Travis Pattern & Foundry

What Travis Pattern & Foundry does

Travis Pattern and Foundry, Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned metal casting foundry founded in 1922 and headquartered in Spokane, Washington. The company produces aluminum, bronze, and cast iron castings for the agriculture/irrigation, electrical utility/power transmission, industrial, mining, vacuum, and fishing industries. It operates a vertically integrated model that spans pattern making, multiple casting processes (green sand molding on Hunter automated machines, permanent mold, and no-bake), and in-house secondary operations including CNC machining, heat treating, galvanizing, wheelabrating, painting, and vacuum pressure impregnation. Manufacturing is spread across roughly 250,000 sq. ft.: a 170,000 sq. ft. Spokane campus and the 80,000 sq. ft. Travis Ironworks iron-casting facility. Reported capacity includes approximately 7 million lbs of aluminum per year (with infrastructure capable of doubling), ~500,000 lbs of bronze/brass annually, and 800 tons/month of iron processing.

The business combines custom OEM contract casting with a portfolio of proprietary product lines and operating divisions. Proprietary brands include Wade Rain and related irrigation labels (A&M, Rainway, Felco, Western, Sonntag, Ames, Shur Rane, Moore Rane, Bolt Tite, Webstermatic), PDU substation connectors (acquired 1992), Travis Switchgear disconnect switches, and the Travis Utility Grounding Division (deployed 2013). Technical differentiation is grounded in process breadth and quality-control assets — Flow 3D FEA casting simulation, spectrograph analysis, Brinnell/Rockwell testing, and a vacuum pressure impregnation system — rather than software or IP-led differentiation. The company claims to be the largest privately owned provider of aluminum castings west of the Mississippi.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time sales of manufactured castings, supplemented by raw ingot sales (approximately 15% of annual aluminum output, roughly 1 million lbs, sold to other foundries and metallurgical facilities). Go-to-market is sales-led and quote-based: orders are processed by sales representatives via phone, fax, or email with no automated online transactions. Pricing is custom per project, driven by tooling, weight, alloy and heat-treat specifications, and annual quantities, with a $50 minimum order, net-30 terms, and F.O.B. shipping point. Distribution runs through direct OEM sales shipped worldwide and a regional dealer network for irrigation products.

Name

Travis Pattern & Foundry

Legal name

Travis Pattern and Foundry, Inc.

Website

https://travispattern.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Travis Pattern and Foundry is a 1922-founded, family-owned Spokane, Washington foundry producing aluminum, bronze, and cast iron castings and proprietary irrigation, substation-connector, and utility-grounding product lines for agriculture, utility, industrial, and mining OEM customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Castings & Foundry Manufacturing

NAICS

Aluminum Foundries (except Die-Casting) (331524), Other Nonferrous Metal Foundries (except Die-Casting) (331529), Iron Foundries (331511)

SIC

Nonferrous Foundries (Castings) (3360)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Aluminum castings
• Iron foundry
• Metal casting
• Substation connectors
• Irrigation equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Spokane

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Casting Products: One-time sale of manufactured castings (aluminum, bronze, cast iron) with net 30 payment terms. Quotations are firm for 30 days. Products sold FOB shipping point.
2. Raw Ingot Sales: Approximately 15% of annual aluminum output (roughly 1 million lbs) is sold as raw ingot to other foundries and metallurgical facilities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Travis Pattern & Foundry is a vertically integrated metal foundry that develops and manufactures proprietary and non-proprietary castings in aluminum, bronze, and cast iron, along with branded product lines including PDU substation connectors, Wade Rain irrigation equipment, and Travis Utility Grounding devices. The company operates end-to-end capabilities spanning pattern making, casting (green sand, permanent mold, no bake), CNC machining, heat treating, and galvanizing from its 250,000 sq ft Spokane, WA facilities.

Product overview

Travis Pattern & Foundry is a fourth-generation family-owned foundry and manufacturing company offering a diverse portfolio of casting products and industrial services. The company operates as a single platform with multiple product divisions and service capabilities. Core casting operations include aluminum (7 million lbs/year output), bronze (500,000 lbs/year), and cast iron castings (800 tons/month). Key proprietary product lines include: (1) PDU substation connectors for electrical utilities, (2) Wade Rain and Travis Irrigation products for agriculture including solar-powered wheel line movers via Hydroside partnership, (3) Travis Utility Grounding Division equipment, (4) vacuum and fishing industry fittings, and (5) Travis Ironworks for ductile and gray iron castings. The company also provides comprehensive secondary services including CNC machining, heat treating, galvanizing, and finishing operations. Supporting divisions include Travis Switchgear (disconnect switches) and affiliated companies for precision machining, fasteners, and industrial manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Product Design Utility (PDU): Proprietary line of substation connectors for electrical power transmission. Acquired in 1992 and has become a leading provider of substation connectors.
• Wade Rain
• Travis Utility Grounding
• A&M
• Rainway
• Felco
• Western
• Sonntag
• Ames
• Shur Rane
• Moore Rane
• Bolt Tite
• Webstermatic
• Poweroll

