Trace Die Cast
Trace Die Cast is a privately held Tier 1 and Tier 2 aluminum die casting manufacturer serving automotive OEMs from Bowling Green, Kentucky. It operates 44 Buhler die casting machines and 60+ CNC machines producing components for ICE, hybrid, and electric vehicles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersBowling Green, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Trace Die Cast does
Trace Die Cast, Inc. is a privately held Tier One and Tier Two supplier of high-quality aluminum die castings serving the global automotive industry from a single facility at 140 Graham Avenue, Bowling Green, Kentucky. Founded in November 1988 by former Ford Motor Company employees led by Lowell Guthrie after Ford closed its Sheffield, Alabama die casting plant in 1983, the company began operations in 1989 with two 600-ton die casting machines and has expanded over 30 years to 44 state-of-the-art Buhler die casting machines (ranging from 950 to 2,500 tons) and over 60 CNC machines, plus a fully automated assembly line for battery trays. The Kentucky location places the company within 10 hours and 600 miles of US automotive manufacturers, providing logistics advantages for serving domestic OEM programs.
The company's product portfolio is organized into three automotive casting lines: ICE Castings (valve bodies, converter housings, and engine covers for internal combustion engines), FHEV Castings (battery trays and covers for fully hybrid electric vehicles), and BEV Castings (e-motor housings, gear boxes, and end-covers for battery electric vehicles). Products are delivered as fully machined and assembled components or cast-only parts. Supporting capabilities include precision CNC machining, sub-component system assembly using lean manufacturing principles with integrated robotics, and engineering services covering casting design assistance, 3-D modeling, prototype development, and continuous improvement.
Revenue is generated through B2B hardware sales under long-term contracts with automotive OEMs, reached via direct enterprise field sales. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is likely negotiated on a per-part or contract basis. The customer base is concentrated in the automotive OEM vertical, with no external institutional or private equity investors identified in available materials. The company operates as an independent, privately held corporation with no public listing.
Trace Die Cast firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Trace Die Cast
- Legal name
- Trace Die Cast, Inc.
- Website
- https://tracediecast.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Trace Die Cast is a privately held Tier 1 and Tier 2 aluminum die casting manufacturer serving automotive OEMs from Bowling Green, Kentucky. It operates 44 Buhler die casting machines and 60+ CNC machines producing components for ICE, hybrid, and electric vehicles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Trace Die Cast industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Aluminum Die Casting
- NAICS
- Nonferrous Metal Die-Casting Foundries (331523)
- SIC
- Nonferrous Foundries (Castings) (3360)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aluminum Casting & Ingot/Billet/Slab Production (IMAKACAE)
Keywords
Where Trace Die Cast is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bowling Green
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Trace Die Cast business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Aluminum Die Casting Components: Manufacture and supply of aluminum die cast components (valve bodies, converter housings, engine covers, battery trays, e-motor housings, gear boxes, end-covers) for automotive applications. Products supplied as fully machined and assembled components or cast-only products under long-term OEM contracts.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Trace Die Cast product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Trace Die Cast manufactures high-pressure aluminum die cast components and provides precision CNC machining, sub-component assembly, and engineering services for automotive OEMs. Its offerings span ICE castings (valve bodies, converter housings, engine covers), FHEV castings (battery trays and covers), and BEV castings (e-motor housings, gear boxes, end-covers), delivered as fully machined and assembled components or cast-only products.
Product overview
Trace Die Cast is a full-service aluminum die casting manufacturer offering a unified portfolio of high-pressure die casting and precision machining solutions for the global automotive industry. The company operates 44 Buhler die casting machines (950-2500 tons) and over 70 CNC machines, plus a fully automated assembly line for battery trays. Their product portfolio includes three main casting product lines: ICE Castings (valve bodies, converter housings, engine covers for internal combustion engines), FHEV Castings (battery trays and covers for hybrid vehicles), and BEV Castings (e-motor housings, gear boxes, end-covers for electric vehicles). These are complemented by four core service offerings: Casting, Machining, Assembly, and Engineering, which together provide customers with fully machined and assembled components from design through production.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ICE Castings Internal Combustion Engine castings including fully machined and assembled components such as valve bodies, converter housings, and engine covers for traditional ICE vehicles, supplied to automotive OEMs.
- FHEV Castings Fully Hybrid Electric Vehicle castings including fully machined and assembled components such as battery trays and covers for hybrid vehicles, supplied to automotive OEMs.
