(Editor’s note: This is the 41st installment in a monthly series highlighting some of the region’s unsung manufacturers that make products essential to the economy and, in many cases, our way of life. See previous installments here.)
In an 85,000-square-foot brick factory perched at the edge of the Pawcatuck River in Westerly, the clanging of metal and hum of machinery fills the air like a mechanical symphony.
At Warwick Hanger Co., a tight-knit team of 26 workers churn out copper, steel and iron brackets, clips, protective plates, fasteners and clamps by the thousands, destined for homes, high rises and other construction sites across the country.
The plant is a labyrinth of production, from a buzzing computer numerical control machine crafting precision die sets to the warehouse floor where countless finished pieces await shipment.
It’s the kind of place where you realize Rhode Island’s manufacturing footprint extends beyond the sprawling brick and stone mills of the Blackstone Valley and Pawtuxet Valley.
This is part of South County’s industrial heartbeat, along the Pawcatuck River. While it has declined from its heights in the early to mid-20th century, it’s alive, and, in some cases, thriving.
For CEO Michael Ellery and his father, Frederick, who founded Warwick Hanger, manufacturing here isn’t just a career; it’s a legacy.
The business grew out of the Ellery family’s earlier jewelry and electronics company, Cramik Enterprises Inc., which started in the early 1970s. When the work dried up in the 1980s, the Ellerys shifted their focus and retooled to produce pipe hangers and other industrial products. Warwick Hanger was b orn, although the business still operates under the Cramik name.
Now many of the company’s products play a crucial but nearly invisible role in the construction industry, largely covered over by drywall and drop ceilings.
The change in focus was a success. Cramik had started in West Warick in 1971, and with Warwick Hanger, the company outgrew its original space and relocated to a century-old factory on Canal Street in Westerly in 2001.
But it’s still very much a family operation.
“My dad comes to work Monday through Thursday,” the younger Ellery said. “He’s been here since he was 18, and now, 89, he’s still out here keeping an eye on things.”
[caption id="attachment_513691" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
SHOW AND TELL: Warwick Hanger Co. CEO Michael Ellery displays one of his company’s products, a metal hanger that’s designed to accommodate a pipe wrapped with insulation.
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
The sense of continuity and family extends to employees such as floor supervisor Charlene Harris, who oversees the daily operations.
“A normal day is busy, and loud,” Harris said amid the clatter of industry. “Some days are crazier than others, but it’s a nice place to work. It’s tight-knit.”
In fact, the relocation of the manufacturer to Westerly in 2001 – roughly an hour’s drive away from West Warwick – was somewhat contingent on its skilled workers.
The Ellerys made it clear: “I’m not moving unless you’re coming with me,” Michael Ellery said, recalling how nearly all employees stayed, commuting daily to keep the team intact.
Ellery even purchased a car for several workers to use to carpool down to Westerly, allowing them to commute to the factory from Providence.
That doesn’t surprise Lisa Konicki, president of the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce.
“Westerly companies have deep, loyal employee pools,” she said. “You don’t see the kind of turnover here that you do in hospitality or retail. Manufacturing provides a stable environment for families to thrive across generations.”
Manufacturing jobs tend to offer steady hours and competitive wages, Konicki said. Production workers in Rhode Island’s manufacturing sector earned an average of around $26.11 per hour in September 2025, according to the most recent R.I. Department of Labor and Training data.
MODERN ADVANCEMENTS
Manufacturing has been part of South County’s DNA for more than a century, Konicki said. The mills may be fewer, but the ones that remain have modernized.
Inside the Warwick Hanger factory, those advancements of modern manufacturing are on full display.
Standing over machines that are run with the assistance of computers, engineer Herb Bouchard illustrated the leap in efficiency brought by technology in real time.
“We’re taking a block [of metal], running it through a computer-aided design [machine] and then a CNC machine,” Bouchard explained as the equipment whirs and clicks with mechanical precision, its cutting head gliding through steel as coolant sprays and metal shavings scatter onto the shop floor.
“What would have taken three or four days manually, I can do in an hour and a half,” he said.
The precision isn’t just about speed; it’s about quality. Holes are drilled and tapped, pockets are cut for components, and every measurement is exact, down to fractions of a millimeter.
“We’re proud of the balance,” said Jamie Root, operations manager. “It’s about marrying precision technology with hands-on skill.”
The plant itself reflects this evolution. Former drying rooms for felt, dating back to earlier eras of Rhode Island manufacturing, have been repurposed for storage and staging.
Across the floor, the contrast between old and new is striking. A jewelry tool from earlier in the company’s history, designed to handle parts manually, sits next to a modern die set built with computer-aided manufacturing.
