As Grede Foundries Inc.'s restructuring plan proceeds with the closures of plants in South Carolina, Michigan and Kansas, the company is ramping up its employment in Wisconsin.

The company announced today that a stabilizing economy and cautious customer preparation for a rebound in the manufacturing and automotive industries have led to expanded work and increased employment at the company's facilities in the Badger State.

Grede chairman Richard Koenings said that over the past two months, the company has gained new, multi-year contracts worth more than $23 million annually and has experienced an average 30 percent jump in employment at its U.S. plants.

The company also is a strong bidder on other contracts that have the potential to bring in millions of dollars of additional work, Koenings said.

"There's been talk of the U.S. economy starting to prepare for economic recovery, and our experience at Grede seems to indicate some support for that," Koenings said. "In addition to increasing orders from existing and new customers, we have been able to steadily expand employment. The goal of our recent right-sizing and restructuring efforts has been to position Grede for immediate profitability in what is expected to be a gradual turnaround as the U.S. emerges from its most tumultuous economic period in generations.  The hikes we've seen in work and employment indicate Grede is on a solid, positive path."

Since the automotive industry's low point with the General Motors and Chrysler shutdowns in June, Grede has increased employment by 25 percent to 542 people at its Reedsburg, Wis., foundry and by 100 percent at its St. Cloud, Minn., foundry.

Both facilities produce castings for the automotive industry, which has seen some rebound tied to reduced inventory and linked to the federal "Cash for Clunkers" program.

Koenings said employment has also jumped by 15 percent to 118 people at the company's Liberty foundry in Wauwatosa and at its Iron Mountain, Mich.

Grede now employs 85 people at its Milwaukee headquarters.

Grede is in the process of shutting down a facility in Greenwood, S.C., and recently announced a four-to-six-month plan to phase out plants in Vassar, Mich., and Wichita, Kan. The company is in the process of transferring the production from those operations to its other locations.

The company now employs a total of 745 people in Wisconsin, and that number is likely to grow, according to company spokesmen.

Once all of the consolidations are complete in the spring of 2010, the company anticipates further increases in work and employment, particularly at the Liberty plant in Wauwatosa, which could see another 30 percent rise in employment, Koenings said.

"The hard work, commitment to quality and unmatched expertise of our national workforce has made a big, positive difference as we continue our initiatives to put our company on solid footing and restore it to immediate profitability," Koenings said.

Grede announced in June that it has filed a petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.