What Lehigh Heavy Forge does

Lehigh Heavy Forge Corporation is a privately held, super-heavy open-die forging manufacturer headquartered at 275 Emery Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of WHEMCO Inc. since 1997. Established in the 1880s to supply forgings to the U.S. Navy for iron-clad ships, the company is the sole remaining super-heavy forging plant in North America and operates the largest open die press in the Western Hemisphere (10,000-ton). Production is fully vertically integrated at the Bethlehem facility and spans steel making (150-ton DC and 40-ton AC arc furnaces), open-die forging (10,000-ton and 4,000-ton presses), CNC machining (horizontal and vertical boring mills, lathes with swings to 138 inches, trepan boring lathes to 75 feet), certified heat treatment (water, oil, spray, cryogenic, induction), and quality control (mechanical and non-destructive testing to military and commercial standards). Maximum ingot capacity is 300 tons and forgings exceed 70 feet in length.

The company serves eleven distinct end markets: Commercial Nuclear (steam generators, reactor vessels, storage casks per ASME Section III and RCC-M), Forged Steel Rolls (work, back-up, and specialty rolls to 83-inch diameter and 330,000 pounds), Power Generation (generator and turbine shafts, rotor bodies), National Defense, Capital Goods, Billet/Bloom, Offshore/Oil and Gas (BOP blocks, drilling stabilizers), Mining (crusher and dragline shafts), Marine Equipment (propulsion shafts, rudder stocks), Conversion Services, and Custom Open Die forgings. Named customer references include the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Navy, the commercial nuclear power industry, and historic hydroelectric power generation (Niagara Falls).

Commercially, Lehigh operates an enterprise direct-sales model with no distributors or resellers. North American inquiries route through [email protected] at Bethlehem headquarters; international inquiries route through WHEMCO International representatives in Germany and the UK. All orders are custom quotations based on specifications, with no public list pricing. The company holds ISO 9001, ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section III, EU Pressure Equipment Directive, and American Bureau of Shipping certifications, qualifying it for the most regulated segments of the heavy industrial supply chain.

Name

Lehigh Heavy Forge

Legal name

Lehigh Heavy Forge Corporation

Website

https://lhforge.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Lehigh Heavy Forge is a privately held, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based super-heavy open-die forging manufacturer and WHEMCO subsidiary serving defense, nuclear, power generation, marine, mining, and oil and gas customers with custom forgings up to 300 tons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Industrial Forging

NAICS

Iron and Steel Forging (332111), Forging and Stamping (33211), Nonferrous Forging (332112)

SIC

Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460)

akta.pro primary industry

Steel Plate, Sections & Welded Assemblies (IMADACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Steelwork & Fabrication Facilities (Plate/Section Processing, Welding Lines) (IMAJALAH), Wear Parts & Consumables (GET, Liners, Drill Bits, Grinding Media) (IMAKANAH)

Keywords

• Heavy open-die forging
• Custom steel forgings
• Forged steel components
• Industrial forge manufacturing
• Steel forging services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethlehem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Open Die Forgings: The company produces custom open die forgings for various industrial applications including shafts, cylinders, blocks, discs, tubes, and mandrels. Manufacturing is done in-house from steel making through forging, heat treatment, and machining.
2. Conversion Services: Conversion services for customer-supplied material, converting high strength ferrous and nonferrous material into useful shapes using 3,000 ton and 10,000 ton presses for ingot conversion, heat treatment, and machining.
3. Forged Steel Rolls: Production of forged work rolls, back-up rolls, and specialty rolls for ferrous and nonferrous rolling mills, including rolls up to 83 in. (2108mm) diameter and 330,000 pounds (149,685kg).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lehigh Heavy Forge manufactures custom heavy open-die forgings for safety-critical industrial applications, operating the largest open-die forging press in the Western Hemisphere at 10,000 tons capacity. The company produces forged steel components, billets, blooms, and custom open-die forgings serving the defense, power generation, commercial nuclear, marine, mining, oil & gas, capital goods, and steel rolling industries from its Bethlehem, Pennsylvania facility.

