What LeClaire Manufacturing does

LeClaire Manufacturing Co. is a privately held, family-owned aluminum casting and precision machining company founded in 1966 and headquartered in Bettendorf, Iowa. The company operates as a vertically integrated single-source supplier, providing in-house tool and die design, green sand and permanent mold aluminum casting, CNC machining with tolerances as tight as .0005 inches, in-house heat treating, core making, and quality inspection. Its production backbone includes automated green sand molding lines, robotic ladling, automatic-tilt permanent mold machines with thermocouple-based temperature control, MAGMA solidification simulation, and SolidWorks/Pro Engineering CAD design.

The company generates revenue through custom project-based manufacturing, with pricing quoted per part based on casting method, alloy, complexity, volume, and machining requirements; no public price list is maintained. It sells exclusively via direct enterprise field sales, supported by a website quote request form, direct phone contact, industry trade shows (PMTS, The Assembly Show), and content marketing. Its customer base spans eight verticals: agriculture, recreational vehicles, heavy truck, marine, railroad, valves and pumps, military and defense, and engine components — with named testimonials from a Fortune 300 OEM president and supplier-quality engineers at large industrial employers.

LeClaire holds ANAB ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and EU PED 2014/68/EU certifications, supports 251-500 employees, and reports a 98% on-time delivery record. Its most recent strategic technology initiative is the deployment of Caddis Systems AI-powered CNC coolant monitoring, which produced a documented 94% reduction in annual pump replacement costs. The company received a $500,000 Iowa Economic Development Authority award in March 2022. There is no public revenue disclosure, no institutional funding, no M&A activity, and no parent company.

Name

LeClaire Manufacturing

Legal name

LeClaire Manufacturing Co.

Website

https://leclairemfg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

LeClaire Manufacturing is a family-owned, vertically integrated aluminum casting and CNC machining supplier founded in 1966 in Bettendorf, Iowa, serving enterprise OEMs across agriculture, heavy truck, marine, railroad, valves and pumps, military, and engine component industries with custom sand and permanent mold castings plus precision-machined finished parts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aluminum Casting Manufacturing

NAICS

Nonferrous Metal Die-Casting Foundries (331523), Industrial Mold Manufacturing (333511)

SIC

Nonferrous Foundries (Castings) (3360)

akta.pro primary industry

Aluminum Casting & Ingot/Billet/Slab Production (IMAKACAE)

Keywords

• Aluminum sand casting
• Permanent mold casting
• CNC machining services
• Tool and die manufacturing
• Custom aluminum castings

Headquarters

HQ city

Bettendorf

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Aluminum Casting Manufacturing: LeClaire generates revenue through custom manufacturing of aluminum castings and CNC machining services. As a project-based custom manufacturer, they produce sand castings, permanent mold castings, and machined parts to customer specifications. Revenue is generated through one-time project payments for custom parts, though established customer relationships create recurring business opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LeClaire Manufacturing is a single-source, vertically integrated aluminum casting and CNC machining supplier producing custom green sand castings, permanent mold castings, steel-inserted aluminum castings, precision machined parts, and in-house tooling and dies for industrial OEM customers. All work is performed in their Bettendorf, Iowa facility using automated molding equipment, robotic ladling, MAGMA solidification simulation, and CNC machining centers to deliver finished, inspected parts under one roof.

Product overview

LeClaire Manufacturing is a family-owned single-source aluminum casting and machining supplier founded in 1966, offering a vertically integrated portfolio of manufacturing services under one roof. The core product portfolio consists of Sand Casting (green sand, automated molding and robotic ladling), Permanent Mold Casting (reusable steel/iron molds with automated tilt machines), Steel Inserted Aluminum Casting (permanent mold variation with cast-in steel inserts for high-strength applications), CNC Machining (milling, turning, broaching with tolerances as tight as .0005 inches), Tool & Die Manufacturing (in-house design using SolidWorks and Pro Engineering with MAGMA solidification simulation), and Prototyping (fast-turnaround sand casting prototypes). These are supported by in-house core making, heat treating, quality inspection and leak testing, anodizing, solidification modeling, and impregnation capabilities. The company's single-source model streamslines the supply chain by combining foundry and machine shop operations, enabling one engineering team to manage casting and machining from design through finished part, with one accountable production partner and one phone call for any issue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sand Casting Green sand casting manufacturing service using automated molding machines and robotic ladling systems to produce porosity-free aluminum castings for low to medium production volumes and complex geometries with multi-piece core assemblies, supplied to industrial OEM customers.
• Permanent Mold Casting Reusable iron or steel mold casting service using automatic-tilt machines with thermocouplers and tilt time regulators, producing castings with approximately 15% higher mechanical properties than sand casting, tighter dimensional tolerances, and smoother surface finish for industrial OEM customers.
• Steel Inserted Aluminum Casting Permanent mold casting variation in which steel inserts are placed in high-stress areas of aluminum castings, combining aluminum's light weight with steel's strength in selected areas, with engineering design and modification of parts requiring cast-in inserts.
• CNC Machining Precision CNC machining service including milling, turning, and broaching, holding tolerances as tight as .0005 inches on hydraulic cylinder bores with aerospace-grade surface finishes, supporting single-source accountability from casting through finished machined part for industrial OEM customers.
• Tool & Die Manufacturing Full-service in-house tooling design and manufacturing service using SolidWorks and Pro Engineering Design software, with MAGMA solidification modeling to identify and prevent defect areas before tooling is produced, covering tool design, simulation testing, tool-making, and repair.
• Prototyping

