Cascade Die Casting’s strategy prioritizes people, innovation, and sustainable growth
Founded in 1978 by Ted Hohman, Cascade Die Casting (CDC) has a long-standing history in the casting industry. From its three divisions, Atlantic, Great Lakes and Mid-State, the company focuses on the manufacture of aluminum and zinc die castings, delivered by its 340 dedicated employees. Servicing a vast array of automotive sectors, CDC’s parts can be found in vehicles ranging from golf carts to tractors, with its blue-chip client base appreciating its quality assurance and attention to detail.
Current CEO Pat Greene joined the business in 1992, became Ted’s partner in 2004, and, after Ted’s retirement 15 years ago, he has been at the helm of the business. Longevity and excellence remain the company’s priorities over short-term financial gains, supported by the continued involvement of the founding family on the board. Pat elaborates on the offerings that form the backbone of the company’s success: “Alongside the vast array of automotive parts, we also produce components for various appliances, such as the KitchenAid mixer, for which we manufacture all the parts except the motor itself. We also provide parts for various other appliances, including hand dryers and washing machines.”
Pat goes on to outline the factors that differentiate the business in a crowded and competitive marketplace: “A few years ago we asked our customers this very question. The response we got was our customer service, our technical expertise in die casting, and our ability to respond quickly. It was useful to get that feedback, and we tend to agree that these three areas stand out as strengths of ours.”
Another significant asset in the company’s arsenal is its three cutting-edge die cast manufacturing plants. With the plant at High Point having recently initiated an impressive capital investment campaign, Pat shares some of the details: “We’ve been prioritizing the refurbishment of some of our ancillary equipment, such as a water-cooling tower, which provides cold water to all the equipment in our die casting area. We have also been replacing our legacy equipment with more state-of-the-art machines that can better meet today’s demands. We’ve been making structural improvements throughout the concrete buildings, which will result in areas not only becoming more fit for purpose but also making them much more livable spaces for the folks working here. It’s where they spend a large proportion of their time, so it’s important to us that we make their work environment as comfortable as possible.
“Alongside these general improvements, we have included smart factory solutions. Over the last two years, we have adopted some systems to enhance our IoT approach to increase automation. Our control systems, for example, are talking to and taking information from our machines; this information then gets relayed to a visual system that allows you to see all the information in real time for each of the machines.
“The other major smart solution that we have implemented is in the CNC section of our machining plant, which has greatly improved our response times. For example, the system displays the information in a graph format, which allows you to see where the struggle points are and, in turn, where you need to allocate resources, so it has been a very useful addition.”
The implementation of smart factory solutions and the refurbishment of equipment have improved both productivity and the working environment. As efficiency advances, certain challenges in the process can become more obvious. Pat highlights a particularly illustrative example: “Lifting devices have had a major impact and represent something of a breakthrough for us. Some of our parts can be very heavy, from between 11lbs to 22lbs. Depending on the product, we could be moving two or three parts this size, but other times this can increase to between 60 and 65 parts per hour.
“Having robotic loading devices that work beside the people has been well received; everyone loves it. We’ve even been working collaboratively with some of our competitors on the approach. It’s a good example of automation providing support that makes the job easier without threatening to replace any jobs. It also helps to show in a material way that we really care about making life better for our employees.” 
Making sure that equipment and tooling are cutting-edge has enabled CDC to innovate its product range to include exciting new parts for breakthrough technologies, as Pat highlights: “We’ve just been awarded a contract for an electric motor component for a heavy truck application, for example. It’s the next frontier; electric vehicles are going to be a long-term solution in certain areas, and we really feel this is an example that will make a significant difference. The other significant new project is for an electric car; it was a part that had previously been made in China but is being reshored, if you will, to the US.
“This also represents a broader trend. Looking over 33 years in business and as an active member of trade associations and manufacturing communities, I feel manufacturers are getting more respect and appreciation than we have in the last several years. It feels good that people are recognizing the importance of manufacturing.”
Looking forward, Pat outlines the company’s strategy for expansion and leveraging recent improvements: prioritizing sales and new business development to capitalize on emerging opportunities. “Additionally, we will continue to improve our culture because that is not something that is ever completed or perfect.
“In January, we had a strategy session to nail down our longer-term goals. We talked a lot about the ability to grow the business; we think growth is great for our people because it provides continuous challenges to engage them. It’s great for the business because it enables us to keep investing in innovative new ideas and new equipment. Another big focus has been on increasing the size of our equipment, which we will continue to do heading into the future. This will help us tackle some of the exciting emergent projects involving larger casting, which we want to be a part of moving forward. It will become a positive feedback loop: the stronger we get as manufacturers, the more competitive we will become and be able to take on bigger and more complex projects.”