- BEV Castings Battery Electric Vehicle castings including fully machined and assembled components such as e-motor housings, gear boxes, and end-covers for electric vehicles, supplied to automotive OEMs.
- Casting Services High-pressure die casting operations using 44 state-of-the-art Buhler die casting machines ranging from 950 tons to 2500 tons, offered to automotive customers requiring technically challenging castings.
- Machining Services Precision CNC machining operations with over 70 CNCs enabling precision machining of complex castings for automotive customers, including fully automated production cells with high-pressure deburring, washing, optical gauging, and laser serialization.
- Assembly Services Sub-component system assembly using lean-manufacturing principles with integrated robots and skilled operators, featuring a zero-defects mentality on a fully automated assembly line for battery trays.
- Engineering Services Engineering solutions including advanced casting design assistance, 3-D modeling, prototype development, and continuous improvement concepts to reduce costs and decrease product development lifecycle for automotive customers.
Companies that use Trace Die Cast
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Trace Die Cast technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Trace Die Cast partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Trace Die Cast competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Shiloh Industries: Automotive tier 1/2 supplier specializing in aluminum and magnesium die castings for ICE, hybrid, and EV programs. Directly comparable to Trace given the shared customer base, product categories (engine, transmission, and structural castings), and high-pressure die casting process focus.
- Dynacast: Global precision die caster producing aluminum and zinc components across automotive, industrial, and consumer markets. Comparable core process and engineering services; broader end-market exposure than Trace.
- Martinrea International: Canadian tier 1 automotive supplier with substantial aluminum die casting and lightweight structures operations. Comparable in serving global OEMs on aluminum structural and powertrain components, including EV programs, though materially larger in scale.
- Chicago White Metal Casting: US-based aluminum and magnesium die caster offering high-pressure die casting, CNC machining, and assembly. Comparable in process technology, service integration, and tier 1/2 automotive supplier role.
- Meridian Lightweight Technologies: Leggett & Platt subsidiary producing aluminum die castings for automotive structural and powertrain applications. Comparable in process technology, customer profile, and product categories, including battery trays and structural castings for EV programs.
- Pace Industries: Privately held North American aluminum and zinc die caster serving automotive and industrial OEMs with casting, machining, and assembly. Closely comparable to Trace in size band, vertical integration, and tier 1/2 supplier role.
- Premier Die Casting: US aluminum and zinc die caster serving automotive and industrial OEMs with casting and machining capabilities. Comparable in process, customer profile, and tier 2 automotive supplier role to Trace.
Broad incumbents
- Nemak: Large, publicly listed Mexican automotive aluminum castings supplier serving global OEMs with engine, transmission, and EV structural components. Comparable process technology and customer base to Trace, but materially larger scale and global footprint.
- Magna Cosma: Magna International's body and chassis metalforming division, including large-scale aluminum die casting for automotive OEMs. Comparable process technology and customer base, though operating within the much broader Magna portfolio.
- GF Casting Solutions: Georg Fischer division providing iron and aluminum casting solutions for automotive and industrial customers. Comparable in die casting process and automotive exposure, though part of a larger industrial conglomerate with global scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Trace Die Cast compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Trace Die Cast financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Trace Die Cast leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Trace Die Cast funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Trace Die Cast M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Trace Die Cast
What does Trace Die Cast do?
Trace Die Cast manufactures high-pressure aluminum die cast components and provides precision CNC machining, sub-component assembly, and engineering services for automotive OEMs. Its offerings span ICE castings (valve bodies, converter housings, engine covers), FHEV castings (battery trays and covers), and BEV castings (e-motor housings, gear boxes, end-covers), delivered as fully machined and assembled components or cast-only products.
Is Trace Die Cast a public or private company?
Trace Die Cast is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Trace Die Cast founded?
Trace Die Cast was founded in 1988. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Trace Die Cast based?
Trace Die Cast is headquartered in Bowling Green, United States, in the North America region.
How does Trace Die Cast make money?
One revenue line is on record: aluminum Die Casting Components.
Who are Trace Die Cast's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Shiloh Industries, Dynacast, Martinrea International, Chicago White Metal Casting, Meridian Lightweight Technologies, Pace Industries and Premier Die Casting. Broad incumbents are Nemak, Magna Cosma and GF Casting Solutions.
Does Trace Die Cast have an API?
No public API is recorded for Trace Die Cast.
What industry is Trace Die Cast in?
Trace Die Cast's product category is Automotive Aluminum Die Casting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKACAE, Aluminum Casting & Ingot/Billet/Slab Production. Its NAICS code is 331523 and its SIC code is 3360.