Pace Industries, Port City Group Agree to Blockbuster Merger

Pace Industries of Fayetteville recently announced a blockbuster merger with Michigan-based Port City Group, creating one of North America’s largest die casting companies, according to a press release issued by Pace.

With the merger, the company will have about $600 million in annual sales in the United States and Mexico, and will have 12 divisions and 21 facilities. The merger will allow for die casting, machining, manufacturing and finishing capabilities across the automotive, lighting, electrical, and recreational industries.

Scott Bull, Pace Industries president and CEO said, “Blending the strengths of Pace and Port City Group will result in a formidable automotive supplier and preferred non-automotive supplier in the die casting industry and build our capabilities to deliver better quality, service and value to customers.”

Port City will become a division of Pace, and John Essex, Port City’s CEO, will remain in that role as well as join the Pace board of directors. He will lead the company’s automotive growth strategy.

“Over the last few years, it became apparent that we needed a platform for our growth that would provide us greater geographical reach than what we had with our Michigan-based facilities,” Essex said. “This merger will provide needed capacity in closer proximity to some of our customers in North America while expanding our production capability.”

Pace Industries is North America’s largest full-service aluminum, zinc and magnesium die casting company. Port City, based in Muskegon, is a fully integrated manufacturer of aluminum die castings, zinc die castings, mechanical assemblies and injected molded plastics.