Neenah Foundry to Idle Nebraska Melt Shop Amid Market Shifts

Strategic Plant Closure Reflects Changing Market Conditions

Neenah Foundry, a long-established U.S. producer of municipal castings, will idle its melt shop and casting plant in Lincoln, Nebraska by the end of 2025. The closure, confirmed through a company letter obtained by Nebraska Public Media, will impact around 100 workers and marks a significant shift in Neenah’s operational footprint.

The company, headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, currently operates three melt shops—located in Neenah, Medley (Florida), and Lincoln. After the closure, only the Neenah and Medley facilities will remain active. However, Neenah Foundry plans to repurpose the Lincoln site into a distribution center starting January 1, 2026, expanding its national logistics network to 13 centers.

This move follows an internal review of production assets and a reforecast of the municipal castings market, where Neenah specializes in recycled-content products like manhole covers for public and private infrastructure.

Neenah Foundry and the Pressures of Global Competition

The closure comes at a time when low-cost castings from India continue to erode domestic market share. Neenah Foundry cited these import pressures as a contributing factor in its decision. According to the company, imports now represent a “meaningful percentage” of the U.S. market for cast components.

Furthermore, market analysts note that infrastructure spending in the U.S. has remained uneven, with project delays and inconsistent public procurement policies adding to industry volatility. For companies like Neenah, these dynamics demand greater flexibility in distribution and leaner production strategies.

Neenah Foundry became a wholly owned subsidiary of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Co. in 2022. The parent company, based in North Carolina, has been steadily aligning its portfolio to optimize for both supply chain efficiency and long-term cost control.

SuperMetalPrice Commentary:

Neenah Foundry’s strategic shift highlights a growing trend in the North American ferrous casting sector—namely, consolidation of production capacity in response to global competition. While the move to convert the Lincoln plant into a distribution center ensures logistical continuity, the job losses and manufacturing reduction reflect broader economic pressures. Companies in the metalcasting industry will likely face continued decisions about how to balance domestic production with cost-saving distribution models. Monitoring trade policy, infrastructure funding, and energy prices will be critical in predicting further realignment across the sector.