Precision Metal Works
Precision Metal Works is a Kentucky-based contract manufacturer founded in 1947 providing metal stamping, welding, assembly, and Class A powder coat finishing across automotive, appliance, hardware, electrical, electronic, and medical end-markets. It operates three facilities with 34 presses and ~250 employees and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Live Ventures Incorporated since 2023.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1947
- HeadquartersLouisville, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Precision Metal Works does
Precision Metal Works (PMW), founded in 1947 in Louisville, Kentucky and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Live Ventures Incorporated (Nasdaq: LIVE) since 2023, is a US contract manufacturer specializing in metalforming, assembly, and finishing services. Its production footprint spans three Kentucky facilities (two in Louisville and one in Frankfort, acquired in 2019) totaling approximately 400,000 square feet and employing ~250 people. Core capabilities include metal stamping across a 34-press line ranging from 5 presses up to 200 tons through 3 large-bed 1100-ton units, in-house tool design and build with CNC and EDM, multiple welding processes (plasma, MIG, TIG, resistance, decorative stainless, and 'A' surface), value-add operations (assembly, tapping, machining, PEM nut insertion, orbital riveting, TOX/TOG-L-LOC metal joints), and Class A powder coat paint finishing supported by robotic weld cells, press tending, 5 CMMs, and in-die sensors.
The company's customer base spans six end-markets: automotive (primary), appliance (primary), hardware, electrical, electronic, and medical, with IATF 16949 and ISO 9001 certifications supporting automotive and general industrial qualification requirements. Its revenue model is project-based B2B contract manufacturing: parts are produced to customer specifications and drawings under custom PO terms, with early design involvement, forming simulation, reverse engineering, and prototyping offered upstream of production runs. Sales are conducted through direct enterprise field engagement with manufacturing buyers, with no disclosed public pricing and no intermediary or reseller channel.
Ownership history reflects multiple PE/strategic transitions since the founding Lenz family sold to Elemex in 1999: Bartell Global acquired control in 2016, PMW itself acquired Frankfort operations in 2019, and Live Ventures acquired the company for approximately $28 million in 2023, citing the addition of an estimated $75 million annual revenue stream to its steel manufacturing segment. The current operating posture is stable and asset-intensive, dependent on sustained utilization of its press fleet and continued qualification with automotive and appliance OEMs.
Precision Metal Works firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Precision Metal Works
- Legal name
- Precision Metal Works
- Website
- https://precision-mw.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1947
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Precision Metal Works is a Kentucky-based contract manufacturer founded in 1947 providing metal stamping, welding, assembly, and Class A powder coat finishing across automotive, appliance, hardware, electrical, electronic, and medical end-markets. It operates three facilities with 34 presses and ~250 employees and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Live Ventures Incorporated since 2023.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Precision Metal Works industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contract Metal Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Forging and Stamping (33211), Special Die and Tool, Die Set, Jig, and Fixture Manufacturing (333514), Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3329)
- SIC
- Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460), Sheet Metal Work (3444)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping) (IMAHADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB)
Keywords
Where Precision Metal Works is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Louisville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Precision Metal Works business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Metalforming Manufacturing Services: Contract manufacturing services for metal parts including stamping, welding, assembly and finishing. Revenue generated through one-time transactions for custom parts manufacturing based on customer specifications and order volumes.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Precision Metal Works product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Precision Metal Works is a contract metalforming manufacturer providing stamping (34 presses ranging from 200 to 1100 tons), welding (plasma, MIG, TIG, resistance, decorative stainless), assembly, and Class A powder coat finishing services. The company serves automotive, appliance, hardware, electrical, electronic, and medical industries across 3 manufacturing facilities totaling 400,000 sq. ft. in Kentucky. It also offers in-house tooling design/build, advanced design engineering, forming simulation, reverse engineering, and prototyping services.