Product overview

Lehigh Heavy Forge is a heavy manufacturing company offering precision open die forgings and related manufacturing services. The company operates the largest open die press in the Western Hemisphere (10,000 ton) and a 4,000 ton press, along with steel making, machining, heat treatment, and quality control capabilities. Their product portfolio centers on custom open die forgings serving diverse industries: Commercial Nuclear (pressure vessels, reactor components), Forged Steel Rolls (work rolls, back-up rolls), Power Generation (generator/turbine shafts), National Defense, Capital Goods, Billet/Bloom, Offshore/Oil & Gas, Mining, Marine Equipment, and Conversion Services. Manufacturing capabilities include steel making with 150-ton DC and 40-ton AC arc furnaces, CNC machining with equipment up to 75ft length and 200-ton crane capacity, certified heat treatment facilities, and comprehensive quality control with mechanical testing and non-destructive testing to military and commercial standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Nuclear Forgings Heavy open-die forged components manufactured for commercial nuclear power applications, designed to meet stringent nuclear quality and safety standards. Targeted at nuclear power plant operators and nuclear steam supply system manufacturers.
• Forged Steel Rolls Forged steel rolls used in steel rolling mills and metal processing operations. Targeted at steel producers and rolling mill operators requiring heavy-duty roll products.
• Power Generation Components Heavy forged components for power generation equipment, including turbine and generator rotor shafts and other critical rotating equipment parts. Targeted at fossil-fuel and renewable power generation equipment OEMs and operators.
• National Defense Forgings Heavy forged components for national defense applications, including naval propulsion, armor, and weapons systems. Targeted at the U.S. Department of Defense, defense prime contractors, and shipbuilders.
• Capital Goods Components Heavy forged components used in capital equipment and heavy machinery manufacturing. Targeted at OEMs of industrial machinery and heavy capital equipment producers.
• Billet and Bloom Semi-finished forged steel billets and blooms produced from the company's in-house steel-making and forging operations. Targeted at steel processors and further-forging operations requiring large input stock.
• Offshore and Oil & Gas Forgings Heavy forged components for offshore drilling, subsea equipment, and oil & gas production. Targeted at oil & gas operators, offshore platform builders, and drilling equipment OEMs.
• Mining Equipment Forgings Heavy forged wear and structural components for mining and mineral processing equipment. Targeted at mining equipment manufacturers and large mining operators.
• Marine Equipment Forgings Heavy forged components for marine propulsion and shipbuilding, including marine shafting, rudder components, and other large marine hardware. Targeted at shipbuilders, naval architects, and marine propulsion system integrators.
• Conversion Services Forging conversion services where the company processes customer-supplied material into finished or semi-finished forged components. Targeted at metal producers, distributors, and OEMs requiring toll-forging capacity.
• Custom Open-Die Forgings Bespoke heavy open-die forgings produced to customer specifications for applications requiring unique geometries, large dimensions, or specialized metallurgical properties. Targeted at industrial customers with non-standard or one-off forging requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Forgings over 70ft (21m) long produced
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WHEMCO Incorporated (Parent Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHEMCO Inc. purchased the forging division in 1997 to form Lehigh Heavy Forge. WHEMCO is a world leader in the manufacture of cast iron rolls, and cast and forged steel components, supplying heavy industrial components for metals, general industrial, and shipbuilding industries worldwide. Lehigh Heavy Forge operates as a subsidiary of WHEMCO.
• WHEMCO InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWHEMCO International serves as the international sales and inquiry contact for Lehigh Heavy Forge outside North America. Offices include Germany (Volker Schaffer) and UK (Peter Carless) for international customer support.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Allegheny Technologies (ATI): Large diversified specialty metals producer including nickel-based and titanium alloy forged products for aerospace, defense, and energy; competes with Lehigh on select high-spec forged components as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Bodycote: Global provider of heat treatment and metal processing services; competes with Lehigh in thermal-processing capacity for large forgings and adjacent to its in-house heat treatment capabilities.

Direct peers

• Ellwood Group: Pennsylvania-headquartered producer of heavy steel and iron forgings and castings for molds, rolls, defense, and energy markets; competing product and customer overlap with Lehigh Heavy Forge in large steel components.
• Scot Forge: Spring Grove, IL-based custom open-die and rolled-ring forger serving defense, aerospace, power generation, and oil & gas with similar ferrous and nonferrous capabilities, making it the closest U.S. open-die competitor to Lehigh Heavy Forge.
• Ajax Manufacturing Co. Erie, PA-based open-die forging shop producing heavy carbon, alloy, and stainless steel forgings for power generation, oil & gas, mining, and military applications with comparable scale and customer mix.
• Anderson Shumaker Co. Chicago-based open-die forging supplier serving aerospace, defense, oil & gas, and industrial customers with both ferrous and nonferrous custom forgings, overlapping Lehigh's customer verticals.

Emerging players

• Forgital Italy: Italian producer of large rolled rings and open-die forgings for aerospace, energy, and industrial markets; competes with Lehigh on very large forged components from a non-U.S. base.
• ESCO Group: Portland-based manufacturer of engineered wear parts and attachments for mining and infrastructure; competes with Lehigh in mining forgings such as crusher components and heavy equipment shafts.

Regional players

• Patriot Forge Co. Brantford, Ontario-based heavy open-die forging company serving North American power generation, defense, and industrial markets; an important cross-border peer though somewhat smaller than Lehigh.

Others

• WHEMCO Inc. Parent company of Lehigh Heavy Forge and a world leader in cast iron rolls plus cast and forged steel components; comparable product portfolio in adjacent forged/cast steel components for metals and shipbuilding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lehigh-heavy-forge-corporation
• Xx.com/LHForge

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lehigh Heavy Forge