Aarrowcast

What Aarrowcast does

Aarrowcast, Inc., operating commercially as Charter Casting, is a privately held iron foundry founded in 1978 and headquartered in a 210,000-square-foot facility on 40 acres in Shawano, Wisconsin (approximately 40 miles northwest of Green Bay). The company produces custom gray and ductile iron castings across grades including ASTM A48 (Gray Iron), ASTM A536 (Ductile Iron), ASTM A897 (Austempered Ductile Iron), EN 1563 Solid Solution Strengthened Ferritic Iron, and High Silicon Moly, with annual production capacity of 50,000 tons and a casting weight range of 300 to 2,000 lbs. Core production assets include a 60"x85" Georg Fischer automatic green-sand molding line (one of the largest in North America), an automated conveyorized core room with Laempe L50/L120/L150 and 13 Redford Isocure machines, six 9-ton Brown Boveri coreless induction furnaces, MAGMA solidification simulation software, and in-house metallurgical, dimensional (CMM, 3D laser scan), and sand laboratories. The company is part of the privately held Charter Manufacturing family of businesses (87-year operating heritage) and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification through April 2026.

Charter Casting serves more than 100 industrial OEM customers across seven primary verticals: agricultural equipment (including John Deere 9 Liter AG engine castings), heavy truck (axle housings, trackframes, final drive housings), government and defense, pumps/valves/compressors, mining and construction, railroad, and general industrial equipment. Named customer logos include Camso, Anderson Laboratories, SKF Mounted Products, Applied Process, and Wanner Engineering. The company operates a sales-led, relationship-driven B2B go-to-market in which customers submit blueprints or models via a Request a Quote form (up to 6MB file upload) and the engineering team collaborates on design, metallurgy, and manufacturing before direct order fulfillment from the single Shawano foundry. Pricing is quote-based per project, dependent on casting complexity, iron grade, weight, tooling, and volume, with multi-year contracts supporting revenue continuity.

Revenue mechanics rest on two streams: custom iron casting manufacturing (the dominant share, billed as hardware per part) and value-added coordination services that aggregate heat treating, painting, and machining through approved partners to deliver ready-to-install parts. The commercial motion is enterprise field sales supported by named direct contacts (Sales: Dan Henry; Customer Service: Justine Lance; Technical: Cesar Braga), with no third-party distribution, no public pricing, and no geographic expansion beyond domestic U.S. The company positions its differentiation on large-part capability (up to 2,000 lbs), metallurgical versatility, engineering design collaboration, and a 39-piece-to-1-casting conversion track record that materially reduces customer assembly cost.

Name

Aarrowcast

Legal name

Aarrowcast, Inc.

Website

https://aarrowcast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Aarrowcast, Inc. (d/b/a Charter Casting) is a privately held iron foundry in Shawano, Wisconsin, producing custom gray and ductile iron castings up to 2,000 lbs at 50,000 tons annual capacity for more than 100 industrial OEM customers across agricultural, heavy truck, defense, railroad, and mining sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Iron Castings and Foundry Services

NAICS

Iron Foundries (331511), Steel Foundries (except Investment) (331513)

SIC

Iron & Steel Foundries (3320)

akta.pro primary industry

Steel Casting (Continuous Casting, Ingots, Semi-Finished Slabs/Billets/Blooms) (IMAKABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hot Rolling & Primary Mills (Plate, Hot-Rolled Coil/Sheet, Strip) (IMAKABAE)

Keywords

• Iron casting foundry
• Ductile iron castings
• Gray iron castings
• Custom metal castings
• Industrial foundry services

Headquarters

HQ city

Shawano

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Iron Casting Manufacturing: Revenue generated by producing custom gray and ductile iron castings (and Austempered Ductile Iron / Solid Solution Strengthened Ferritic Iron) per customer specifications. Project-based, made-to-order business with each engagement scoped to a unique component (blueprint or model provided by customer). Volume ranges from low to high volume orders. Production capacity is 50,000 tons of ductile and gray iron castings annually for more than 100 customers.
2. Value-Added Coordination Services: Coordination of approved heat treating, painting, and machining suppliers to deliver finished, ready-to-install parts, generating additional value beyond raw castings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aarrowcast (operating as Charter Casting) is a single-site U.S. iron foundry that produces custom gray and ductile iron castings weighing 300 to 2,000+ lbs from its 210,000-square-foot Shawano, Wisconsin facility, with annual output of 50,000 tons for more than 100 industrial OEM customers. The foundry also offers value-added coordination of heat treating, painting, and machining suppliers to deliver finished ready-to-install cast components.

