Illini Castings begins plant operations in Illinois

Illini Castings LLC, an affiliate of Mervis Industries, specializes in reconditioning railroad castings. The company began operations in November and will employ 17 people in the first year. The company plans to employ up to 30 individuals, mostly skilled welders.

The collaboration between Mervis Industries and the team at Illini Castings, LLC brings together two companies committed to reuse and recycling.  “We are extremely pleased to announce the joint venture with John and the group from Illini Castings,” said Adam Mervis, President of Mervis Industries. “Their commitment to quality workmanship and reuse of existing materials fits with the long-standing mission of Mervis Industries.”

Illini Castings’ president, John Widmer; Ray Johnson, vice president and general manager; and Mike Marriott, quality assurance and safety manager, bring a combined 75 years of experience in railroad castings refurbishing.

There are direct benefits for customers in using refurbished parts. “Customers will realize a cost savings by utilizing refurbished parts,” explains Widmer. “An additional benefit for customers is access to refurbished parts that are no longer in production, particularly side frames and bolsters.”

Most of the railroad parts that Illini Castings will refurbish come from scrap yards or derailment sites. The castings consist of couplers, yokes, side frames and bolsters from retired rail cars. Illini Castings will provide the unique heat treating facility for couplers and yokes that is not readily available because of the specialized equipment and training required to run the furnace. The new company will recondition the material and certify that refurbished parts meet stringent quality assurance requirements. The finished product will be sold to Class One railroads, short lines and other railroad suppliers.

“We don’t normally associate this type of recycling with ‘green’ industry,” Haugen said. “We’re looking for it to be a growth business as well.”

For more than 70 years, Mervis Industries has been helping industries reuse valuable materials instead of depleting natural resources. The company’s commitment to recycling has always gone beyond the processing of materials to include creating innovative ways to add services and avoid waste.