cast-strategies.com

Swartzlander joins advisory board for Marketing and Engineering Solutions (MES) Inc.

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:50:17 +0000

DUBLIN OHIO NOVEMBER 28, 2011: Mike Swartzlander, Managing Director of CAST STRATEGIES LLC of Dublin Ohio has joined the Advisory Board of Marketing and Engineering Solutions (MES) Inc., of Lewis Center, Ohio. MES specializes in Low Cost Country Sourcing and Supply Chain Management for high value added castings, as well as sub-assemblies, forgings, rubber molded components, and metal fabrications. MES was recently named as one of Central Ohio’s Top 50 growth companies. Already a supplier to major OEM’s, as well as Tier I and II Suppliers, MES is actively seeking opportunities to partner with US-based foundries to supplement their product portfolios. According to Mr. Hiten Shah, President of MES, ” OEM’s are increasingly interested in metal casting suppliers that can supplement their manufacturing capabilities with castings sourced from LCC’s. MES is uniquely qualified to provide this requirement and to manage all aspects of the Supply Chain to assure flawless supply “. Mike Swartzlander, a long time participant in the metal castings market worldwide, adds, ” MES has an excellent reputation with major OEM’s in supplying their smaller volume, higher value added casting requirements. MES couples highly qualified technical people on the ground in China, India, and elsewhere with extraordinary Supply Chain expertise to deliver high quality castings, on time and within budget. Having MES supplement a US metal caster’s portfolio is a viable way to add value in serving OEM’s. ”

Located in Dublin Ohio, Cast Strategies LLC provides consulting services on growth strategies to manufacturers in the metal castings, specialty chemicals, and composites parts markets.

Complete details about Marketing and Engineering Solutions Inc. can be found at www.mesinc.net

Cast Strategies launches Horizons India ™ to grow composites markets

admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:12:09 +0000

Dublin, Ohio — Cast Strategies LLC today announced the launch of a comprehensive initiative to assist U.S. composite manufacturers in their efforts to explore and enter the Indian market. The initiative, Horizons India^™, provides a complete services portfolio ranging from initial market evaluation to enterprise set-up and operation in India.

“India’s huge and rapidly growing consumer market as well as its extraordinary infrastructure build-out is forcing the rapid and unprecedented transformation of virtually all manufacturing sectors, including composites in virtually all sectors” said Michael Swartzlander, Cast Strategies Founder and Managing Director. “While India poses its share of business challenges, U.S. companies are welcome, and now is the time to get in on the ground floor of the manufacturing metamorphosis underway.”

Swartzlander, a veteran of doing business in India, made his first trips to the country in 1981. Subsequently, Swartzlander lived in India to set up the wholly owned operations of a Fortune 500 U.S. specialty chemical company, Ashland Inc.

Horizons India brings together a number of highly skilled business partners to address any aspect of doing business in India. Through Horizons India, functional expertise providers both in the United States and India are available to assist any type of manufacturing organization. Additionally, market-focus providers for targeted sectors also are available. In addition to composites, initial market-focus sectors include specialty chemicals, metal castings.

“The vision of Horizons India is to make the process of considering and doing business in India thorough yet easy.” Swartzlander said. “India can seem overwhelming at first pass. On the other hand, India can seem deceivingly easy, with the commonality of language and other cultural similarities. The truth is, India requires careful evaluation and well-conceived business entry and execution. The good news is that the resources do exist to help make this happen.”

For more information regarding Horizons India, contact Sushant Chalise at sushant@cast-strategies.com.

Cast Strategies Enters MOU with Aluminum Casters’ Association of India (ALUCAST)

admin — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:58:48 +0000

Dublin Ohio September 18, 2011: CAST STRATEGIES LLC of Dublin Ohio has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Aluminum Casters’ Association of India, ALUCAST, to actively promote the activities and interests of Indian die casters in North America. With a burgeoning automotive sector India is poised to become a significant non-ferrous castings market over the next several years and offers significant growth opportunities for NA metal casters. Indian metal casters are actively seeking JV partner opportunities with NA companies in order to most effectively serve the fast growing requirements of OEM’s in India. Cast Strategies LLC provides consulting services for NA manufacturing companies for entering and growing in the Indian market. According to Mike Swartzlander, Managing Director of Cast Strategies LLC “India’s rapidly growing middle class, as well as an extraordinary spend on infrastructure assures double-digit growth in its non-ferrous castings markets well into the future. Indian metal casters are actively seeking NA partners to help them meet the fast changing market place demands. We look forward to working with ALUCAST to generate understanding and interest for India among US metal casters.”