Product overview

Aarrowcast (operated as Charter Casting) is a single-line-of-business iron foundry that delivers custom gray and ductile iron castings as a unified manufacturing offering rather than a multi-product platform. The portfolio centers on a family of cast iron grades — Gray Iron (per ASTM A48), Ductile Iron (per ASTM A536), Austempered Ductile Iron / ADI (per ASTM A897), Solid Solution Strengthened Ferritic Iron / SSSF (per EN 1563:2012), and High Silicon Moly — each produced through shared core capabilities including a 60"x85" Georg Fischer green sand molding line, Laempe core production (L50/L120/L150), Brown Boveri induction melting, MAGMA solidification simulation, and in-house dimensional/metallurgical/sand laboratories. Sample end-product castings span the Mining & Construction (Housing Front ACC Drive), Agricultural (Sprocket, Oil Pan 9.0 Liter), Heavy Truck (Axle Housing, Trackframe, Housing Std Final Drive), and Railroad (Axle Housing, Housing Gear) industries, with the company producing approximately 50,000 tons of castings annually for more than 100 customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gray Iron Castings Custom gray iron castings produced per ASTM A48 specifications (grades G20, G25, G30, G35, G40), with European equivalents also available. Manufactured on Charter Casting's 60"x85" Georg Fischer green sand molding line for industrial OEM customers.
• Ductile Iron Castings Custom ductile iron castings produced per ASTM A536 (grades 60-40-18, 65-45-12, 80-50-06, 100-70-03) and EN-GJS-400-18LT per EN 1563; 60-40-18 properties achievable without heat treat, reducing cost and lead time for OEM customers.
• Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) Castings Austempered Ductile Iron produced per ASTM A897 (grades 130-90-09, 150-110-07, 175-125-04, 200-155-02, 230-185-01) for higher-strength applications requiring enhanced wear or fatigue performance.
• Solid Solution Strengthened Ferritic Iron (SSSF) Castings SSSF iron produced per EN 1563:2012 (grades GJS 450-18, GJS 500-14, GJS 600-10), targeting applications requiring enhanced ductility and strength combinations.
• High Silicon Moly Iron Castings High silicon molybdenum iron produced per customer specification for specialized applications requiring elevated temperature or wear performance.
• Value-Added Casting Coordination Services Coordination of approved heat treating, painting, and machining suppliers to deliver finished, ready-to-install cast parts to industrial OEM customers, generating value beyond raw castings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000 tons of ductile and gray iron castings produced annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• American Foundry Society (AFS)coreOthersIndustry association membership. Charter Casting is a member of AFS, which also serves as the awarding body for Charter Casting's 2014 Casting of the Year, 2015 Plant Engineering Award, and 2016 Casting of the Year Honorable Mention. AFS connection provides industry visibility, standards participation, and conference presence.
• American Society for Quality (ASQ)minorOthersIndustry association membership supporting Charter Casting's quality-focused operations and continuous improvement culture.
• American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM)minorOthersIndustry association membership. Charter Casting produces iron grades per ASTM standards including ASTM A48 (Gray Iron), ASTM A536 (Ductile Iron), and ASTM A897 (Austempered Ductile Iron).
• Iron Casting Research Institute (ICRI)minorOthersIndustry association membership connecting Charter Casting to iron casting research and development resources.
• Shawano Country Chamber of CommerceminorOthersLocal chamber of commerce membership supporting community engagement in Shawano, Wisconsin.
• Ethical AdvocateminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndependent third-party hosting Charter Casting's Ethics and Values Hotline, enabling anonymous and confidential reporting of ethical concerns. Provides an external governance and compliance infrastructure for employees, customers, vendors, and other business partners.
• Anderson Laboratories, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLong-standing partnership on routine testing and collaborative projects. Anderson Laboratories praises Charter Casting's technical staff and metallurgical lab personnel for being easy to work with, knowledgeable, and providing impeccable purchasing documentation/instructions. Verbatim compliance with requirements, specifications, and casting quality keeps Charter Casting "in the upper echelon of the iron casting industry."
• Applied ProcessminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHeat treating / process services partner. Applied Process praises Charter Casting's collaboration and teamwork, attention to detail, and consistency in iron casting production.
• Charter Manufacturing (Parent Company)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharter Casting is part of the Charter family of businesses (Charter Manufacturing), operating for 87 years. The careers page links to the Charter Manufacturing Workday careers portal, contact email domains use @chartermfg.com and @charteraarrowcast.com, and sustainability reports are issued at the Charter family level. The companies share branding, talent infrastructure, and values.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• American Foundry Society (AFS): Industry association representing North American metalcasters including iron foundries. Not a competitor but a peer-relevant ecosystem body that Charter Casting actively participates in (awards, standards, conferences).

Direct peers

• Pohl Iron Works: US iron foundry producing large custom gray and ductile iron castings for industrial, mining, and infrastructure customers. Comparable scale and focus on heavy, complex castings.
• Carley Foundry: Custom ductile and gray iron foundry serving OEM customers with mid- to large-sized castings. Comparable in made-to-order B2B model and iron grade portfolio.
• Grede Holdings: US-based producer of ductile iron, gray iron, and austempered ductile iron castings serving heavy truck, industrial, and automotive markets. Closely comparable in iron grade range, molding technology, and OEM customer profile.
• Dotson Iron Castings: Minnesota-based iron foundry producing custom gray and ductile iron castings up to several thousand pounds for heavy equipment and industrial OEMs. Comparable in product range, casting size capability, and target industrial verticals.
• Waupaca Foundry (Proterial): One of the largest iron foundries in North America, producing ductile and gray iron castings for automotive, heavy truck, and industrial markets. Highly comparable to Charter Casting in process (green-sand molding, induction melting), customer base, and scale.
• East Jordan Iron Works: Long-standing US iron foundry producing gray and ductile iron castings, including municipal and industrial products. Comparable in heritage, iron foundry process, and industrial customer base.
• Quaker City Castings: Pennsylvania-based iron foundry producing gray and ductile iron castings for pumps, valves, compressors, and general industrial markets. Comparable customer segment overlap and custom B2B motion.
• Cast-Fab Technologies: Integrated iron casting and machining supplier producing custom gray and ductile iron components for industrial OEMs. Comparable in offering ready-to-install finished parts via in-house machining.

Broad incumbents

• Hitachi Metals / Proterial: Parent of Waupaca Foundry and a global specialty metals/materials supplier with significant iron casting operations. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering overlapping iron casting capabilities within a wider materials portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=0yRk6yW6j4M
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aarrowcast

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Aarrowcast