Ohio-based supply chain partner expands die casting program capacity as North American aluminum die casting market contracts

LEWIS CENTER, Ohio, April 28, 2026  /PRNewswire/ -- MES Inc., a global supply chain management partner serving leading industrial manufacturers, today announced expanded program capacity to support customers seeking alternative die casting supply following Pace Industries' permanent closure of its plants in Harrison, Arkansas; Muskegon, Michigan; and Jackson, Tennessee. The closures remove a substantial volume of aluminum die casting capacity from the North American market and have prompted procurement leaders across multiple industries to reassess sourcing strategies.

Pace was one of the largest aluminum die casters on the continent, and its exit comes at a moment when North American capacity has been quietly contracting under pressure from energy costs, labor availability, and capital investment requirements. For Pace's direct customers, tooling must be moved, programs requalified, and continuity of supply secured before the closure clock runs out. For the broader market, surviving suppliers — already running at high utilization — now face redistributed demand and tightening capacity.

"Supplier closures are disruptive, but they are also clarifying," said Hiten Shah, CEO of MES Inc. "They reveal which supply chains were built for resilience and which were built around the last quote received. The manufacturers who use this moment to rethink their sourcing model — not just replace their supplier — will emerge with stronger, more durable operations."

A Global Sourcing Network Built for Resilience

MES currently manages more than 1,500 die cast components through active sourcing operations in China, Mexico, India, Vietnam, and Europe, with a broader qualified supplier base spanning hundreds of facilities across its full manufacturing portfolio. Dual-source redundancy is engineered into every program from day one, allowing the company to shift volume between regions when political, logistical, or operational disruption occurs.

For North American manufacturers, USMCA-compliant nearshoring in Mexico — paired with US warehouse inventory in Ohio — provides the speed and trade compliance of regional supply with the cost structure and capacity of global sourcing.

Full Die Casting Capability and Multi-Process Programs

Die casting sits within a broader MES manufacturing portfolio that also includes forgings, extrusions, CNC machining, and investment castings — all managed under a single program framework. Within die casting, MES delivers:

• High-pressure and low-pressure die casting in aluminum, zinc, magnesium, and brass
• Press range from 50 to 4,400 tons, from precision components through large structural castings
• Tolerances to ±0.005″
• Integrated CNC machining, leak testing, X-ray, and ultrasonic inspection
• Moldflow analysis before tooling is cut, resolving dimensional and fill issues in design

This consolidation is increasingly important to customers running multi-process programs, who can source a forging, a die casting, and a machined component through a single accountable partner rather than three.

Dedicated Program Teams and On-Site Engineering

Every MES customer is assigned a dedicated supply chain specialist who serves as a single point of accountability — providing live updates from the factory floor through warehousing to the customer's dock — and a dedicated planner who partners on forecasting, order management, and demand planning. MES engineers and quality professionals are also physically present at supplier facilities during production runs, supporting design-for-manufacturability, tooling design review, in-process inspection, first-article validation, and ongoing audits.

Regional Warehousing and JIT Fulfillment

MES operates warehouses in Ohio, Mexico, and Europe to support JIT delivery into customer plants. The facilities provide inventory programs that decouple production schedules from overseas lead times, rework and sub-assembly for last-mile customization, and buffer inventory that absorbs shipping variability and demand spikes — making global sourcing feel local.

Validated Across Demanding Industrial Markets

MES customers include Eaton, Honda, Siemens, ZF Group, Schneider Electric, Honeywell, Emerson, and Acuity Brands, with active programs spanning automotive and e-mobility, commercial and architectural lighting, electrical and power management, energy and process industries, construction and agricultural equipment, and robotics and industrial automation.

Manufacturers reassessing die casting supply in the wake of the Pace Industries closures are invited to contact MES Inc. directly to begin transition discussions.

About MES Inc.

MES Inc. is a global supply chain management partner specializing in die castings, forgings, extrusions, CNC machining, and investment castings. Headquartered in Ohio with sourcing operations across China, Mexico, India, Vietnam, and Europe — and warehousing on three continents — MES manages over 1,500 components for industry leaders in automotive, e-mobility, energy, lighting, electrical, robotics, and industrial markets. For more information, visit www.mesinc.net.

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SOURCE MES, Inc.