For nearly 80 years, Wagstaff has led the aluminum casting industry with groundbreaking technology, enduring quality, and global partnerships
Wagstaff is a family-owned company headquartered in Spokane, Washington, specializing in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of direct chill aluminum casting equipment for the global aluminum industry. Wagstaff’s roots trace back to 1946, when George Wagstaff founded the company in a pump house behind his home as a small machine shop serving the local community.
“Over the decades,” Steve Anderson, CEO, begins, “we’ve grown into a world leader in direct chill casting technology, delivering equipment to customers in 59 countries. What’s remarkable is that our success has always been built on the same foundation of innovation, quality, and an unwavering commitment to serving our customers. As we approach our 80th anniversary, those principles remain the heartbeat of our business.”
Wagstaff provides a comprehensive portfolio of equipment and services to support the aluminum casting process from start to finish. Its product line includes billet and ingot casting machines, molds, mold table systems, and a full range of automated casting control systems, rolling ingot and extrusion billet tooling, molten metal level control, and aerospace and hard alloy technologies.
“Beyond manufacturing equipment,” Steve continues, “we deliver engineering services, process optimization, installation support, training, and long-term customer care. Our customers rely on Wagstaff not just for the hardware, but for the expertise and partnership that come with it.
“The strength of the Wagstaff brand is supported by our innovation, quality, and long-term customer relationships. We have never been content to stand still; our engineering and R&D teams are constantly developing new technologies that improve safety, efficiency, and product quality for our customers. Quality is non-negotiable; our equipment is built to last for decades when properly maintained. And perhaps most importantly, we value relationships. Many of our customer partnerships span generations, and our employees, many of whom have been here for decades, are the driving force behind everything we achieve. That combination of forward thinking and deep-rooted trust has been the key to our longevity.”
All Wagstaff equipment is engineered, manufactured, and shipped directly from its Spokane and Hebron, Kentucky facilities. The team manages export logistics in-house, including crating, compliance documentation, and coordination with global freight carriers. While the company does not rely on third-party distributors, it has area sales managers strategically located around the world to provide local technical consultation and maintain close customer relationships. Each sales region is also supported by dedicated customer service representatives based at the company headquarters, who coordinate orders, track shipments, and connect customers with engineering and service resources. This integrated model ensures that every customer has direct, knowledgeable, and responsive support from initial project discussions through to installation and long-term operation. To serve the Chinese market specifically, the company has a service center located in Qingdao, China, that includes a team of customer service representatives and technical service engineers.
“Our main campus in Spokane covers more than 300,000 square feet of manufacturing, assembly, engineering, and office space, while our Hebron facility adds another 118,000 square feet,” Steve elaborates. “Every piece of Wagstaff equipment is designed, engineered and built in the US, using a combination of advanced CNC machining, precision fabrication, and skilled craftsmanship. We have the capability to produce everything from small, highly engineered components to large-scale casting machines, some weighing more than 130,000 pounds. Having all our design and manufacturing resources in one location means we can respond quickly to customer needs, maintain the highest quality standards, and push the boundaries of innovation.
“Our engineers and machinists work side-by-side, so challenges can be addressed in real time. That collaboration leads to better designs, faster turnaround, and
products that perform in the field. Unlike our primary competitors, Wagstaff engineers and builds all our equipment in house. Our customers know that if they have a problem with any of our systems, they only have one call to make. If necessary, we can leverage the engineer that designed it, the machinists and fabricators that built it and the engineers that commissioned it to address any problems in the field.”
In terms of Smart Factory technologies, on the manufacturing floor, Wagstaff has integrated advanced machining centers, automated welding systems, and digital inspection tools to improve efficiency and precision. “On the product side,” Steve shares, “our AutoCast™ automated casting control system equipped with the ProView™ smart video system exemplifies Smart Factory technology, collecting and analyzing process data in real time to help operators optimize casting conditions, enhance casthouse safety, improve product quality, and reduce waste. Internally, we’re also leveraging ERP and digital workflow tools to streamline operations, improve communication, and ensure we meet tight delivery schedules without compromising quality.”
Wagstaff’s commitment to innovation and R&D is another area in which the company is unique in its market. Unlike any of its competitors, Wagstaff operates multiple casting pits in the development of new technologies. The largest of those is a production scale casting pit that is fed by a 60,000-pound capacity furnace.
“The scale of this R&D casting facility ensures that products we develop are as ‘casthouse-ready’ as possible,” he explains. “We actively work with customers to understand their challenges and anticipate future needs, whether that’s casting hard alloys, improving yield, or reducing environmental impact. We invest heavily in prototyping and testing, using both in-house resources and customer trials to validate new designs. The key is to never stop asking: ‘How can we make this better?’ That mindset keeps us ahead of market trends and ready to deliver solutions that set new industry benchmarks.”
In terms of recent developments, Wagstaff APEX is the most advanced rolling ingot direct chill casting technology on the market and has been in full-scale production in customer plants for over five years. Similarly, its Heated Refractory System is another recent innovation, designed to improve casting reliability, metal quality and energy efficiency.
Wagstaff continues to invest in its manufacturing capabilities, including new large scale machining centers and a new 18,000-square-foot boxing and shipping facility with a 2400-square-foot truck port for improved traffic flow. The facility is scheduled to be ready for operation in Q1 2026.
Looking to the future, Steve shares that the remainder of this year is focused on delivering several large-scale international projects, continuing investments in manufacturing technology, and preparing for the 80th anniversary in 2026.
“Early next year,” he adds, “we expect to launch new product enhancements aimed at improving operational efficiency and sustainability for our customers. It’s a busy and exciting time for us. In five years, I envision Wagstaff continuing to lead the aluminum industry in both technology and service, with an even stronger global presence. We’ll be building on our expertise in sustainable manufacturing, expanding our capabilities in hard alloy casting, and developing new technologies that make aluminum production safer, cleaner, and more efficient. Most importantly, we’ll still be doing what we’ve done for 80 years; building trusted partnerships with our customers and delivering equipment they can count on.
“Our success is built by people: our employees, our customers, and our community,” Steve concludes. “Every innovation we develop, every piece of equipment we ship, and every anniversary we celebrate is the result of teamwork. As we look toward the future, that human element will remain at the center of everything we do.”