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% reduction in annual pump replacement costs (from $200,000 to $15,000)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Caddis SystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationLeClaire Manufacturing deployed Caddis Systems monitoring technology to track coolant temperatures and trigger maintenance alerts, achieving a 94% reduction in annual pump replacement costs (from $200,000 to $15,000). This AI-powered CNC monitoring solution helps improve efficiency amid skilled labor shortages.
• MAGMAcoreTechnology or IntegrationLeClaire uses MAGMA solidification modeling technology to identify and prevent potential problem areas before tooling is ever made. This casting simulation software runs on all new tooling for both sand and permanent mold casting processes.
• SolidWorkscoreTechnology or IntegrationLeClaire uses SolidWorks Design software for 3D CAD modeling of customer tools and dies in their in-house tooling and die shop.
• Pro Engineering (PTC)coreTechnology or IntegrationLeClaire uses Pro Engineering Design software (now PTC) for 3D CAD modeling of customer tools and dies in their in-house tooling and die shop.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pace Industries: One of the largest North American custom aluminum and zinc die casting and machining suppliers, offering vertically integrated casting, machining, and assembly services to similar industrial end markets including heavy truck, agriculture, and industrial equipment. Direct competitor to LeClaire for outsourced aluminum castings and finished machined parts.
• Dynacast: Global precision metal component manufacturer using die casting, CNC machining, and assembly across multiple nonferrous alloys. Competes with LeClaire for multi-process, tight-tolerance cast-and-machined components sold to industrial OEMs.
• Eck Industries: US-based custom aluminum foundry specializing in sand, permanent mold, and investment castings for aerospace, defense, and industrial customers. Closest peer to LeClaire on the casting-process mix (sand + permanent mold) and complexity of parts produced.
• Harrison Steel Castings: US custom steel foundry producing highly engineered castings for rail, mining, military, and heavy industrial customers with in-house machining and finishing. Direct peer on the business model of complex custom castings + post-cast machining for industrial/defense end markets, although LeClaire focuses on aluminum rather than steel.
• Impro Industries: Global manufacturer of precision investment castings, sand castings, and machined components serving aerospace, industrial, and fluid handling end markets. Comparable to LeClaire in the combination of complex casting plus in-house CNC machining for industrial customers.
• Meridian Lightweight Technologies: Joint venture focused on high-pressure die cast magnesium and aluminum components for the automotive and industrial markets. Comparable to LeClaire as a single-source lightweight metal casting and machining supplier to transportation and industrial OEMs.

Broad incumbents

• Kaiser Aluminum: Publicly traded semi-fabricated specialty aluminum mill products company supplying aerospace, automotive, and industrial applications. Adjacent competitor in the aluminum value chain serving overlapping OEM customers in aerospace and industrial markets.
• Mueller Industries: Publicly traded manufacturer of copper, brass, aluminum, and plastic products serving plumbing, HVAC, industrial, and automotive markets. Adjacent competitor serving similar industrial OEM customers with cast and fabricated metal components.
• Arconic: Large publicly traded aluminum products manufacturer serving aerospace, automotive, and industrial customers with rolled, extruded, and cast aluminum solutions. Operates at vastly greater scale and breadth than LeClaire but competes in aluminum castings for similar end markets.
• Shiloh Industries: Publicly traded supplier of lightweighting, noise and vibration solutions including aluminum and magnesium die castings, stampings, and machined components. Operates a broader product portfolio than LeClaire but competes directly in cast and machined aluminum components for automotive and industrial OEMs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LeClaireMfgCo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDEkSbqmZfauuNPnLByzOVw
• Facebookfacebook.com/LeClaireManufacturing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/leclaire-manufacturing-40410646

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LeClaire Manufacturing