About O.K. Foundry Company. Richmond, Virginia.
O.K. Foundry Company is a family owned business, established in 1912.
A Family Owned Foundry Since 1912
Following the revival and growth of Richmond's manufacturing base after the American civil war, OK Foundry was started by James N. O'Neil Sr. in 1912 to supply the local railroad, tobacco, and agricultural industries with made to order cast iron.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch in a 1954 edition, quotes James N. O'Neil, jr. as describing that first foundry as a "barn". Well, by 1948 we had outgrown the barn and another location at 14 East 17th Street, and moved into our current location at 1005 Commerce Road. With roughly 20,000 sq. ft. of space in our shop, we have a lot more room than that first barn, but we're still proud to be a small family owned foundry.
Modern Furnace Technology
Although we're small, OK Foundry uses modern high frequency induction furnaces to melt gray and ductile iron. These fast melt furnaces allow us to make smaller batches of metal with tightly controlled metallurgy adjusted to match customer and job requirements.
Our mold production is also highly flexible as we operate a compression set green sand mold line and an epoxy resin set line. By preserving our green sand capability and continuously innovating our epoxy resin technology, we have the molding flexibility to successfully cast many difficult applications. By staying flexible we've been able to satisfy the changing needs of our long standing customers and to find new markets for cast iron as our domestic manufacturing industries evolve.
Reliable Supply
While our small size and induction melting capabilities are an obvious advantage in meeting special requirements, OK Foundry is also a great choice for a reliable supply of regular production castings. Although our specialty is small to medium volume quantities, OK Foundry supports several customers with high volume casting requirements. As some of our customers have found opportunities to globally source high volume castings, we've continued to fill an important role by supplying backup quantities of castings when the supply chain has been interrupted. Having a domestic American foundry with duplicate tooling ensures a steady supply of critical components.
Custom Fit Production
If you need a gray or ductile iron part, OK Foundry would like to talk to you about the ways our capabilities might be the perfect fit for your application. Give us a call or send us an e-mail describing some of your requirements. Find the most convenient contact method on our Contact page.
Foundry at 14 East 17th street, 1948.
Sign at 17th street foundry, 1948.
Current foundry when new in 1948.
J. N. O'Neil jr. (Jimmy) posing with patterns for newspaper in 1954.
Willie Boone, Peter Foster, and Henry Booth tapping cupola. OK Foundry, 1954.
Double ladle pour of cast iron boiler cover. OK Foundry, 1954.
Double ladle pour in progress. OK Foundry, 1954.
Pat O'Neil tapping cupola iron furnace at OK Foundry, pre 1948. (All rights reserved, Library of Virginia).
Pat O'Neil and men pouring iron from transfer ladle to pouring ladles at OK Foundry, pre 1948. (All rights reserved, Library of Virginia).
Floor mold being poured simultaneously with three pouring ladles at OK Foundry, pre 1948. (All rights reserved, Library of Virginia).