From basketball hoops to picture frames and all kinds of boats, custom metal parts are part of nearly every industry.
Yet in the past few decades, United States manufacturers have increasingly relied on international metal fabrication shops because there are fewer domestic companies, says Kelly Ward.
She and her brother, Kiffin, both native Rhode Islanders, saw these challenges firsthand working for manufacturers and were inspired to combine their skills to help fill the gap by launching Ward’s Manufacturing LLC in Warren in January.
Having worked with several startups, Ward leads the front end of the business, while her brother’s background in mechanical product engineering supports the shop.
The metal fabrication business specializes in fiber laser cutting, which is more accurate and five times faster than older technology, she says.
So far, the brother-sister duo has been able to leverage their connections to build a nationwide customer base, but now the focus is on building up a stronger network within Rhode Island’s manufacturing community.
“We will serve anyone across the country, but it’s nice when we can hand-deliver something,” she said. “A big driver for us is we want to build more here so that people who get educated in Rhode Island can work here too and stay here.”