Over 80 Years of die casting experience goes into every part we manufacture
Chicago White Metal produced its first die casting in 1937. Today, we ship a wide range of aluminum, magnesium, and zinc die castings to a diversified mix of customers worldwide. We are more than just a die casting company. Our specialty is net shape manufacturing of castings, so little to no machining is required. When additional services are desired, our capabilities include design services, machining, surface finishing, and sub-assembly operations, enabling us to provide turnkey products to our customers.
We are proud of our growth, longevity, and the partnerships developed with our customers, suppliers, and community. Our continuing effort to improve the environment and enhance scholastic achievement emphasizes our commitment to being a benchmark for corporate citizenry. Senior Management has developed and nurtured our corporate culture, along with the input and contributions of all CWM associates. We continue to set the standard for excellence in quality and customer satisfaction. Our focus and motivation are best exemplified by our company motto, “Excellence Is Expected.”
1937
Chicago White Metal Products, Ornamental, and Mechanical was founded on October 17, 1937, by Walter G. Treiber (President) and Samuel Gullo (Secy/Treas). The company’s first location was near the south side of Chicago, on the third floor of a loft building with no elevator. Walter Treiber and Samuel Gullo saw an opportunity to produce better-quality slush castings (hand-pouring molten metal into molds) with a more decorative appearance than other current market offerings.
1940s
The slush casting business continued to grow, primarily serving the lamp base and casket corner industries. Walter Treiber designed and hand-built the molds, while Samuel Gullo found customers to buy the castings.
The early World War II years brought about significant changes in the company. First, and of greatest significance for the future, one of Walter Treiber’s close friends in the machinery business convinced him to buy a used Kipp cast die casting machine for $500.00. As money was very tight for the young company, Walter’s wife, Madeline, loaned the company $500.00. At the time, Madeline Treiber was working in the household of one of the founders of Sears Roebuck. This original Kipp machine is permanently displayed in the CWM Lobby.
After the first machine was operational, the aggressive entrepreneurs saw more opportunities to produce greater quantities of this new type of casting. Having relocated to a larger facility in the early 40s, they could now accommodate the addition of many more of these small die casting machines. The opening and closing mechanisms were hand-operated, and the molten metal was injected into the molds under approximately 100 lbs. of air pressure.
1950s
While still heavily involved in slush casting, the die casting portion of CWM’s business continued to grow, but only with smaller components.
Customer demand for slightly larger parts was increasing, and the current location’s limited size and floor weight restrictions forced the company to once again consider a move.
CWM commissioned an architect to design a new plant, the first of which would be owned by the company, on the northwest side of Chicago. In mid-1956, CWM moved into this new 12,000 sq. ft. facility. Still only producing small zinc die castings and slush castings, the opportunity to grow presented itself with the overall economy expanding. Walter Treiber Jr., Chairman Emeritus, joined the company in mid-1959.
1960s
Once firmly situated in the larger facility, CWM was able to meet increased needs for larger zinc die castings. The slush casting business was declining and was sold off to a friendly competitor, allowing the primary focus to be the growth of the die casting segment.
In the mid-60s, an excellent customer designed a one-cylinder lawn mower, one of the first of its kind, and insisted that CWM make the aluminum die casting for the motor housing. This was a tremendous challenge for the company. First, a building had to be constructed to house the new aluminum die casting machine. Then came the tasks of designing and building a very large die for the housing, having little background knowledge of how it would work, and ultimately producing a highly complex casting with steel inserts cast in place. Everything worked after much trial and error and a very patient customer, and CWM was in the aluminum die casting business.
1970s
CWM now offered aluminum and zinc die castings for a narrow niche market that required highly cosmetic and close-tolerance castings. With this, CWM’s market grew beyond what had historically been a geographical area of 250 miles from Chicago.
A corporate change occurred in 1973 when founding partner Samuel Gullo retired from the company. The Treiber family purchased his 50% share and increased company ownership to 100%, which is today’s status. As CWM was an industry leader in adopting new automated procedures (e.g., fully automatic die casting machines, and improved die-making procedures), many new customers were attracted to the niche markets the company was focusing on more and more.
In 1971, CWM purchased seven acres for future growth in Bensenville, IL. (Western boundary of O’Hare Airport) and started very preliminary plans for long term growth. With the buyout of Samuel Gullo, this plan was delayed until the mid-70s. During the intervening period, Walter Treiber Jr. visited die casting factories in many parts of the world to solicit ideas for the new plant. In early 1974, an architect was hired, and with very close cooperation, CWM’s state-of-the-art die casting facility was completed in May 1975. The company moved from approx—18,500 sq. ft. to 76,500 sq. ft. in Bensenville.
