free supply chain by implementing a management program integrated with our policies and processes to align our worldwide suppliers with this policy.

  • DFI will not knowingly procure raw Conflict Minerals from Covered Countries that are not deemed “conflict free” from mines, smelters, and refiners that produce the minerals used in our products.
  • DFI will perform reasonable due diligence to document that Conflict Minerals used in the materials and components supplied to DFI are procured from outside the Covered Countries or if they originate from the Covered Countries that they are certified as “conflict free”.
  • DFI is committed to educating our employees and our suppliers to ensure improved visibility in regards to the origin of the minerals and compliance by not knowingly sourcing Conflict Minerals from Covered Countries that are not deemed “conflict free”.

If we discover that the use of any of these Conflict Minerals by DFI is found to originate from the Covered Countries, from sources that are not deemed “conflict free”, we will take actions to transition toward a conflict free status. Given the complexity and variety of our product offering and global supply chain, we understand that this will require an investment in resources and take time, but we are committed to meeting this goal and will be transparent in our progress toward this end. If you would like further information regarding this matter, please email us at humanresources@decaturfoundry.com.

Process Flow

Process Flow

Pattern Preparation

A full service shop capable of producing new pattern equipment with a variety of materials and performing customer revisions, rigging, and repairs.

Core Making

Complete No-Bake sand, Isocure, and CO2 capability.

Molding

The pattern is hand packed with a sand and binder mixture that is controlled by one of eight No-Bake sand mixers.

Melting

Scrap metals and alloys are melted with two 3-metric ton electric furnaces.

Pouring

Once the desired content and temperature are reached, molten iron is transferred into pouring ladles and poured thru the gating system into the mold.

Shakeout After Cooling

Castings are removed after the required cooling time, and empty sand molds are reclaimed with 90% of the sand being recycled.

Grinding

Gating, risers, and vents materials are removed.

Shot Blasting

Blasting cleans any remaining sand and coating from the casting.

Final Inspection

Each casting goes through final inspection before it is sent to be prime painted or to the shipping department.

Prime Paint

Prime paint is applied on-site to our customers’ specifications.

Shipping

Castings are packaged or palletized and ready for shipping.

Facilities

• One Prime Paint Cell
• Two No-Bake Line Molding Cells
• Five No-Bake Core Molding Cells
• 244,000 sq. ft. of Manufacturing Facilities
• One Full Service Sand and Metal Test Lab
• Two Cleaning and Inspection Facilities
• 65,000 sq. ft. Pattern Storage Facility
• Eight High-Speed Continuous Sand Mixers
• Two 3.5-Metric Ton Induction Furnaces Pouring 35 tons/daily
• Three Sand Reclamation Systems (Mechanical and Thermal)
• Twelve No-Bake Floor Molding Cells for Flask and Flaskless Molds

Services

• Complete Line of Gray and Ductile Metal Capabilities
• Casting Range from 150 lbs to 11,000 lbs
• Austempering Metal Services
• Design and Engineering Product Development
• Prime Painting, Ultrasonic Testing, X-Ray Testing
• Solidification Modeling, Full Service Pattern Shop
• Wet Lab Chemical Testing, Spectrographic Analysis
• Micrographic Photo Analysis, Machining, Assemble Ready Parts

Iron Grades

• Gray Iron CL25 to CL50 in ASTM grades A48, A126, A159, A279, and A319
• Customized Alloys of Nickel, Copper, Molybdenum, Vanadium, and Chromium
• Ductile Iron ASTM grades A395 and A596
• Complete Ductile Service Ferritic to Pearlitic
• Mil-1-24137 Class A Navy Shipboard Ductile
• Customer Customized Proprietary Metal
• Customized Slow-Mold Cooling Stress Relieved Castings
• Gray and Ductile Iron from 150 lbs to 11,000 lbs
1
Oct
2015

The Stator Frame and Pump Volute Case pictured here were made by DFI and were on display at the 88th Annual Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibitions and Conference in Chicago, IL.

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22
Aug
2015

DFI Employee Picnic 2015
Aug 22nd, 2015

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20
May
2015

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Decatur Foundry, Inc. (DFI), an innovative leader in specialty gray and ductile iron castings, today announced the appointment of William D. (Bill) Vanness as Chief Executive Officer, effective June 8th, 2015. Mr. Vanness brings more than 35 years of industry experience to his new role, having most recently served as Plant Manager at Goldens’ Foundry and Machine Company in Cordele, Georgia. Mr. Vanness will succeed Terry Young, who has served as DFI’s CEO since 1992.

