Neenah Foundry (NF)
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Changes to the Building:
- In 1872, William Aylward began Aylward Plow Works on Lake Street in Neenah. The company was later known as Aylward Sons Co.
- In 1918, Edward, son of William, opened his own foundry on 500 Wisconsin Ave. This building is known as Plant 1.
- In 1940, the Aylward Sons Co, or the Lake St building, closed after NF purchased their remaining inventory.
- In 1960, NF opened Plant 2, and this became the world’s largest construction casting facility at the time.
- In 1967, NF opened Plant 3 next to Plant 2. Both Plants 2 and 3 can be found at the 2121 Brooks Avenue address.
- In the 1970s, the Corporate office building was inspired by Southern Aristocratic homes. Neenah Foundry is one of the only foundries in the world to actually have a separate office building on site. This gives visitors and employees a space to immerse themselves in the company’s history while having a space to confer outside of the Plants. While the outside of the building is more of traditional Antebellum style home, the inside is characterized by iconic designs of the 1970s.
- In 1971, Plant 1 was modernized for continued growth.
- In 1987, Plant 3 was rebuilt into a modern, state-of-the-art facility to manufacture for industrial markets.
- In 1989, Plant 2 was modernized to increase competitiveness and expand potential markets.
- In 1993, the original Plant 1 was shut down. Production was shifted to Plants 2 and 3.
Location
Neenah Foundry
2121 Brooks Ave
Neenah, WI
2121 Brooks Ave
Neenah, WI
"America is built on Neenah"Why is the Neenah Foundry important to Neenah?
The Neenah Foundry is a crucial asset to the economic success of the community as a whole. The prosperity of the Foundry has not only benefited the city of Neenah and surrounding areas, but has served as an integral business model for manufacturing companies around the world. The Foundry has supported and employed thousands of hard working individuals from the Fox Valley who take pride in giving back to their community with the work they do. This work has made Neenah a world leader in metal casting, and has given citizens the ability to proudly display their Neenah roots as they find the name “Neenah Foundry Co” in streets across the world. |
Sources
Keating, James. A Tale of Two Foundries. Fox Valley Media Group Publishing Division, 2010.