“The difference is unbelievable,” Root said. “From hundreds of pounds of manual tools to this – it’s like night and day.”
Yet, while machines accelerate production, the human element remains central. Every piece – from clevis hangers to insulated pipe supports – benefits from careful oversight, innovative tweaks and the kind of institutional knowledge that only comes from decades of hands-on experience.
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AN AUDIENCE: Assemblers Maria Gonzalez, foreground, and Mike Priore, right, prepare metal plates for shipping at the Warwick Hanger Co., while Charlene Harris, left, floor supervisor, and Jamie Root, chief operations officer, look on.
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
NEW MARKETS
Warwick Hanger’s product line of more than a thousand items spans copper, galvanized steel and a variety of custom sizes.
The company was built for high-volume production dating back to its time as a jewelry maker, Michael Ellery said.
“We’d get orders for 5 million pieces from [a large client] – little pins or trinkets – sold for a few cents each,” he said. “Most of it had to be done by hand, long before automation really started taking effect.”
That early experience in mass-producing millions of small items set the stage for Warwick Hanger’s next big leap into retail, where scaling production would take on an entirely new dimension.
“We started selling to Home Depot’s corporate office in New Jersey, driving there myself at first. It was tough,” Ellery said. “They said, ‘Who is this guy?’ But we eventually became a supplier for residential products in their stores. It taught us a lot about scaling production and dealing with big-box retailers.”
The company later shifted its focus to commercial hangers – products designed for projects such as high-rise buildings, industrial facilities and parking garages – where margins are higher and demand more specialized.
“That pushed us into new markets and allowed us to focus on domestic production,” he said.
Now, finished goods are staged and shipped to projects as far away as Alabama and Nevada.
There’s a reason that the South County manufacturer is thriving, Konicki said.
“Westerly businesses have proven they are nimble, creative and innovative. That same Yankee stubbornness and tenacity will continue to help these businesses forge ahead, regardless of the challenges that lie ahead,” she said.
Even against the backdrop of national economic trends and tariffs, local manufacturers like Warwick Hanger remain resilient.
That resilience is reflected in the contracts Warwick Hanger continues to secure, particularly with clients that require domestic production.
Ellery said the company has seen steady demand from U.S. Department of Defense contracts, military bases, government facilities and large institutional projects that specify American-made materials.
“A lot of our customers can’t go overseas,” Ellery said. “They have ‘Buy American’ requirements, and that works in our favor. We’re making everything here, in-house, and that matters to them.”
Those requirements, he said, have helped insulate the company from some of the volatility facing manufacturers that rely on foreign supply chains.
The size and weight of the products made at Warwick Hanger make local manufacturing a competitive advantage; freight costs and logistical challenges give regional suppliers an edge over distant competitors.
“Some competitors went to China,” Ellery said. “They’re not really manufacturing anymore – they’re middlemen. When the world got expensive, we stayed local. Suddenly, that became our advantage.”
[caption id="attachment_513693" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
CHECK IT OUT: Warwick Hanger Co. engineer Hebert Bouchard measures the first hanger component produced with a new tool he engineered.
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
Natural events have tested the plant’s resilience as well. Heavy rains in 2010 had the Pawcatuck River overflowing its banks, sending more than 3 feet of water through the factory, threatening inventory and halting operations.
But despite the severity, the team began limited shipping just 10 days later, Ellery said.
And despite widespread industry disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rhode Island’s manufacturing sector has since regained its footing.
Some businesses in Westerly even pivoted around the pandemic to great success.
Konicki pointed to South County Distillers as a prime example. Originally planning to launch its first batch of spirits in early 2020, the company pivoted in March 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, to produce hand sanitizer instead of alcohol for front-line workers.
“They filled a critical need for first responders, schools and local businesses, and donated literally thousands of gallons to the community,” she said. “It’s a great example of how these companies are nimble and resilient.”
Many manufacturers, she said – whether longstanding or new – have learned to respond quickly to shifts, whether from public health crises, supply chain disruptions, or changes in national policy.
Konicki said that newer businesses are learning from legacy manufacturers such as Warwick Hanger, blending craftsmanship with modern techniques to create products that compete nationally and internationally.
She also pointed to workforce development programs, such as those at the Westerly Education Center, that support public-private partnerships and provide a steady pipeline of skilled employees for these industries.
“These businesses have proven they can innovate under pressure,” Konicki said. “That’s part of what makes manufacturing in Westerly and South County so robust – there’s a culture of adaptability and community commitment that carries them through challenges.”
Back at Warwick Hanger, welding sparks jump like tiny fireworks. Machines hum as the day winds down, and Ellery reflects on decades in business in southern Rhode Island.
“We’ve been through floods, tariffs and curveballs – and still, here we are, shipping the next day,” he said.
