Company Profile
H. Kramer & Co.
Company Overview
The American Foundry Society is a dynamic technical and advocacy organization that serves and represents the $50 billion metalcasting industry. AFS is the only association serving the entire industry, including all metals and processes, with a three-part focus on advocacy, education, and innovation. AFS also publishes Modern Casting and Casting Source magazines and presents Metalcasting Congress and CastExpo, the largest metalcasting trade events in North America. Founded in 1896, the organization is based in Schaumburg, Illinois, with an advocacy office in Washington, D.C. More information is available at AFSinc.org.
Company History
AFS traces its roots to 1896, when 220 charter members of the American Foundrymen's Association met in Philadelphia. In the years that followed, the organization pursued key priorities including advancing the science of metallurgy used in castings, and improving safety and health conditions in the industry. In 1948, the organization's name was changed, with "Association" becoming "Society." Over time, another organization, the American Cast Metals Association, grew in importance as a management and advocacy organization for the industry. The two organizations merged in 1990, providing a unified industry voice on governmental matters affecting the metalcasting industry. From the early 1900s, sustainable excellence in metalcasting education has been a cornerstone of AFS service to the industry, and is now embodied in the AFS Institute. In 2000, the official name was changed from American Foundrymen's Society to American Foundry Society.