1980s
With a state-of-the-art die casting facility, CWM attracted new customers from Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Canada, etc. This also started CWM’s very early venture into hot chamber magnesium die casting. As an industry, it had for all purposes died in the U.S. due to a single material supplier and highly volatile pricing. However, Walter Treiber Jr. actually saw this as an opportunity for growth. For the next 30+ years, CWM continued to effectively grow the hot chamber magnesium die casting business to its present-day success.
In 1985, once again anticipating the future needs of our customers, Walter Treiber commissioned our architect to design and build an R&D facility. The two-story complex, situated at the NW corner of CWM’s structure, today houses our engineering, sales/marketing, process, purchasing, and IT departments.
In 1988, Carolyn Treiber joined the company and worked with our extensive sales representative organization. Carolyn continues to serve CWM as a Corporate Director.
1990s
In 1990, Eric Treiber joined CWM, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. The global economy was heating up at a record pace. CWM’s customers favored our strategy of providing complete “value added” solutions. CNC machining and contract assembly were becoming much more prevalent service offerings. In what was considered an incredibly bold move in 1992, CWM built a 25,000 sq. ft. addition to house conventional machining, contract assembly, and CNC machining services. The company was now well positioned to support an incredible influx of business opportunities that would materialize between 1995 – 2000.
Management knew that enhancements to our quality structure would be required to support quickly growing domestic and international business. In 1994, the management team embarked on a journey to adopt ISO 9001 registration, which was accomplished in 1995. Having successfully tackled that hurdle, sights were set on ISO 14001 registration, which was accomplished in 1999. CWM was the first die casting company in the U.S. to implement this environmental standard.
The 2000's
The dawn of a new millennium brought both excitement about the opportunities to come and extreme challenges due to the changing economic landscape. The early 2000s saw a major pullback in the technology markets due to overbuilding that took place in prior years, coupled with a transition to offshore sourcing in the manufacturing sector. The U.S. die casting industry was hit very hard, and many of our competitors did not survive.
CWM worked diligently during these tumultuous times, supported by a dedicated, loyal, and agile team, to ensure that we are well-positioned to meet the ever-evolving needs of our current and future customers.
In December of 2009, Eric Treiber was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. With this new post, Eric became the third generation of his family to lead the business.
The 2010's
CWM saw two significant milestones in the 2010s as we celebrated our 75th anniversary in 2012 and our 80th anniversary in 2017. These milestones are important because less than 25% of companies make it through their first three years, and only 10% make it to 75+ years.
CWM has also remained highly environmentally conscious. In 2016, we became one of only four die casting companies in North America to upgrade to the 2015 standards for ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Today, Chicago White Metal remains committed to our founding principles of service, expertise, and integrity. We continue to develop new and innovative manufacturing solutions for our customers.
The 2020's
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic aftermath, Chicago White Metal Casting, Inc. demonstrated remarkable fortitude. CWM’s commitment to financial prudence — ensuring we remained debt-free — and a supportive company culture were crucial in navigating these uncertain times. Our dedicated employees, whose spirit of sacrifice and teamwork was instrumental, played a key role in maintaining our stability.
Throughout CWM’s history, we have served a diverse array of markets, and this continued in the 2020s. While some sectors and businesses faced significant downturns, others thrived and expanded their relationship with us. These strategic partnerships have been and continue to be vital in sustaining our success. CWM remained steadfast despite supply chain disruptions, rising labor costs, component shortages, and fluctuating metal prices.
Over the past 8-10 years, we have focused on automating several production areas to enhance workplace safety for our associates, improve process consistency, address labor shortages, and manage labor costs effectively. Our automation initiatives have been highly successful, and we are committed to strategically expanding automation each year.
In December 2021, after 62 years of dedicated service, Walter Treiber Jr. chose to retire. His contributions have been pivotal in establishing CWM’s global reputation as a leader in the die casting industry. Under his leadership, Chicago White Metal evolved from a small company serving mainly local Chicagoland customers into a prominent global provider of complex aluminum, magnesium, and zinc die cast solutions. Eric Treiber, who has worked at CWM since 1991, is now CWM’s President/CEO.
In 2022, we celebrated our 85th anniversary. As we look forward to our 90th anniversary in 2027, we are filled with optimism. Our ongoing journey shows our unique ability to adapt and excel, reinforcing CWM as a reliable and forward-thinking partner in the industry. We are not merely enduring but advancing and eagerly anticipating the opportunities—a testament to our exciting future and potential.
