C.A. Lawton Co.: From local manufacturing to global innovation: The C.A. Lawton Co. celebrates 135 years

Contact: Kelly Coles

Chief Operating Officer

Phone: (920) 530-7077

Email: kcoles@calawton.com

De Pere manufacturer commemorates 135 years of business and six generations of Lawton family ownership

De Pere, WI – Founded in 1879 by C.A. Lawton and uncle, E.W. Arndt, The C.A. Lawton Co. began its legacy of innovation with its first product – a bran dressing machine – a leap forward in productivity for its time. Known initially as the Novelty Manufacturing Co., the company expanded its capabilities during the industrial boom of the 1880s to include pattern making, an iron foundry, machining and engineering design, the basic model of machinery and machine component manufacturing the company has maintained ever since.

This year, The C.A. Lawton Co., celebrates 135 years as a local manufacturer. Currently, the family-owned business and its extended family of more than 150 dedicated, hard-working employees provide innovative product solutions within the industry sectors of agriculture, HVAC, oil and gas, off highway, paper, gas turbine, wind, mining, and water. The company is primarily focused in taking responsibility for a crucial part of customer’s business by producing large, complex machined castings through unique, integrated solutions, best-in-class quality and delivery, and first-rate technical services.

In recent years, employees at The C.A. Lawton Co. have also earned several special distinctions and certifications, including Wisconsin DNR Green Tier, ISO 9001:2008, ASME Pressure Vessel codes and ABS Marine Application certification.

At an open house celebrating 135 years in business, Alex Lawton, President and CEO of The C.A. Lawton Co., praised the company and employees past and present, “The people of C. A. Lawton are professionals in every sense of the word. I would put their collective character and skills up against anyone. They aren’t “lucky to have jobs”; it’s those of us in leadership and ownership that are lucky to have them on the team and watching our backs. This drives me virtually every day to ensure that we are improving the company.”

Further Facts:

While C.A. Lawton might seem complex relative to standalone foundries, the company has spent most of the last 10 years trying to simplify the business in an effort to better achieve focus and excellence as an engineered-component manufacturer.

It’s important not to confuse simple with easy. It has a taken a lot of hard work and investment, as well as some divesting of business lines and acquiring of others. The company had to get much more agile to deal with the ever-shrinking lead-time requirements and significant cyclicality the company experiences.

The culmination of all those efforts now has C.A. Lawton positioned as an elite casting supplier and unique casting-solutions provider of integrated components with a phenomenal customer service culture. From this foundation, the company is now actively looking and working to grow the business.

About C.A. Lawton Co.:

The C.A. Lawton Co. is ISO 9001:2008 certified and has well over a century of experience as a leading manufacturer of industrial components. Its integrated business includes patternmaking, casting, and machining capabilities. The C.A. Lawton Co. provides large iron castings and machining to domestic manufacturers in industries such as HVAC, municipal pump and valve, oil and gas, mining, and power generation industries.