History of Dynacast
Beginning with the immigration of Otto Gries in 1912, and later with the Gries Reproducer Corporation, Dynacast's history is rich in innovation, acquisition, and continuing growth. Dynacast International has 21 manufacturing facilities in 16 countries around the world. Yet the passion to discover and excitement of adding new technologies are two ways in which Otto Gries is still molding our company's mission, vision, and values today. Please read below for a more detailed account of our history.
Dynacast Technology
Otto Gries immigrates to the United States from Germany. He opens a small machine shop in New York which later becomes Gries Reproducer Corporation.
Gries Reproducer Corporation opens in New Rochelle, New York. The corporation reproduces sounds for talking movies.
Louis Morin invents a die casting machine for the production of die cast zippers. The machine is developed by Gries Reproducer Corporation who builds machines and tooling only.
Invention of Gries Reproducer Corporation's high speed miniature die casting multi-slide machine.
GRC begins die casting zinc zipper teeth with their high speed miniature die casting multi-slide machine.
Gries Reproducer Corporation develops machines for production of small parts and produces miniature die casting of zinc and plastic.
Acquisition of Gries Reproducer Corporation for machines and die casting production by Coats & Clark, Inc.
Acquisition of Dynacast Canada by Coats & Clark, Inc.
Formation of Dynamold International in Paris, France. Dynacast Canada moves to a new building and starts zinc die casting production.
Formation of Dynacast Germany in Braeunlingen as well as Dynacast U.K. in Alcester, Warwickshire.
Formation of Dynacast Italy in Milan.
Dynacast starts to design and build a multi-slide plastics machine. Dynacast and Canada starts plastic production as well as continued zinc production. Coats & Clark decides not to sell machines outside of the organization. Custom die casting is brought to Sao Paulo, Brazil.
New factory opens in Santa Ana, CA.
New factory opens in Spartanburg, SC. Coats & Clark Inc.'s plastics plant in Seneca, SC is transferred to Dynacast.
Formation of Dynacast Spain outside of Barcelona.
New factory opens in Lyon, France.
Austria plant is acquired. Singapore factory opens to service in pacific region.
New factory opens in Germany. Dynacast Mexico is formed in Mexico City. Establishment of Dynacast sales office occurs in Yokohama, Japan.
New factory opens in Schaumburg, IL. Gries/Dynacast acquires Kempka tool room in Milwaukee, WI. Establishment of Dynacast sales office in Seoul, South Korea.
Gries Reproducer Corporation now works under the name Gries Dynacast.
The acquisition of Kyoritsu leads to the formation of a joint venture production facility known as Dynacast Japan.
New factory opens in Tustin, CA.
Formation of Dynacast International as a group entity with worldwide responsibility. New factory opens in Yorktown Heights, New York. Entry into bonded magnets in Canada and in the U.K. New Italian production facility as Rho/Milan opens. Expansion of Dynacast Japan factory. Incorporation of Dynacast Brazil in Sao Paulo.
All units trade under the Dynacast name and use the Dynacast logo world wide. New Spanish factory near Barcelona (Santiga) opens for Dynacast Spain.
Dynacast enters the North American aluminum die casting market from Tustin, California. Expansion of Dynacast Singapore's factory.
Formation of Dynacast Argentina in Buenos Aires. Formation of Dynacast Turkey in Bursa. Formation of Dynacast Taiwan near Taipei. Dynacast acquired Magnets, Inc., Cincinatti, Ohio and Flexmag Industries, Marietta, Ohio to form Dynacast Magnetic Division. Entry into Asia Pacific aluminum die casting market from Dynacast Singapore. Transfer of Dynacast International Corporate office to Alcester, U.K.
Acquisition of the Nabco magnesium die casting business in Canada. Expansion of U.K. factory. Entry into aluminum die casting market in Brazil. New factory in Montreal, Canada.
Entry into European magnesium die casting market from Alcester, U.K. New factory in Puerto Rico opens that could manufacture zinc and plastics.
Opening of new joint venture plant in Slovenia. Relocation of Canadian magnesium die casting to Montreal factory.
Expansion of Startanburg Factory to include aluminum die casting. Acquisition of Lone Star Diecasting Corporation in New Braunfels, Texas. Relocation of Lyon, France factory to new custom built factory in Civireux. Dynacast Germany establishes machine building department.
Dynacast enters into a joint venture with brakes at India at Madras; wins QUEEN'S AWARD. Dynacast doubles its plastics capacity through the acquisition of Precision Engineering Co. with injection moulding operations in Minnesota, North Carolina, and Texas. The factory from the Kempka Tool acquisition is moved to Germantown, WI and becomes the Dynacast Tooling Division. Dynacast acquires Exportcast in Montreal. Dynacast Singapore expands their factory.
Dynacast moves the Schaumburg factory into a new, large, custom built factory in Elgin, IL. This adds aluminum production capacity. SPM joins Dynacast and adds plastic manufacturing units in Anaheim and Fremont, CA, Portland, OR, Denver, CO, Houston, TX, and Calgary. Dynacast Austria expands. Alberta in Canada, a SPM subsidiary, brings Micro Power Electronics with locations in Portland, OR and Scottsdale, AZ.
New factory opens in Lake Forest
New factory opens in Lake Forest, CA with capabilities to die cast both zinc and aluminum alloys.
Dynacast International is purchased by the U.K.'s leading Private Equity Company, Cinven. Dynacast Germany establishes magnesium production.
Dynacast Shanghai is formed.
September 7th acquisition of QZD based in Quebec. September 28th acquisition of Techmire, Montreal.
Approval in January to construct a new plant in Dongguan. Relocation of Techmire to Pointe Claire in March to improve Techmire's effectiveness, efficiency, and profitability, acquisition of FisherCast Global Corporation, headquartered in Peterborough, Ontario. Acquisition of the assets of FisherCast Welshpool, Wales, U.K.
Opening of Dynacast Dongguan, China.
Opening of Dynacast Suzhou, China as a satellite of Dynacast Shanghai.
December 9th, 2015 aquistion of Tek-Cast Inc./MH Machining Group in Bensenville, Illinois USA. This aquistion further expands Dynacast’s multi-slide zinc, aluminum capacity and CNC machining depth in North America.
Opened a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico on April 4, 2016. The Tijuana plant will be an extension of the Lake Forest, California plant. This new facility will house all secondary operations including CNC machining to the Tijuana plant.
Acquisition of Schliepler
Dynacast is proud to announce the acquisition of Schlieper Druckguss in Vösendorf, Austria. Dynacast took over operations on July 1, 2016. This acquisition will enhance Dynacast’s strong foothold in zinc die casting in the region, as well as open our aluminum offerings to an expanded network of new customers.
Dynacast is excited to announce that as of December 30th, 2016 we have completed the acquisition of Taurus ’80, a precision zinc die casting company. Taurus ’80 is headquartered in Grosso, Italy with additional locations in Rockford, Illinois, USA and Bizerte, Tunisia.
Form Technologies
Dynacast International Inc. is pleased to announce that on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, Dynacast and its partnering divisions became a family of brands under a newly formed entity, Form Technologies, led by Dynacast’s current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Simon Newman.
