Earnest Products

What Earnest Products does

Earnest Products, Inc. is a privately held contract manufacturer founded in 1994 by Bryan Earnest and headquartered in a 240,000 square-foot ISO 9001:2015 certified facility in Sanford, Florida. The company produces custom sheet metal fabrications and integrated electro-mechanical assemblies for OEM partners across nine identified verticals, including power distribution, energy storage, communications, medical, construction, transportation, HVAC, traffic control, and electronics. It fabricates steel, stainless steel, and aluminum into enclosures, brackets, frames, racks, cabinets, and chassis using punch, laser, form, weld, and powder coating processes in-house, and operates the Southern Manufacturing division, which has an 80+ year heritage in traffic control products for highways and intersections. Customers include Kapsch Traffic Com, Jacobs Engineering Group, and McCarthy Fabrication, with flagship projects spanning the Goethals Bridge Replacement, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel CNC-LUS Relocation, and COVID-19 surge production of hand sanitizer stands.

The company executes an enterprise B2B contract manufacturing motion: projects are scoped through consultative engagement with engineering specialists, run through a structured New Product Development (NPD) process with First Article Inspection documentation, and managed by dedicated project managers from concept through logistics and distribution. Core technology investments include the 2020 addition of a Prima Power LPe6 combined servo-electric punch/fiber laser system with automated Night Train material storage and stacking. Quality is embedded in operations via CAD-driven mechanical and electrical design, technician-level inspection checkpoints, and continuous metrics tracking, with the company reporting a 95% on-time delivery rate, 897 customer PPM defect rate, and 92% first-time quality yield. There is no public pricing; engagements are quote-based, project-priced, and typically multi-year, with the company invoicing as a one-time license/professional services mix and absorbing logistics as part of the turnkey package.

Revenue is generated from contract manufacturing services, custom sheet metal fabrication, design and engineering services, and logistics/distribution support bundled into turnkey deliverables. The company sells exclusively through direct enterprise field sales with no self-serve or digital channels, relying on website case studies, plant tours, and direct specialist consultation as primary marketing vehicles. The firm reports 251-500 employees, 300+ years of combined engineering experience, and 4,150,000 lbs of metal fabricated annually. It is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors or parent company, and operates under a vertical segmentation approach spanning infrastructure, industrial, and consumer-adjacent OEM end markets.

Name

Earnest Products

Legal name

Earnest Products, Inc.

Website

https://earnestproducts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Earnest Products is a privately held contract manufacturer of custom sheet metal fabrications and electro-mechanical assemblies, serving OEM partners across power distribution, transportation, communications, energy storage, medical, and industrial sectors from a 240,000 sq ft ISO 9001:2015 facility in Sanford, Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Metal Fabrication

NAICS

Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (335), Machine Shops (33271)

akta.pro primary industry

Aluminum Value-Added Components (Automotive, Aerospace, Packaging, Building Systems) (IMAKACAM)

Keywords

• Sheet metal fabrication
• Contract manufacturing
• Metal enclosures
• Electro-mechanical assembly
• Powder coating services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sanford

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, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Contract Manufacturing Services: Full-service contract manufacturing and integration solutions where Earnest Products manufactures products branded by customers (Built by Us, Sold by You model). Revenue is project-based, generated from custom fabrication, electro-mechanical assembly, and integration services for OEM partners.
2. Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication: Custom fabrication services including punch, laser, form, weld, powder coating, and assembly. Revenue generated on a per-project basis with pricing based on complexity, materials, and volume.
3. Design and Engineering Services: In-house engineering team provides design support, optimization, and New Product Development services as part of the integrated manufacturing approach.
4. Logistics and Distribution Services: Packaging, shipping, and logistical support services included as part of turnkey solutions for customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Earnest Products is a B2B contract manufacturer that provides integrated custom sheet metal fabrication, electro-mechanical assembly, and turnkey manufacturing solutions. The company processes steel, stainless steel, and aluminum into custom enclosures, cabinets, frames, racks, and brackets for OEM partners across power distribution, transportation, communications, medical, and industrial equipment verticals. Services span from in-house mechanical and electrical design through fabrication, welding, powder coating, testing, and distribution.

