Governor JB Pritzker Allocates $140 Million for Modernizing Illinois Advanced Metal Casting Foundries

ROCKFORD, Ill. — Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced on Monday the distribution of $140 million in state manufacturing capital modernization grants through the Rebuild Illinois capital plan to upgrade and retool twelve commercial metal casting foundries and precision forging plants across Chicago's South Side, Rockford, Peoria, and the Quad Cities.

The investment equips domestic foundries with industrial 3D sand-printing additive manufacturing gantries, automated robotic pouring ladles, and clean electric arc induction melting furnaces that eliminate coke-fired emissions while manufacturing high-precision titanium, ductile iron, and aluminum castings for aerospace, defense, and electric vehicle applications.

Revitalizing America's Metal Casting Heartland Cast metal components form the essential structural backbone of every industrial engine, aerospace turbofan, and agricultural combine. However, domestic foundries faced severe foreign competition and rising emissions compliance costs.

"Illinois has always been the industrial forge of North America, building the heavy machinery and vehicles that powered our nation's growth," Governor Pritzker said during an announcement at an advanced casting facility in Rockford. "By investing $140 million to equip our foundries with 3D sand printing and clean electric furnaces, we are making Illinois foundries the most technologically advanced and environmentally clean in the world, creating thousands of high-wage union manufacturing jobs and keeping critical supply chains right here in Illinois."

Foundry Retooling and Technology Packages The $140 million package finances:

• 12 Industrial Foundry Conversions: Replacing coal-coke furnaces with zero-emission, high-efficiency induction melting furnaces powered by clean Illinois nuclear electricity.
• Additive 3D Sand-Printing Gantries: Installing binder-jet 3D printers that produce complex sand casting molds in hours without expensive wooden tooling.
• Modernized Foundry Apprentice Training Labs: $20 million partnering with community colleges and the United Steelworkers (USW) to train 1,200 specialized metallurgical technicians.

Manufacturing trade associations, foundry union leaders, and local mayors praised the governor's targeted industrial funding, pointing out that domestic casting capabilities protect American manufacturing from international shipping bottlenecks.