Products and services

• Casting Services (Aluminum, Bronze, Cast Iron) Full-service foundry producing aluminum castings (~7 million lbs/year), bronze castings (~500,000 lbs/year), and cast iron castings (800 tons/month) via green sand, permanent mold, and no-bake processes for OEM customers across multiple industries.
• Secondary Manufacturing Processes In-house secondary operations including CNC machining (12 Haas CNC centers), heat treating (7 ovens, 4 quench tanks, 6 ageing ovens), galvanizing, painting, wheelabrating, vacuum pressure impregnation, and finishing for cast products.
• PDU Substation Connectors Proprietary line of substation connectors for the electrical power transmission industry; PDU is a wholly-owned brand that has grown to become a leading provider of substation connectors.
• Wade Rain Irrigation Systems Proprietary Wade Rain line of wheel-line and hand-line irrigation systems, underground fittings, valves, and self-propelled irrigation equipment, plus A&M, Rainway, Felco, Western, Sonntag, Ames, Shur Rane, Moore Rane, Bolt Tite, and Webstermatic irrigation product brands.
• Wade Rain Solar Roll (Powered by HydroSide) Solar-powered wheel line mover system featuring all-electric, solar-charged drivetrain that can be remotely operated from up to 1 mile away.
• Travis Utility Grounding Division (UGD) Portable grounding equipment including ground clamps, grounding components, utility tools, and hot stick assemblies manufactured domestically with shorter lead times for utility customers.
• Travis Ironworks (Iron Castings) Dedicated 80,000 sq ft iron casting division producing gray iron castings (20-60 ksi tensile), ductile iron castings (60-120 ksi), and HI-chrome/NI-hard wear-resistant iron castings, with floor molding capabilities up to 1500 lbs finished weight.
• Travis Switchgear Disconnect switches of many types and sizes for the power transmission industry.
• Vacuum Fittings Aluminum and steel vacuum tubing and fittings in sizes ranging from 2.5" to 12" for industrial vacuum system applications.
• Fishing Industry Tubing and Fittings Aluminum and steel tubing and fittings for fishing industry applications, available in sizes up to 12".
• Aluminum Coil Racks Reusable cast aluminum racking systems for storage and handling of coiled aluminum sheet, designed for 24" and 30" diameter coils, stackable and break down for easy storage, accommodating 3", 4", or 6" diameter cores.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 million lbs aluminum output annually with potential to double capacity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hydroside SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Partnership to integrate Hydroside solar-powered drivetrain technology into Wade Rain and Western wheel line mover systems. Travis Pattern offers Wade Rain mover frames with Hydroside solar power systems, enabling remote operation up to 1-mile away. First step in bringing solar and battery powered operations to agricultural irrigation customers. Early 2023 included retrofit kit for existing units.
• Action Fasteners & SupplyminorOthersAffiliate company located in Spokane Valley, WA providing fasteners and supply chain support for seamless production.
• Alpine Industrial ManufacturingminorOthersAffiliate industrial manufacturing company in Lewiston, ID.
• American TurbineminorOthersAffiliate company in Clarkston, WA providing turbine components.
• BestFitt ProductsminorOthersAffiliate company in Puyallup, WA providing fittings products.
• IDA Precision MachiningminorOthersAffiliate precision machining company in Heron, MT.
• Kem EquipmentminorOthersAffiliate equipment company in Tualatin, OR.
• PascorminorOthersAffiliate company in Forest Grove, OR.
• Pascor AtlanticminorOthersAffiliate company in Bland, VA.
• Patton & CookeminorOthersAffiliate company in Surrey, BC, Canada.
• Smithco ManufacturingminorOthersAffiliate manufacturing company in Portland, OR.
• Travis IndustriesminorOthersAffiliate company in Mukilteo, WA, part of the Travis family of companies.
• Wade ManufacturingminorOthersAffiliate manufacturing company providing Wade Rain irrigation products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Waupaca Foundry: One of the largest independent iron foundries in the U.S., producing gray, ductile, and high-alloy iron castings for similar industrial, automotive, and heavy-equipment end markets. Directly comparable to Travis Ironworks in process, customer mix, and scale.
• Grede Holdings: U.S. iron and steel foundry producing ductile, gray, and high-alloy iron castings for transportation, industrial, and heavy machinery customers. Comparable in vertical integration (molding through machining) and end-market exposure to Travis's industrial and OEM casting business.
• MetalTek International: Multi-metal U.S. foundry producing nonferrous (aluminum, bronze) and high-alloy castings with in-house machining, heat treating, and pattern capabilities. Closely comparable to Travis in multi-metal flexibility, secondary services, and custom OEM work.
• Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry: U.S. aluminum-focused sand and permanent mold foundry with in-house CNC machining, serving industrial, military, and OEM customers. Directly comparable to Travis's aluminum casting operations in process mix and customer profile.
• Badger Alloys: U.S. nonferrous and ferrous foundry producing aluminum, bronze, and iron castings for industrial and OEM customers. Comparable in multi-metal, job-shop foundry model with secondary finishing capabilities.
• Benton Foundry: U.S. iron foundry producing gray and ductile iron castings for industrial, mining, and machinery customers. Comparable to Travis Ironworks in process, end markets, and mid-market size.
• St. Paul Foundry: U.S. iron and steel foundry producing castings for industrial, mining, and heavy-equipment end markets. Comparable in process, customer base, and mid-market operating model to Travis Ironworks.

Broad incumbents

• Valmont Industries: Large, diversified U.S. manufacturer of infrastructure products including irrigation equipment and utility/lighting structures. Overlaps with Travis's irrigation and utility end-product businesses (Wade Rain, PDU, UGD) as a much larger, publicly-traded incumbent.
• Lindsay Corporation: Public U.S. manufacturer of irrigation systems and infrastructure products (Zimmatic). Overlaps with Travis's Wade Rain irrigation product line as a larger, publicly-traded incumbent in the same agricultural irrigation end market.
• Marmon Group (Berkshire Hathaway): Berkshire-owned diversified industrial conglomerate with utility and infrastructure product businesses that overlap with Travis's substation connector, switchgear, and utility grounding product lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Travis Pattern & Foundry