What Metal Trades does

Metal Trades, operating under the Keel brand, is a U.S.-headquartered defense manufacturing company founded in 1962 with operations in Ladson, South Carolina (and a presence in Hollywood). The company specializes in high-end fabrication and precision machining for mission-critical defense applications across five market segments: Nuclear Navy (submarine and aircraft carrier modules built to NAVSEA standards using fracture-critical steel), Maritime Defense (naval systems and ship repair), Aerospace & Space (unmanned vehicle parts, helicopter and commercial airline components, rocket and missile launch platforms, satellite components, built to AS9100D and NADCAP standards), Land/Surveillance & Launch (radar installations, launch systems, armored vehicles), and Advanced Manufacturing & Infrastructure (robotic systems, heavy equipment, ship modernization).

Its core technology stack centers on high-precision CNC machining, advanced fabrication techniques (including heavy forming, rolling, automated cladding, and electron-beam welding), large-bed machining for oversized components, NAVSEA-certified welding, and Model-Based Definition engineering. The facility footprint includes deep-water access for transporting large naval modules and secure infrastructure for classified work, supported by AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, NADCAP, and NAVSEA certifications.

The business model is a quote-based, direct B2B enterprise sale into U.S. defense primes and government/military end-customers, with no retail or self-service channel. Customers engage via supplier relationships and a "Get a Quote" contact process. Revenue is generated through program-of-record manufacturing contracts, ship repair and modernization work, and design-to-delivery engineering integration. The company operates an internal Welding Institute and a military/veteran hiring pipeline to source specialized fabrication talent. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Metal Trades

Legal name

Keel

Website

https://metaltrades.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Metal Trades, operating as Keel, is a U.S. defense manufacturer founded in 1962 specializing in heavy steel fabrication, precision machining, and complex integration for naval, maritime, aerospace, and space programs. It serves U.S. defense primes and the U.S. Navy under NAVSEA, AS9100D, and NADCAP certifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Manufacturing

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812)

SIC

Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460)

akta.pro primary industry

Submarine Systems & Components (Pressure Hull, Ballast, Life Support) (IMABAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Shipbuilding Castings & Forgings (Rudders, Stern Frames, Shafts) (IMAJAKAG)

Keywords

• Defense manufacturing
• Heavy steel fabrication
• Naval shipbuilding
• Precision machining
• Aerospace manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Hollywood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Metal Trades (Keel) is a defense manufacturing company that produces heavy steel fabrications, submarine and aircraft carrier modules, precision-machined components, and integrated assemblies for U.S. Navy and defense prime contractor customers. The company combines design and engineering, large-scale fabrication, precision machining, specialty processing, and complex integration to deliver mission-critical components across naval, land, aerospace, and space applications, supported by NAVSEA, AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, and NADCAP certifications.

Product overview

Keel operates as a defense manufacturing company offering a unified portfolio of manufacturing services across five market segments: Nuclear Navy (submarine and aircraft carrier modules), Maritime Defense (naval systems support), Aerospace & Space (aerospace parts and rocket components), Land/Surveillance & Launch (radar and armored vehicles), and Advanced Manufacturing & Infrastructure (robotic systems and heavy equipment). The company provides integrated manufacturing services including Design/Engineering & Planning, Large Scale Fabrication, Precision Machining, Specialty Processing, and Complex Integration. Each market segment is supported by the core manufacturing capabilities, enabling end-to-end solutions for defense applications from initial engineering through final integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nuclear Navy Manufacturing Fabrication of submarine and aircraft carrier modules using fracture-critical steel construction techniques meeting NAVSEA safety and reliability standards; includes deep-water access, heavy lift and transportation, blasting/painting/coatings, automated cladding, and complex forming for U.S. Navy defense prime contractors.
• Maritime Defense Manufacturing Maritime systems and naval program support including NAVSEA-certified welding, large bed machining, ship repair and modernization, with deep water access capabilities for maritime defense customers.
• Aerospace & Space Manufacturing Manufacturing of technical parts for unmanned vehicles, safety-critical helicopter and commercial airline components, rocket components, missile launch platforms, ground support equipment, and satellite components meeting AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, and NADCAP standards.
• Land, Surveillance & Launch Systems Manufacturing Manufacturing of advanced radar installations, launch systems, armored vehicles, ballistic joint design and testing, field services, installation, kitting and inventory management with secure facilities for classified work.
• Advanced Manufacturing & Infrastructure Robotic systems, scaled construction, heavy equipment manufacturing, ship maintenance/repair/modernization with heavy forming, rolling, AWS D1.1 welding, and electrical/fluids control integration for commercial and industrial customers.
• Design, Engineering & Planning Services Engineering and planning services that transform designs into cost-effective manufacturing solutions for defense manufacturing applications.
• Large-Scale Fabrication Services Large-scale fabrication delivering high quality and reliability for critical U.S. Navy, defense end markets, and commercial customer applications.
• Precision Machining Services High-precision machining services for crafting complex components with tight tolerances across diverse industries and applications.
• Specialty Processing Services Advanced manufacturing including custom treatments and capabilities for classified projects across defense and commercial applications.
• Complex Integration Services Turnkey solutions that seamlessly integrate fabrication with precision machining for mission-critical defense projects.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• General Dynamics:

Regional players

• Naval Group: French naval prime building nuclear submarines (Barracuda, Suffren class) and surface combatants. Comparable in NAVSEA-equivalent certified nuclear submarine module fabrication, though serving French and allied customers rather than U.S. primes.
• Babcock International: U.K.-headquartered defense and naval support company with submarine sustainment, complex fabrication, and through-life support work. Comparable tier-2 defense manufacturing capability, though primarily operating in allied rather than U.S. shipyards.
• Fincantieri: One of the world's largest shipbuilders with U.S. operations (Fincantieri Marine Group) focused on naval and commercial vessels. Comparable large-scale fabrication capability though primarily Europe-based; U.S. subsidiary overlaps with Keel's naval heavy fabrication work.

Direct peers

• Vigor Industrial: Tier-1/tier-2 U.S. ship repair and fabrication specialist on the West Coast. Closest direct tier-2 peer by scale, business model (heavy steel fabrication, ship repair/modernization, outfitting), and customer mix (Navy, primes, commercial).
• Newport News Shipbuilding (HII): Sole builder of U.S. aircraft carriers and a co-builder of submarines. Operates in the same fracture-critical steel, large-scale fabrication, and NAVSEA-certified domain as Keel — the closest comparable by capability, though at prime scale.

Broad incumbents

• BAE Systems: Global defense prime with substantial U.S. ship repair, naval sustainment, and fabricated metal operations (BAE Systems Ship Repair). Overlaps with Keel's Maritime Defense and ship repair/modernization capabilities across multiple Navy programs.
• Lockheed Martin: Largest U.S. defense prime with deep submarine (Trident D5), missile, and aerospace exposure. A potential customer/peer in missile platforms, satellite components, and submarine combat systems where Keel's machining and specialty processing apply.
• Huntington Ingalls Industries: Largest U.S. military shipbuilder (Newport News Shipbuilding, Ingalls Shipbuilding) and a direct prime on the Virginia-, Columbia-, and Ford-class programs Keel supplies. Broad incumbent with overlapping naval module/subassembly supply chain but at prime rather than tier-2 level.
• Northrop Grumman: Aerospace and defense prime with significant submarine/shipbuilding involvement (including submarine nuclear components) and missile/launch systems. Overlaps with Keel's Aerospace & Space and Land/Surveillance/Launch segments at the prime/integrator level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metal-trades-inc

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 Metal Trades