Product overview
Precision Metal Works is a metalforming, assembly, and finishing services provider. Their offering is a unified manufacturing capability that encompasses Stamping (34 presses ranging from 200 to 1100 tons), Advanced Design Services (including forming simulation and prototyping), Tooling (in-house design and CNC/EDM capabilities), Automation (robotic weld cells and CMM inspection), Welding (plasma, MIG, TIG, resistance), Value-Add Operations (assembly, machining, fastening), and Class A Powder Coat Paint finishing. These services are designed for automotive, appliance, hardware, electrical, electronic, and medical industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Metalforming, Assembly and Finishing Services
Companies that use Precision Metal Works
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Precision Metal Works technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Precision Metal Works partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Frankfort OperationscorePMW acquired Frankfort, KY operations to expand manufacturing capacity for stamping and welding.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Precision Metal Works competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- D&H Industries: US-based contract metal stamper with welding, assembly, and finishing capabilities serving automotive and industrial markets. Comparable size, vertical integration, and customer mix to PMW.
- Multimatic: Manufactures stamped metal body components, chassis systems, and engineered mechanisms for global OEMs. Direct overlap with PMW's automotive stamping, robotic welding, and assembly profile; serves similar Tier 1 buyer base.
- Shiloh Industries: Specializes in lightweighting and precision engineered metal products, primarily for automotive OEMs. Closely comparable to PMW in automotive-focused metal forming/stamping and joining capabilities, though Shiloh operates at significantly larger scale.
- Martinrea International: Automotive metal forming, chassis modules, and assemblies supplier serving major North American OEMs. Highly comparable business model—contract stamping and assemblies for automotive—with comparable vertical integration and welding/joining capabilities.
- Bocar Group: Contract metal stamping and assemblies focused on automotive, with tooling, welding, and finishing capabilities. Closely comparable mid-tier contract manufacturer serving similar OEM customers.
- Helander Metal Products: Mid-market contract metal stamper with forming, welding, and assembly capabilities serving industrial and automotive customers. Closely aligned size band and vertical integration profile to PMW.
Broad incumbents
- Magna International (Cosma): Through Cosma and body/chassis operations, Magna supplies stamped and assembled metal components to global automakers. Broader portfolio and far larger scale than PMW, but directly comparable metalforming technology and customer base.
- CIE Automotive: Global manufacturer of metal components and subassemblies for automotive and industrial markets via a roll-up platform. Highly comparable model to what Live Ventures is building around PMW—multiple acquired stamping operations across regions.
- Gestamp: Global Tier 1 automotive metal components specialist with stamping, welding, and assembly operations worldwide. Comparable technology stack and end-market, but much larger and more geographically diversified than PMW.
- Tower International (Mubea): Former Tower International, now part of Mubea, supplies automotive stamped and assembled metal components globally. Larger scale and broader geographic reach but same automotive stamping/joining technology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Precision Metal Works social profiles
Digital presencePrecision Metal Works compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Precision Metal Works financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Precision Metal Works leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Precision Metal Works funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Precision Metal Works M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Precision Metal Works
What does Precision Metal Works do?
Precision Metal Works is a contract metalforming manufacturer providing stamping (34 presses ranging from 200 to 1100 tons), welding (plasma, MIG, TIG, resistance, decorative stainless), assembly, and Class A powder coat finishing services. The company serves automotive, appliance, hardware, electrical, electronic, and medical industries across 3 manufacturing facilities totaling 400,000 sq. ft. in Kentucky. It also offers in-house tooling design/build, advanced design engineering, forming simulation, reverse engineering, and prototyping services.
Is Precision Metal Works a public or private company?
Precision Metal Works is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Precision Metal Works founded?
Precision Metal Works was founded in 1947. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Precision Metal Works based?
Precision Metal Works is headquartered in Louisville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Precision Metal Works make money?
One revenue line is on record: metalforming Manufacturing Services.
Who are Precision Metal Works's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are D&H Industries, Multimatic, Shiloh Industries, Martinrea International, Bocar Group and Helander Metal Products. Broad incumbents are Magna International (Cosma), CIE Automotive, Gestamp and Tower International (Mubea).
Does Precision Metal Works have an API?
No public API is recorded for Precision Metal Works.
What industry is Precision Metal Works in?
Precision Metal Works's product category is Contract Metal Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHADAC, Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping), with a secondary code of IMAHADAB, Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures). Its NAICS code is 33211 and its SIC code is 3460.