Seneca Foundry is a family-owned, quality-driven iron foundry in Webster City, Iowa, that pours gray and ductile iron castings for customers across North America and beyond. Our mission is simple: combine Midwestern values with modern technology to deliver cast iron pieces to spec and on time, every time.
How Did Seneca Foundry Begin?
- 1935 – Roots in Agriculture: Seneca Foundry has its roots in the W.A. McCollough & Sons company, founded in 1909. In 1936, the company decided to build a cast iron foundry to supply parts for their livestock waterers.
- 1955 – Family Ownership: The grandsons of W.A. McCollough decide to divide the companies; Robert takes ownership of the iron foundry from his father McKinley.
- Early Years of Growth: Supplying agricultural, industrial, and municipal customers builds the reputation for rugged, machinable castings and responsive service. The name of the foundry was changed to Seneca Foundry in 1961.
- 2024 - A New Chapter of Ownership: Seneca Foundry transitioned ownership from the McCollough family to the Mason family, marking the first time in nearly 90 years that leadership moved outside the founders. Today, Seneca Foundry is proudly women-owned, continuing its tradition of quality craftsmanship while embracing fresh perspectives and a commitment to growth, innovation, and community.
How Have We Expanded Our Capabilities?
- Relocation & Electric Furnaces (1970s): Moving to our current site involved the addition of an electric induction furnace, which improved chemistry control, melt cleanliness, and capacity.
- Capacity Boost (1980s): A second furnace, expanded floor space, and two additional molding lines accelerate throughput for both short- and long-run work.
- Automation Milestones (1980s): Automated molding machines and high-speed sand mixers elevate consistency, cycle times, and surface finish quality.
- Building Expansion (2000): Facility expanded to 35,000 square feet, providing additional space for production efficiency and growth.
- Automation Advances (2019-2022): Automated grinding equipment added in 2019 improved finishing efficiency, while in 2022, automated mold-handling equipment for 20x24 molds enhanced consistency, ergonomics, and throughput.
- Continuous Improvements (1990s-Today): Lean manufacturing tools, predictive maintenance, and data-driven process controls keep costs low and delivery reliable.
What Casting Processes Power Our Foundry Today?
- Sand Molding: A flexible green-sand casting line handles gray and ductile iron castings from a few ounces up to 100lbs with repeatable dimensional accuracy.
- 3-D Scanning & Reverse Engineering: New 3-D scanning technology captures detail for rapid prototype development, legacy part reproduction, and detailed documentation.
- In-House Metallurgy: Spectrographic analysis and other testing methods are performed on-site to ensure gray and ductile iron castings meet industry and customer specifications.
How Do We Ensure Quality & Efficiency?
- Total Quality Management: Real-time monitoring and quality control help ensure our customers get castings with consistent quality across the entire production run.
- Lean Manufacturing Culture: Our production process shortens lead times and reduces waste, adding value to our customers.
- Employee-Driven Excellence: Cross-trained teams and a safety-first environment foster innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Why Partner with Seneca Foundry?
- Design-for-Manufacturability Support to cut weight, improve fill, and eliminate costly machining.
- Our Midwestern values are part of our business model, ensuring you get the quality products and service you deserve.
- Flexible Production Scheduling for prototypes and low-volume runs.
- One-Stop Value-Add Services including grinding, machining, heat treatment, painting, and plating.
- Reliable on-time delivery backed by responsive customer service and transparent communication.
Explore Our Growth Over the Past 100+ Years
Dive deeper into our journey in A Century of Growth: The Seneca Story—then discover how our heritage and technology can power your next project.
Ready to discuss a casting challenge? Schedule a free initial consultation or contact us today.
