FAMILY BUILT
FUTURE DRIVEN
Arnette Pattern Company, Inc., located in Granite City, Illinois, first opened its doors. At this time, Bill Zimmer was 18 years old and just beginning his first year of apprenticeship as a pattern maker.
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PAST PRESIDENTS OF ARNETTE PATTERN
DALE ARNETTE (1910-2002)
Owner (1948-1978)
Dale was the founder of Arnette Pattern Company, establishing it as a small pattern and mold making shop. With a passion for precision and craftsmanship, he built a foundation for excellence in the industry. Dale was an active leader in the American Foundry Society (AFS), contributing significantly to the advancement of foundry practices. In 1978, he sold the business to Bill and Gary Zimmer, leaving a lasting legacy in the field.
WILLIAM (BILL) ZIMMER (1930-2020)
Owner (1978-1994)
Bill began his career at Arnette Pattern Company in 1948 at the age of 18, starting as a shop hand sweeping floors. His dedication to the small company led him to a pattern making apprenticeship in his 20’s and by 1960, he had risen to head foreman of the 8-10 employee pattern shop. In 1978, Bill, alongside his son Gary, purchased Arnette Pattern Company, and he served as president until 1994. After transferring ownership to his sons (Gary, David, and Paul) in 1994, Bill remained an active pattern maker well into his early 80s, contributing to the company for over two decades. He also shared his expertise by teaching a pattern making apprenticeship program in the Metro East-St. Louis area, leaving a lasting impact on the industry.
GARY ZIMMER (1954)
Owner (1994-2015)
Gary launched his journey in 1973 as an apprentice pattern maker at Arnette Pattern Company, working under his father, the company foreman. After co-purchasing the company with his father Bill in 1978, Gary served as vice president until assuming the presidency in 1994. Under his leadership, Arnette Pattern saw its greatest growth, evolving from a traditional pattern and mold shop into a comprehensive operation that includes a full-fledged CNC/manual machine shop and a fabrication/weld shop. In 2008, Gary oversaw the construction of a new state-of-the-art facility on Missouri Avenue, in Granite City, with further expansions in 2012, cementing Arnette’s position as a top-tier industry innovator.
