The Weir Group has officially opened its new foundry in Xuzhou, China. The foundry, which is part of Weir’s ESCO global foundry network, expands capacity for the manufacture of ESCO ground engaging tools (GET).
The opening ceremony, hosted by Weir’s CEO Jon Stanton, was attended by a senior leadership team from Xuzhou Hi-Tech Industry Zone and other members of Weir and its ESCO division from China and across the globe.
Occupying a 16.5-acre site in Xuzhou’s High-Tech Industrial Zone, the new foundry features the latest technology and equipment, incorporating high levels of automation. These enable the optimisation of capacity and enhance foundry processes, improving efficiency and further reducing costs of manufacture.
The new foundry represents a $60m investment and will replace Weir’s existing foundry located close by.
The company retained its skilled and loyal workforce – many of whom have been with Weir since foundry operations in Xuzhou in 2006.