What material does Dotson produce?
Ductile Iron
Austempered Ductile Iron
Carbidic Austempered Ductile Iron
Gray Iron
Compacted Graphite Iron
What casting sizes can Dotson produce?
Castings are produced on 20x24 horizontal flaskless machines. Castings and required gating systems must fit into a box that is 20" long x 17" wide by 12" tall. Individual castings must weigh less than 55 pounds. Our lightest casting is just under 1 pound and our average casting weighs 14 pounds.
What types of quality systems and certifications does Dotson have in place?
Our quality system has been registered to the ISO 9000 standard since 1996. We are currently registered ISO 9001:2008. Internal systems are also compliant to many of the TS16949 requirements.
Does Dotson utilize Lean Manufacturing Principles?
Our management systems - initially shaped by a spirit of employee involvement and engagement and formalized by ISO - have been further enhanced by the application of Lean Manufacturing Principles. Our focus on product flow has dramatically improved our ability to be consistently responsive.
What are Dotson's lead-times?
Rapid response to changing customer demand is our specialty. Lead times are two weeks for re-occurring raw casting orders. Value added services would extend this an additional 2 to 6 weeks depending on the type and quantity of processes required.
What is your On-time delivery performance?
On-time delivery performance for casting orders has exceeded 99% during the last 3 years. This includes 2008 when the economy was producing at peak levels.
What are Dotson typical order sizes and quantities?
From less than 25 pieces to over 10,000. Average order size is 300 pieces.
Average annual usage is 1,500. While orders down to just a few molds are possible, preferred order sizes are 100-500 molds.
Can Dotson complete additional value-added operations?
Dotson can manage all of your post-casting value-added steps including: machining, heat treatment, painting, and coatings.
Can Dotson help us with casting design and conversion?
Dotson has a strong history of converting from other more costly manufacturing processes to casting including a number of award winners. Each year the foundry industry has a competition for the best casting design. Since the contest started in 2004, Dotson has been a finalist five times with the submission of different weldment conversions. In 2010 our submission of a Deere 11 piece weldment alternator bracket won the design competition and was awarded the "Casting of the Year".
How big is Dotson?
We have 130 employees with a plant size of 125,000 square feet. Annual shipments are in excess of 10,000 tons of finished castings.
What is the ownership structure at Dotson?
Privately held. The Dotson family has owned and operated the foundry for more than 80 of our company's 134 years. Dotson is veteran owned and woman managed.
How strong is Dotson's financial position today and in the future?
Dotson's conservative financial approach and focus on reinvestment in the future have allowed for aggressive yet intelligent recapitalization. In the last seven years, Dotson has invested over 6% of sales into plant improvements. Debt to equity ratio runs approximately .30.
What are the typical markets served and castings produced at Dotson?
We produce over 3,000 different castings for over 300 customers in a wide range of applications including medical, transportation, agriculture, construction and recreation. Drive line yokes, brackets, arms, housings, valve bodies and sheaves are just some of the castings you will find at Dotson.
Who are some of Dotson's larger customers?
Toro (commercial lawn care), John Deere (agricultural), Mico (brake systems and hydraulic components), Oshkosh Truck (severe duty vehicles), Arvin Meritor (heavy duty truck), CNH (agricultural), Grouser (skid loader tracks), Horton (engine cooling), G.E. Healthcare (medical).
