Cullman Casting company builds vacuum process metalcasting facility from the ground up.

A new, 118,000-sq.-ft., metalcasting facility capable of producing 50,000 tons of castings per year will be in operation by the end of this year in Cullman, Ala., if all goes according to Cullman Casting Corp.'s plan.

"A lot of things go into making that date," said Mike Boucher, vice president of the corporation. "But it should be done in late December."

The company broke the red Georgia ground for the building in March, and, so far, the timeline has remained firm. The necessary equipment has been ordered, the first shipment of molding materials has arrived and the weather has stayed out of the way. The facility, which has grown up out of the clay and is now stretching toward the sky, should be prototype-ready by the end of 2006 and production-capable in early 2007.

When the final stone is in place, the metalcaster will produce gray iron counterweights--used to balance the load on a forklift via the vacuum process. The projected 120-employee company will pour counterweights from 1.3 to 2.6 metric tons. The average weight of the castings, according to Boucher, will be 1.44 metric tons.

And Cullman's job won't end after the castings are shaken out. Counterweights have to match the look of the rest of the forklift; they are ornamental as well as functional.

"They're like the grill on an automobile," Boucher said. To achieve that look, putty will be applied to the casting surface to fill any blemishes and pinholes. Next, a spray putty is buffed smooth. Finally, Cullman will employ a finishing primer made to the specifications of the customer.