The History of Sivyer Steel

In 1909, two foundries were born into the Midwest, Sivyer Steel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Zimmerman Steel Foundry in Bettendorf, Iowa.  In 1951, Zimmerman became Riverside Foundry, and began to produce armor castings. Around this same time Sivyer Steel Corporation expanded to a second plant in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago plant was lost in the 1960’s due to construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway.

In 1961, Sivyer Steel purchased Riverside Foundry to replace the Chicago location until all operations were consolidated to the Bettendorf facility in 1971. Throughout the 1960’s and until 2005, Sivyer supported the M60 and M1 Abrams Tank program for the United States military, providing nearly 70% of the steel castings for these projects. Sivyer continues to support military operations and partnered with the Rock Island Arsenal in 2010.

In 1988, Sivyer Steel Corporation opened a machining facility in Moline, Illinois, which continues to support the efforts of the foundry by providing both rough and finished machining for nearly all of Sivyer’s steel castings. The corporation has been a continuous producer of armor steel castings since 1951.