Located in Dublin Ohio, Cast Strategies LLC provides consulting services on growth strategies to manufacturers in the metal castings, specialty chemicals, and composites parts markets. More information can be found at www.cast-strategies.com

Headquartered in Pune, India, ALUCAST is the premier trade association of non-ferrous metal casters in India. More information can be found at www.alucast.co.in

CAST STRATEGIES addresses Indian Delegation at GIFA

admin — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:50:50 +0000

Mike Swartzlander, Managing Director at Cast Strategies LLC of Dublin, OH USA presented, “So You Think You Can Export?” at the very well-attended Castings Buyer’s Meet organized by the Indian Institute of Foundrymen at GIFA. Over 100 foundrymen and buyers attended the event held on June 30^th. Swartzlander first made the point that most foundries should not export, as usually export efforts are under-resourced and seen as opportunistic “extra” sales. Instead, Indian foundries should concentrate on serving the increasingly demanding domestic market, which is experiencing double digit growth driven by significant OEM growth in India. However, for the metal casters willing to commit the resources, export can offer significant opportunities. Swartzlander gave several examples of how Indian metal casters might look at international markets differently, to establish long term sustainable and profitable business, for example, by taking on a US metal caster as an investment partner.

Cast Strategies LLC is a management consultancy focusing on growth strategies and implementation in the metal castings, specialty chemicals, and composite components sectors. India market evaluation and entry is a specialty. According to Cast Strategies LLC the metal casting production of India is projected to surpass that of the USA in 2011, making India second only to China in castings.

The Indian Institute of Foundrymen is the premier trade association for the metal castings industry in India.

Swartzlander to present at the American Foundry Society Executive Conference.

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:31:49 +0000

Mike Swartzlander, Founder and Managing Director of Cast Strategies LLC, will make two presentations at the American Foundry Society Executive Conference. This year’s AFS Executive Conference takes place September 19 to 21, 2010, at the St. Regis Deer Crest Resort, Park City, Utah. Swartzlander will participate in the presentation, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Elephant — Casting Experiences in China and India” where he will provide insights from his experiences of living and working in India as well as an update on the Indian metal casting market. In his second presentation, “Power Building Your Business”, Swartzlander will provide the first results of significant market research being conducted by Cast Strategies of over 2,000 foundries, globally, to understand how metal casters are adding significant value in their businesses beyond raw castings.

For further details about the AFS Executive Conference, please refer to: http://www.afsinc.org/images/Marketing/fex_broch_2010_lr.pdf

Swartzlander to present at the AFS Cast Expo

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:19:11 +0000

Mike Swartzlander, Founder & Managing Director of Cast Strategies LLC, will present a paper entitled, “The Golden Age of Castings, 2005 -2050, Revisited” at the Cast Expo Conference in Orlando, Florida on March 21st. This is an important update of the paper presented in 2005 predicting a boom in global castings demand. While the current recession has been extraordinarily painful for metal casters everywhere, in fact Swartzlander believes the future for castings is brighter than ever.

Swartzlander to be a Panelist at the CEO Meet of the 58th Indian Foundry Congress in Ahmedabad

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:56:06 +0000

Swartzlander to be a Panelist at the CEO Meet of the 58th Indian Foundry Congress in Ahmedabad. The Congress being held from February 5th through the 7th is set to break all prior attendance records, a further indication of the rapidly recovering metal castings segment in India. The CEO Meet to be held on the afternoon of February 5th will address the most pressing issues facing metal casters in India today. For further information about the Congress, please go to: http://ifcindia.net/

Swartzlander addresses the Student Chapter of AFS at Ohio State on the Coming Boom in Castings.

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:32:38 +0000

Download full article here.

India’s Casting Industry Holds Opportunities, Challenges

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:28:06 +0000

India’s metalcasting industry is poised to become one of the top-three casting producing countries in the world. The key is establishing the infrastructure to support it.

Read full article here.