By Sadie Reecer
Noblesville’s 125-year-old foundry site at 1600 S. Eighth St. is continuing strong through its newest wind of restructuring, promising to add 250 local jobs by 2018.
The Ohio-based ID Castings purchased the 13.9-acre foundry in Oct. 2013, beginning their reconstruction and improvement of the land and facilities in March 2014, after a Feb. 2014 three-year, 100 percent tax abatement was passed by Noblesville’s common council.
The $51 million project has so far been working on tearing down old and useless structures, but plans to build several new buildings, which will include the addition of more production lines.
Currently, ID Castings has 41 employees. On Oct. 1, 2013, the date of purchase by the company, the foundry had 25 employees.
History of the foundry
In 1887, the Noblesville Foundry and Machine Co. began operation at Division and Wild streets (now Seventh Street), operating a foundry and machine shop, which continued under the name McElwaine Richards Co. Machine Works. Under this name, it relocated further south on Eighth Street.
Around 1910, the company became known as the Union Sanitary Manufacturing Co. They manufactured primarily bathtubs and toilets. Union Sanitary Manufacturing and six other enamelware companies became involved in a monopoly lawsuit known as the “bathtub trust” in 1912.
Over time, production transitioned to a wide range of metal parts, including drain grates, storm pipe and drive shafts, and the company changed ownership again becoming Noblesville Casting Company, then ID Castings in 2013.
*Robert Herrington contributed to this article.