Ron Stanley, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DFI, welcomed Mr. Vanness with the following comments: “We are very pleased to welcome Bill Vanness to the Decatur Foundry family. The experience, leadership, and enthusiasm that Bill brings to the organization will enable us to continue our success as a leading producer of custom gray and ductile iron castings. Bill’s results-oriented approach will play a key role in extending our record of profitable growth and enhancing our reputation for producing exceptional quality products.” Mr. Stanley also expressed the board’s sincere appreciation and thanks to Terry Young. “Terry Young has spent his entire career with Decatur Foundry. Without Terry’s expertise and knowledge we would not be at the forefront of the casting industry. He has been influential in guiding us for many years and we thank him for his dedication and leadership.”

Mr. Vanness earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Virginia Tech and a Master’s Degree in Industrial Management from Lynchburg College. He is a member of the American Foundry Society.

About DFI

Decatur Foundry, Inc. produces a custom line of gray and ductile metal castings, ranging from 50 lbs to 15,000 lbs. We offer modeling, a full service pattern shop, wet lab chemical testing and spectrographic analysis, and we excel at on-time delivery with minimal lead times. We are an innovative leader in providing superior casting technology and engineering solutions for global infrastructure and industrial markets. Connect with DFI at decaturfoundry.com.


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10
Nov
2014

DFI was recently recognized in the local on-line magazine entitled redecatur.com. Here is the link: http://redecatur.com/local-family-business-has-spirit-of-industry-and-philanthropy/


By Decatur Foundry Inc.             Share

8
Nov
2014

On October 30th, the Board of Directors and the Leadership Team participated in the Ductile Iron Society Banquet at the Decatur Conference Center.  As the host, Terry Young, CEO, gave a presentation on the company”s history. 

On October 31st, DFI hosted 72 people from the Ductile Iron Society for a tour and breakfast. We enjoyed hosting this event.

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Request For Quote

Please use the following link provided for assistance with a quote for your next project.

We will respond to your inquiry within 24 hours.

Request

General Information

Business Contact Hours:

7:30 am - 4:30 pm. CST Monday through Friday.

Please feel free to leave a voicemail if calling outside of these times.
Decatur Foundry, Inc.
1745 N. Illinois St.
Decatur, IL 62526
United States

Tel: 217.429.5261
Fax: 217.425.2834

info@decaturfoundry.com

Careers

Looking for a career with DFI? Our latest opportunities are one step away.

What makes DFI a leader within the manufacturing environment is that we offer a workplace culture that is truly focused on employee empowerment, communication and a family sense of belonging. What is the secret to our over 85 years of manufacturing success? It is simple. It is our people. They are our strongest and most trusted difference between us and any other industrial organization. We believe our own company’s future as well as the nation’s economic future depends on a solid and experienced manufacturing base and we take PRIDE in our employees, products and our community to help keep us at the top.

By choosing to work at DFI, you will have the opportunity to take advantage of significant opportunities for educational, professional and personal growth. No matter what your position is at DFI, you will join others who take PRIDE in what they do and who work hard to produce a quality casting! Across our company, our people are leading the way in everything we do. As a result, we are committed to providing the benefits, resources and tools they need to reach their potential, both personally and professionally. At DFI, our employees are the difference makers! We are also proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer.

We are always interested in individuals who have molding and/or grinding experience. Periodically, we will announce other employment opportunities on our site. Please check back for updates.

You may mail a copy of your resume to:

DFI Human Resources
1745 N. Illinois Street
Decatur, IL 62526

You can also attach a copy of your resume to an email titled RESUME by clicking the link below.



Send us your resume

Benefits

  • Medical Coverage
  • Dental Coverage
  • Vision Coverage
  • 401k Retirement Plan
  • Vacation
  • Paid Holidays
  • Life Insurance
  • Profit Sharing
  • Tuition Reimbursement

Current Job Postings

Hourly Staff Positions:

Molders | Grinders
Shakeout | Chippers
Industrial Electrician

Salaried Positions:
Environmental Health safety Coordinator
Metallurgical Engineer

APPLY NOW



Celebrating 87 Years of Quality Craftsmanship (1936-2023)
Quality Craftsmanship needs no introduction

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