Leggett & Platt Aluminum Group Plans Plant Expansion to Meet Increased Sales

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Inc.; Houston, TX). Assured Castings Corporation, a member of the Leggett & Platt Aluminum Group (Fayetteville, Arkansas), and a division of Leggett & Platt Incorporated (NYSE:LEG) (Carthage, Missouri), is planning a significant die casting department expansion at its Rogersville, Tennessee plant. The expansion will enable the plant to meet increased demand for injection molded aluminum die cast parts manufacturing. About 50% of the plant's aluminum die cast parts production goes to automotive end uses, with the other 50% going to recreational vehicles such as ATVs.

The increase in orders is good news for Leggett & Platt, who earlier this year reported 2001 earnings down 29%. Nevertheless, the plant is seeing the economy turnaround and has been working round the clock to meet orders in the first and second quarters of this year. Expansion plans include construction of a new building and increasing die casting capacity by about 40%. This will involve the addition of six 1,200 ton injection molding aluminum die casting machines plus auxiliary equipment. Around 100 new employees will be added once the machines are up and operating some time next year. No expansion will be necessary in the plant's foundry area, which has sufficient capacity to meet the increased output. The plants foundry has the capacity to produce 200,000 pounds of 380 aluminum alloy metal each month.

According to Joseph Govreau, Manager of Metal and Minerals with Industrialinfo.com, "Assured Castings was originally part of Pace Industries, which was acquired by Leggett & Platt in 1996. Leggett & Platt operates about 15 other die casting plants in the U.S. and Mexico." With the acquisition of Pace Industries, Leggett & Platt has more than doubled its sales since 1994.

Industrialinfo.com maintains a database of 804 ferrous and non-ferrous foundries, and primary & secondary smelters in North America.