Shannon Wetzel

The rain outside was coming down in buckets, but the mood inside American Pattern & CNC Works in Cedar Falls, Iowa, was anything but gloomy one summer day when company president Burk Miehe gave a tour of the facilities. In the well-lit pattern shop, CNC machining centers of varying types were running—cutting fixtures and tooling in various materials, both plastic and metal.

Big Opportunities in a Small-Town Foundry Located in a small Iowa town of about 7,800 people, Seneca Foundry has been operating for over 100 years by members of the McCollough family. Through four generations, the Webster City foundry has been an unassuming piece of the local economy—quietly serving customers and providing employment to a few dozen people. “We wanted it to be a good, family place to work,” said Kirk McCollough, who represents the latest generation to run the foundry.