What Chicago White Metal does

Chicago White Metal Casting, Inc. (CWM) is a privately held, family-owned custom high-pressure die casting manufacturer founded in 1937 and headquartered in a single facility at 649 IL Route 83 in Bensenville, Illinois, with 251-500 employees and four generations of Treiber-family leadership. The company runs both hot-chamber and cold-chamber die casting processes across aluminum (A380), magnesium (AZ91D), zinc (#3), ZA-8, and miniature 4-slide zinc alloys, and operates its own tooling design, CNC and multi-spindle machining, surface finishing (coating, plating, painting, vibratory deburring, grinding, polishing), and contract assembly operations - effectively a turn-key shop from concept through finished component.

CWM sells through a direct enterprise field-sales model, supported by an inside-sales team and a website RFQ funnel, with no distributors, resellers, or channel partners; the primary demand-generation engine is its content-led Design Center (webinars, case studies, NADCA-sponsored design guides, YouTube library). Revenue is project-based, priced per-part via custom quotes that reflect alloy, complexity, annual volume, tool life, and any value-added operations, with repeat production runs driving recurring revenue. The target buyer is OEM product designers, engineers, and purchasing managers in industrial, medical, automotive (IATF 16949-certified), electrical/electronic, alternative energy, agricultural/construction/mining, and data center infrastructure applications.

The operating profile is supported by documented quality and environmental systems (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, IATF 16949), Magmasoft in-house process simulation for first-shot success, a StrikoMelter aluminum furnace, advanced die casting equipment (including a 1,000-ton IDRA machine and a more recent IDRA-900), and human-cobot collaboration cells. CWM has been a multi-year winner of NADCA and International Magnesium Association awards and has a published customer roster that includes Sony (professional video), Trimble (surveying instruments), Kodak/Nikon (first magnesium die cast digital camera housing), medical and ultrasound OEMs, automotive OEM mirror supports, and defense applications such as Aerosonic.

Name

Chicago White Metal

Legal name

Chicago White Metal Casting, Inc.

Website

https://cwmdiecast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Chicago White Metal is a family-owned, fourth-generation custom high-pressure die casting manufacturer in Bensenville, Illinois, producing aluminum, magnesium, and zinc components for industrial, medical, automotive, electronic, alternative energy, and data center OEMs through direct enterprise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Die Casting Manufacturing

NAICS

Nonferrous Metal Die-Casting Foundries (331523)

SIC

Nonferrous Foundries (Castings) (3360)

akta.pro primary industry

Aluminum Fabrication & Finishing (Machining, Anodizing, Coating) (IMAKACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Custom die casting
• High pressure die casting
• Aluminum die casting
• Magnesium die casting
• Zinc die casting

Headquarters

HQ city

Bensenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Die Casting Production: CWM generates primary revenue through the production of custom high-pressure die cast components in aluminum, magnesium, and zinc alloys. Customers provide 3D CAD or 2D drawings, and CWM produces parts to specification across production volumes from prototype/low-volume to high-volume runs. The revenue is project-based, with pricing determined per-part through quote requests, and repeat orders drive recurring revenue relationships.
2. Tooling Design and Construction: CWM provides in-house tooling, design, and engineering services for die cast dies and trim tools. The company coordinates die design with customers, designers, toolmakers, and suppliers, overseeing die cast die and trim tool construction as part of project introduction from concept through release.
3. CNC Machining and Post-Casting Operations: CWM offers CNC machining, surface finishing (coating, plating, painting, vibratory media deburring, grinding, polishing), assembly, and testing services as value-added operations that convert die castings into fully finished components, sub-assemblies, or finished products.
4. Engineering Design Services: CWM provides engineering design assistance, design-for-manufacturing (DFM) consultation, and process simulation using Magmasoft to optimize part geometry, tooling strategy, alloy selection, and process capability before production, adding value to the core die casting service.
5. Prototype and Low Volume Production: CWM offers prototype and low-volume die casting options for customers evaluating die casting as an alternative to other manufacturing processes or refining existing designs before committing to full production tooling.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Chicago White Metal is a custom high-pressure die casting manufacturer that produces precision aluminum, magnesium, zinc, and ZA-8 die cast components for OEM customers in automotive, medical, electronics, industrial, and alternative energy markets. The company offers a turn-key service spanning design-for-manufacturing engineering, Magmasoft process simulation, in-house tooling, casting, CNC machining, surface finishing, and contract assembly from prototype through high-volume production. It is a third/fourth-generation family-owned business operating from a single Bensenville, Illinois facility under ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and IATF 16949 certifications.

