Fledgling Marquette Castings LLC, based in Royal Oak, contracted Using RLM Industries Inc. from Oxford to produce cast-iron
skillets that mimic the attributes known in the classic cookware. The local manufacturing is substituting Chinese generation of
the skillets.

https://about.me/beststainlesssteelcookwarereview

RLM's foundry applies a casting process not previously Used to create cast-iron cookware, said Marquette Castings co-founder and
CEO Eric Steckling. The procedure yields skillets that are much closer to the highly sought after, original cast-iron pans
concerning weight and the smoothness of the cooking surface, he said.

A Transparency Market Research report issued last month Projected the global retail market for cast-iron cookware increases at a
compound yearly rate of 3.4 percent between 2017 and 2025, rising to nearly $3.3 billion from $2.5 billion. Demand from food
services is expected to account for more than two-thirds of the growth, with high demand coming in the Asia Pacific, followed by
Europe and North America.

Steckling stated Marquette Castings now is looking for a U.S. Foundry to make the enameled Dutch ovens, crafted using an automated
process due to the coating, it produces in China.

Maker roots

The Steckling brothers were"makers" long before the Term gained fame, building everything from rockets to robots within their
father's basement workshop in their family house in Clarkston. Kurt, 41, took an interest in electronics. Eric, 36, said that he
pitched more into carpentry; and Karl, 39, did a little bit of everything.

While working as a client services consultant for Pitney-Bowes In 2012, Eric Steckling put his hobby to use. Spurred by his young
kids, he began designing and producing children's picnic tables from thick, recycled vinyl sheeting through his then-company Noble
Argon LLC. Working with a few small retailers in Ann Arbor and then on the internet, he offered a few tables prior to dissolving
the company.

Following co-founding Brio Product Group LLC, an internet Personal-care products industry, in 2014 with his older brothers,
Steckling began focusing on improving on products already in the marketplace -- such as providing a Sonic toothbrush longer
battery life and supplying a subscription for your toothbrush heads. He made the jump to cast-iron cookware a year after when the
pans he and his wife obtained for their wedding started falling apart less than 10 years after.

Steckling began researching alternative cookware, which led him to Cast iron, and looking for a manufacturing process which could
create the quality of skillets passed down through generations of families.

"The cast iron produced now is terrible quality Compared to the classic pans made years back," Steckling said.

He along with his brothers set Marquette Castings in 2015 as a Branch of Brio. The companies share space with Vectorform LLC, Kurt
and Karl Steckling's electronic products company.

Craving quality

Cast iron generated by other companies goes via an automated, Sand-casting process which adds weight and leaves a surface that is
rough, Steckling said. By comparison, older parts of cast iron handed down through the years are lighter and smoother, which makes
them easier to use and maintain.

https://twitter.com/bestcookwares/status/1015253455911337985

The process used to make vintage cast-iron pans from 45 to 125 Years ago used a handmade sand-casting method with much finer sand
through a significantly slower, labor-intensive procedure, Steckling said.

Investment casting, which has been used across diverse Industries for cast-iron components, yields skillets which are much nearer
to the original cast-iron pans, he said. The method involves forming a spoonful from wax and lining several up on a tree of sorts,
or sprue, that is then dipped into a ceramic and sand slurry. It is dried and the process is repeated a few more times to
construct a shell. The manufacturer then heats up the sprue and melts the wax, leaving a ceramic mold cavity into which it could
pour the wrought iron. When the skillet hardens, they break the mould.

Making it neighborhood

When the Steckling brothers set Marquette Castings, called For Michigan's"Iron Town" in the Upper Peninsula, it outsourced
production to China.

"I needed to make the skillets in Michigan; but after Speaking to several foundries, I was pretty confident that we wouldn't have
the ability to cost efficiently investment-cast skillets in the united states," Steckling stated, adding that quotes from local
foundries at the time ranged from a few hundred dollars to a couple thousand per skillet.

However, the firm found it hard to communicate with Chinese Suppliers about the skillet manufacturing process and quality issues
from a distance, he said.

Beyond this, clients were requesting U.S.-made cookware. Steckling stated some Consumers, oblivious most cookware sold in the U.S.
is created in China, have trust problems with cookware made there.

Marquette Castings is filling pre-orders through online Campaigns and strategies to launch sale of this Michigan-made line of
skillets later this summer on its site.

The Business launched the Kickstarter campaign in October 2016 to Help finance tooling, surpassing its $30,000 goal by raising
$86,612 from 577 backers. Subsequently Marquette Castings moved the effort to Indiegogo therefore it could continue to take
pre-orders, raising almost $51,000 more and bringing its total amount of pre-orders into 137,536.

"We wanted to extensive test the marketplace to make sure we're not Totally crazy," Steckling explained. "Getting that first
feedback and purchase from customers was useful."

Finally, Marquette Castings Managed to reach an acceptable Price with a foundry to make the skillets locally.

National talk of tariffs didn't factor into the Organization's Decision to bring production back to the U.S., Steckling said,
noting that the creators made the decision long before the recent trade discussions. But, he said, the discussion has increased
steel costs even for domestic supplies.

This past Year, Brio and Marquette Castings submitted roughly $1 million In joint sales, Steckling explained. The cast-iron
cookware business accounted for approximately $400,000 of the.

"We certainly expect interest. . .and sales. . .to go Upward," Steckling explained.

With the launch of the new made-in-Michigan cast-iron skillets, He is projecting Marquette Castings' earnings increases to about
$700,000 this year, since the vast majority of those Michigan-made pans become available during the fourth quarter. The skillets
run $195 for a 10.5-inch pan and $225 for a 13-inch.

"We know it works, and we know it's safe." He added The material and procedure used in Marquette Castings merchandise is the same
used 150 years back.

Last month, the business, which employs four, additional to its Cast-iron, Dutch oven and other product offerings and began
promoting a 10.75-inch, made-in-Michigan carbon-steel skillet.

Marquette Castings is also beginning to work with local chefs Such as the"coach chef" Ryan Eli Salter, that utilizes Marquette
Castings during pop-up dinners and other events and has done giveaways of some of the products provided.

Greater awareness of the health problems related to Coatings on non-stick cookware and aluminum goods and the flourishing market
for online retail are boosting the cast-iron cookwaremarket, reports Transparency Market Research.

https://plus.google.com/114367663441571095762/posts/T4cMYrkvwut

Marquette Castings' primary goal, however, would be to attract Cast-iron cookware back into people's kitchens. "I Want to reach
the younger generation," Steckling said,"those who Aren't handed down "