Moran Iron Works

What Moran Iron Works does

Moran Iron Works is a custom metal fabrication company founded in 1978 by Thomas Moran in Onaway, Michigan, operating as a HUBZone-certified Small Business Concern. The company designs, engineers, fabricates, machines, tests, finishes, and delivers heavy steel and aluminum components across four end markets: power generation (gas turbine inlet and exhaust equipment compatible with GE, Siemens, Mitsubishi-Hitachi, and Pratt & Whitney turbines), marine (passenger ferries, barges, and specialty craft including the Shepler's MISS MARGY), industrial (pollution control equipment, steel and iron making components, material handling systems, and structural steel), and hydro (AISC Fracture Critical dam gates, stop logs, bulkheads, and hydraulic steel structures for federal and municipal dams).

Core production capabilities are anchored by a 125,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Onaway with bay heights up to 40 feet, a 20-acre deep-water port laydown at Port Calcite on Lake Huron, and a 22-mile legislatively protected High Wire Corridor connecting the two sites with 28-foot overhead clearance. Equipment includes a Messer Evolution 8' x 45' plasma cutting system, Haas VF6 CNC mill, Lincoln E-Cell robotic welder, Davi MCB E30 plate roll, and Meta-Lax vibratory stress relief. The company holds AISC Fracture Critical, Hydraulic Steel Structures, and Sophisticated Paint Endorsement certifications, alongside AWS and Canadian Welding Bureau fabricator certifications with staff holding CWI, CWE, and CWS credentials. Notable technical milestones include a 12-inch thick plate fabrication record and deliveries of 800+ tons of ductwork to a Midrex HBI plant and 846 tons of flood gates to a Cumberland River project.

Moran Iron Works generates revenue exclusively through project-based, one-time custom fabrication contracts secured via a direct sales motion and a website quote request workflow, with no disclosed recurring revenue, subscription model, or third-party distribution. The customer base is a mix of federal agencies (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service), municipalities (Chelan County PUD), and enterprise clients in steel manufacturing (U.S. Steel, AK Steel), power technology (Midrex Technologies), and marine transportation (Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry). The company is 100% founder-held with no external investors, parent company, or M&A activity, and ships globally via Great Lakes barge routes from its deep-water port.

Name

Moran Iron Works

Legal name

Moran Iron Works

Website

https://moraniron.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Moran Iron Works is a founder-owned, HUBZone-certified custom metal fabricator founded in 1978 in Onaway, Michigan, producing heavy steel and aluminum modules for power generation, marine, industrial, and hydro infrastructure clients using a 125,000 sq ft shop, robotic welding, CNC machining, and a deep-water port.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Metal Fabrication

NAICS

Fabricated Structural Metal Manufacturing (332312)

SIC

Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440), Sheet Metal Work (3444)

akta.pro primary industry

Structural Steel Fabrication (IMADACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Steel Plate, Sections & Welded Assemblies (IMADACAD), Metals & Steel Mill Facility Construction (IMAFADAF), Specialty & Alloy Steel (Stainless, Tool Steel, Electrical Steel, High-Strength/HSLA) (IMAKABAJ)

Keywords

• Custom metal fabrication
• Heavy steel fabrication
• Marine vessel construction
• Hydraulic steel structures
• Gas turbine equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Onaway

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Fabrication Projects: Project-based custom metal fabrication services for power, marine, industrial, and hydro markets. Revenue generated through design, engineering, fabrication, installation, service, repair, and modification contracts. One-time project fees with no recurring revenue model.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Moran Iron Works is a custom metal fabrication company providing turnkey design, engineering, fabrication, machining, testing, finishing, and delivery of heavy steel products across four markets. Core offerings include gas turbine inlet and exhaust equipment for power plants, custom marine vessels (ferries, barges, specialty craft), heavy industrial fabrications (pollution control, steelmaking equipment, material handling, structural steel), and hydraulic steel structures for hydroelectric dams and facilities.

