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Neenah Foundry intends to close its melt shop and casting plant in Lincoln, Nebraska, by the end of this year, according to a report from Nebraska Public Media.
The report cites a letter from the iron foundry company to state officials and indicates the company intends to reopen the closed foundry as a distribution center Jan. 1, 2026.
Neenah Foundry, based in Neenah, Wisconsin, lists the Lincoln location as one of three melt shops it operates, along with one in Neenah and another in Medley, Florida. It also has 12 existing distribution center sites, meaning the conversion in Lincoln will result in two foundries and 13 distribution centers.
Since 2022, Neenah Foundry has been a wholly owned subsidiary of North Carolina-based Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Co.
The Nebraska Public Media report indicates the foundry-to-distribution center conversion will result in laying off about 100 employees in Lincoln.
The same report quotes Neenah Foundry as saying the decision to close the foundry occurred after a review of the company’s production facilities and a forecast for the municipal castings market. Neenah makes manhole covers and other recycled-content castings used by municipal and private sector utilities and in infrastructure applications.
The same news release also cites “low-cost imports from India that account for a meaningful percentage of the domestic [castings] market” as playing a role in the foundry’s demise, according to the media outlet.