ArtiFlex acquires Jackson aluminum die casting plant

ArtiFlex Holdings has acquired a Jackson, Tenn., aluminum die casting plant formerly operated by Pace Industries and launched the operation as ArtiCast Jackson. The acquisition returns the Tennessee facility to operation less than five months after Pace scheduled its closure.

ArtiFlex announced the acquisition Sept. 15 and plans to invest more than $10 million in the plant by 2031.

The company said the facility has high-pressure die cast equipment with machines ranging up to 1,800 tons. ArtiFlex did not disclose the aluminum alloys or components it plans to produce in Jackson.

ArtiFlex did no respond to AMU’s requests for additional information.

Tennessee die casting facility returns to operation

Pace acquired the operation from Metal Technologies of Indiana in November 2021. The business previously operated as Jackson Die Cast.

At the time, Pace described the capabilities of the 140,000-square-foot plant as aluminum die casting and trim operations, along with machining and assembly. In January 2023, Tennessee officials announced that Pace would invest $2.8 million in Jackson.

The state said the expansion would help Pace serve increasing customer demand for aluminum, zinc and magnesium die casting.

Pace later moved to close the operation. A Tennessee WARN notice filed in February listed the permanent closure date of April 26, 2026.

Permits detail aluminum melting equipment

Tennessee environmental records provide additional detail on the Jackson aluminum die casting plant and its melting equipment.

A February 2022 operating permit covered three aluminum melting furnaces.

The permit limited each furnace to 4,408 pounds per hour of aluminum raw material and flux on a daily average basis. The permit feed included aluminum ingot, remelt and scrap.

Pace added a central melt furnace

Pace sought additional melting equipment after acquiring the Jackson aluminum die casting plant in 2021. In July 2022, the company applied to relocate a central melt furnace from Harrison, Arkansas, to Jackson. The application listed construction from August through September 2022. The furnace had a design input rate of 4,000 pounds per hour of aluminum alloy. Pace listed actual input rate at 2,000 pounds per hour.

The Harrison plant was a separate Pace aluminum and zinc die-casting operation. AMU reported earlier this year that Pace planned to close the Harrison facility on April 26, 2026 – the same day as Jackson’s closure.

ArtiCast takes over existing casting operation

ArtiFlex’s acquisition gives ArtiCast an existing melting and high-pressure die casting operation rather than a greenfield site.

The company has not disclosed how much of Pace’s former equipment it plans to operate.

ArtiCast Jackson adds another aluminum casting operation to ArtiFlex’s Manufacturing Group footprint. ArtiFlex also lists high-pressure aluminum die casting at its Falcon Lakeside Manufacturing facility in Stevensville, Michigan. Falcon’s listed casting equipment ranges from 350- to 900-ton, while ArtiFlex said the Jackson operation has high-pressure die casting machines with capacity up to 1,800 tons.

Nicholas Bell

Nicholas brings over half a decade of experience covering metals markets, pricing trends, and supply chain dynamics. Prior to joining AMU, he reported on aluminum, high-temperature scrap, and ferro-alloy markets at Argus Media, with additional coverage of minor metals and rare earths. His work has built deep expertise in North American metals pricing and trade flows. A native of Houston, Nicholas holds a bachelor’s degree in Media Production and an MBA with a concentration in Finance, both from the University of Houston.