Product overview

Earnest Products is a contract metal fabrication and manufacturing company offering integrated solutions from design through delivery. The core portfolio consists of Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication and Enclosures combined with Contract Manufacturing and Integration services. Supporting these are Design Services (Mechanical Design, Electrical Design, and Fulfillment) and Quality Management Systems. Southern Manufacturing, a division with 80+ years of heritage, specializes in traffic control products. The company produces custom enclosures for diverse applications including control cabinets, sound abatement enclosures, communication node cabinets, lighting unit substation cabinets, and cashless tolling system housings. All fabrication processes—including punch/laser, forming, welding, powder-coating, and electro-mechanical assembly—are performed in-house at the 240,000 square-foot ISO 9001:2015 certified facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication and Enclosures Full-service custom metal fabrication service producing enclosures, chassis, brackets, frames, and racks from steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. Capabilities include punch/laser cutting, forming, welding, buss bar manufacturing, grinding, electro-mechanical assembly, electrical assembly and wiring, powder coating, testing, and logistical support for OEM customers.
• Contract Manufacturing and Integration Turnkey contract manufacturing service providing integrated electrical control panels, mechanical and electrical component installation, product testing, insulation installation, and distribution management. Customers' products are manufactured and branded by them under a "Built by Us, Sold by You" model, from design support through delivery.
• Southern Manufacturing Traffic Control Products Southern Manufacturing is a division of Earnest Products with 80+ years producing traffic control products for highways and intersections. Designs and manufactures complex solutions for transportation and traffic control applications in cooperation with various agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% on-time delivery rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• McCarthy FabricationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020McCarthy Fabrication contracted Earnest Products as their complete contract manufacturing solution during the COVID-19 pandemic when demand for hand sanitizer stands exceeded their own and Performance Powder Coating's capacity. Earnest Products handles fabrication, powder coating, and distribution, shipping customer-packaged versions for quick turnaround.
• Performance Powder CoatingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Sub-contractor partner that McCarthy Fabrication initially used to fulfill demand for hand sanitizer stands before bringing in Earnest Products as the complete contract manufacturing solution.
• Kapsch Traffic ComcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2019Southern Manufacturing, a division of Earnest Products, partnered with Kapsch Traffic Com to design and manufacture custom enclosure solutions for the cashless toll system on the Goethals Bridge Replacement Project. The open-road cashless tolling system includes cameras mounted on overhead gantries with controls housed in Southern Manufacturing enclosures.
• Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019Partnered on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel CNC-LUS Relocation Project to provide custom Communication Node Cabinets (CNC) and Lighting Unit Substation Cabinets (LUS). The project relocates systems to Emergency Pull-off Areas to improve safety and reduce traffic impacts.
• Control TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019Partnered on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel CNC-LUS Relocation Project alongside Jacobs Engineering Group and E.G. Middleton, Inc.
• E.G. Middleton, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019Partnered on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel CNC-LUS Relocation Project alongside Jacobs Engineering Group and Control Technologies.
• Southern ManufacturingcoreOthersSouthern Manufacturing is a division of Earnest Products that has produced traffic control products for over 80 years under the Southern Manufacturing name. It showcases comprehensive manufacturing and design capabilities, working with various agencies to design and manufacture complex solutions for traffic control applications.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Astro Metalcraft: Astro Metalcraft provides custom sheet metal fabrication, welding, and finishing services to OEMs in transportation, electronics, and industrial markets. Similar to Earnest, it focuses on low-volume custom enclosures and assembled products for OEM customers.
• KDM Fabrication: KDM Fabrication offers custom sheet metal fabrication, CNC machining, and powder coating for OEMs across electronics, medical, and industrial end markets. Its turnkey, project-based model for low-to-mid volume OEM production is comparable to Earnest Products' contract manufacturing approach.
• Protocase: Protocase is a custom sheet metal fabrication and CNC machining company serving engineers and OEMs with quick-turn enclosures and parts. It is the closest direct competitor to Earnest Products' custom sheet metal and electro-mechanical assembly offering for low-to-mid volume OEM customers.
• Midwest Metal Products: Midwest Metal Products is a contract sheet metal fabricator producing custom enclosures, racks, and metal components for OEM customers. Comparable scale and business model to Earnest Products, though serving primarily Midwest-based industrial and electronics OEMs.
• Fox Metalcraft: Fox Metalcraft provides custom sheet metal fabrication, powder coating, and light electromechanical assembly to OEMs. Similar in size and capabilities to Earnest Products, with overlapping customer profiles in industrial and electronics end markets.
• Marlin Steel Wire Products: Marlin Steel is a custom sheet metal and wire fabrication shop producing baskets, racks, brackets, and enclosures for industrial customers. It is comparable in scope of custom metal product manufacturing and B2B contract sales motion to Earnest Products.

Broad incumbents

• Metaltek International: Metaltek International is a diversified metal manufacturing group offering sand casting, investment casting, and fabrication capabilities. Broader and heavier than Earnest in process capability, it competes for OEM contract work that involves custom metal components and assemblies.
• BTD Manufacturing: BTD Manufacturing is a larger, full-service contract metal fabricator offering stamping, welding, powder coating, and assembly across multiple US facilities. It overlaps with Earnest on integrated metal fabrication and electro-mechanical assembly, but serves higher-volume programs and has broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/earnestproducts

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Earnest Products