Product overview

Chicago White Metal (CWM) is a full-service high-pressure die casting company offering a unified portfolio of die casting services centered around three core metal families: Aluminum (A380), Zinc (#3, ZA8), and Magnesium (AZ91D) alloys. The core die casting products are complemented by value-added modules including CNC machining, surface finishing/coating, assembly/testing, tooling, engineering design services, prototype development, and Magmasoft process simulation. The company operates both conventional die casting and specialized 4-slide miniature zinc die casting processes, providing a complete turn-key solution from upfront design consultation through final assembly and delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aluminum Die Casting

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% unit cost reduction achieved through redesign from two magnesium Thixomold parts to a single magnesium die casting for a digital projector enclosure
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 and minor.

• Fenton High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWM has maintained a long-standing partnership with Fenton High School in Bensenville for decades, providing facility tours, classroom presentations, career education, and ongoing community engagement. Most recently, CWM partnered with Fenton's Business INCubator program, mentoring two student-led startups (Brush & Go and Xpandi) through the program. CWM mentors guide students in business concept development, market research, and the MVP Pitch event. This partnership supports CWM's community relations and helps cultivate future engineering talent in the local community.
• North American Die Casting Association (NADCA)coreOthersCWM is an active member and participant in NADCA, the trade association for the die casting industry. CWM regularly contributes technical content to NADCA resources and has won multiple NADCA awards in the annual International Die Casting Competition. CWM distributes NADCA design guides, checklists, and standards through its Design Center to support OEM product designers.
• International Magnesium Association (IMA)coreOthersCWM is an active participant in IMA, having received multiple awards including Design Awards of Excellence and Process Technology Awards for automotive and other applications. IMA membership supports CWM's technical expertise positioning in magnesium die casting and provides a platform for industry recognition.
• Norsk Hydro MagnesiumminorOthersCWM references technical content prepared by Norsk Hydro Magnesium (a major primary magnesium producer) regarding EMI/RFI shielding characteristics of magnesium die castings, which CWM uses as a technical resource for customer education and marketing content.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pace Industries: Pace Industries is the largest independent die caster in North America, operating multiple facilities producing aluminum, zinc, and magnesium high-pressure die cast components for automotive, industrial, and consumer applications. It directly competes with CWM in custom high-pressure die casting across overlapping alloys and end markets, and is the clearest scale benchmark in the space.
• Premier Die Casting Company: Premier Die Casting is a custom high-pressure die caster producing aluminum and zinc components with CNC machining and finishing services for industrial and commercial customers. Its custom die casting plus value-added finishing model closely mirrors CWM's turnkey approach.
• Gibbs Die Casting: Gibbs Die Casting is an aluminum and magnesium high-pressure die caster based in Henderson, KY, serving automotive, commercial vehicle, and industrial markets. Its alloy mix, large-tonnage presses, and automotive focus overlap substantially with CWM's automotive and off-road vehicle applications.
• Citation Die Casting: Citation Die Casting is a high-pressure aluminum die caster serving automotive, industrial, and consumer customers with CNC machining and finishing capabilities. It is comparable to CWM in process (HPDC), alloy focus (aluminum), and value-added finishing model.
• Shiloh Industries: Shiloh Industries (now part of Flex-N-Gate) specializes in lightweight aluminum and magnesium die cast structural and acoustic components primarily for automotive OEMs. It directly competes with CWM in IATF-qualified automotive structural and closure castings and in magnesium-intensive lightweighting programs.
• Dynacast: Dynacast is a global precision die caster operating in zinc, aluminum, and magnesium with multi-slide and conventional die casting technology serving automotive, electronics, industrial, and consumer customers. Its precision miniature zinc capabilities and multi-alloy platform are directly comparable to CWM's portfolio, including 4-slide miniature zinc capabilities.
• Riverside Brass & Aluminum Foundry: Riverside Brass & Aluminum Foundry produces nonferrous castings including aluminum and copper alloys via sand, permanent mold, and other casting methods for industrial and marine customers. While broader in process mix than CWM, it competes in custom nonferrous casting for similar OEM and industrial end markets.

Broad incumbents

• Flex-N-Gate: Flex-N-Gate is a large global Tier 1 automotive supplier with extensive die casting and plastic molding operations, including the previously independent Shiloh Industries. While it casts components similar to CWM's automotive work, it operates at substantially greater scale, geographic breadth, and customer base than CWM, making it a broader incumbent rather than a direct niche peer.
• Leggett & Platt: Leggett & Platt is a diversified industrial manufacturer whose engineered components segment includes metal forming, stamping, and some die casting activity serving automotive, furniture, and industrial markets. Overlap with CWM exists in automotive metal components, but Leggett's portfolio breadth and scale make it a broad incumbent rather than a direct die casting specialist.

Emerging players

• Aluminum Die Casting Company: Aluminum Die Casting Company is an aluminum-focused HPDC shop serving automotive, appliance, and industrial markets with CNC machining and finishing. It is comparable to CWM in alloy focus (primarily aluminum) and custom component model, but typically with a smaller scale and narrower alloy breadth than CWM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChiWhiteMetal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/chicagowhitemetal/featured?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChicagoWhiteMetal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/626251

Compliance4 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 Chicago White Metal