Product overview

Moran Iron Works is a custom metal fabrication company offering a unified portfolio of turnkey metal fabrication services across four distinct market segments: Power (gas turbine inlet and exhaust equipment), Marine (vessels, ferries, barges, and specialty craft), Industrial (pollution control equipment, steel/iron making components, material handling systems, and structural steel), and Hydro (dam gates, stop logs, and hydraulic steel structures). All services follow a from-design-to-delivery model encompassing design, machining, fabrication, testing, finishing, and delivery/logistics. The company operates fabrication facilities in Onaway and Rogers City, Michigan with a deep water port and high-wire corridor for transporting oversized components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Power - Gas Turbine Inlet and Exhaust Equipment Custom-fabricated gas turbine inlet and exhaust components including ductwork, dampers, silencers, baffles, bag houses, transitions, stacks, plenums, diffusers, weather hoods, liners, and access doors/panels. Built for turbine manufacturers and power plant operators using General Electric, Siemens, Mitsubishi-Hitachi, and Pratt & Whitney specifications, including reverse-engineered and in-kind replacement parts.
• Marine - Vessels, Ferries, Barges, and Specialty Craft Custom vessel, boat, and barge construction, modification, repowering, and repair services including high-speed aluminum passenger ferries, cargo barges, and specialty marine craft with USCG compliance. Projects include lengthening, repowering, and complete new construction such as the MISS MARGY 85' high-speed aluminum ferry.
• Industrial - Heavy Steel Fabrication Comprehensive industrial metal fabrication including pollution and air quality equipment (filter houses, precipitators, scrubbers, adsorbers, ductwork), steel and iron making equipment (stove domes, downcomer ducts, bag houses, drums, hoppers), material handling systems (chutes, silos, dryers, conveyors, dump boxes, buckets), and structural components (plate girders, frames, trusses, flanges, platforms, mezzanines).
• Hydro - Dam Infrastructure Components Custom-fabricated hydraulic steel structures for hydroelectric facilities including dam gates, stop logs, bulkheads, screens, trash racks, penstocks, ice dam beam systems, dam boards, and cofferdam templates. AISC Fracture Critical and Hydraulic Steel Structures certified for federally regulated dam safety applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully shipped 846 tons of flood gates to Cumberland River project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered key, core and minor.

• SeaCraft DesignkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaval architecture and design firm based in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Collaborated with Moran Iron Works on the design of the MISS MARGY high-speed aluminum passenger ferry. SeaCraft provides vessel design specifications that MIW fabricates and constructs.
• Gracon, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSubcontracted by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Stillhouse Dam project. Gracon engaged Moran Iron Works to machine, fabricate, paint, package and deliver four dam gates for Stillhouse Dam in Texas (13,000 lbs each, A588 Plate and A36 Plate Stock).
• Durocher Marine (Division of Kokosing Construction Company, Inc.)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSubcontracted by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District for Soo Lock Complex project. Durocher Marine engaged MIW to fabricate cofferdam templates used to dewater locks for maintenance and repairs during annual lock closure.
• Mio Schools / Mio Ausable School DistrictminorOthersMoran Iron Works provides resources and materials to Mio Schools to help students interested in pursuing a career in welding. Part of workforce development and community giving program.
• Industrial Arts InstituteminorOthersEngaged Industrial Arts Institute students to construct the 4th of July parade float, demonstrating commitment to vocational education and community partnerships.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Vigor Industrial (Oregon Iron Works): Mid-size U.S. custom heavy steel fabricator and shipbuilder on the West Coast with overlapping marine, industrial, and structural steel capabilities. Closest scale and scope analog to MIW's four-vertical fabrication model.
• Conrad Shipyard: Louisiana-based custom vessel and barge builder serving government and commercial marine clients. Comparable to MIW's Marine segment in fabricating ferries, barges, and specialty craft to customer specifications.
• Eastern Shipbuilding Group: Florida shipbuilder constructing custom steel vessels, patrol boats, and commercial craft for government and commercial customers. Direct comparable to MIW's custom marine vessel fabrication work for Shepler's and similar ferry operators.
• Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding: Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin shipyard operating in the Great Lakes with overlapping marine vessel construction and repair capabilities. Comparable geographic logistics profile and customer base in the Great Lakes marine market.
• Marinette Marine (Fincantieri): Wisconsin-based shipyard constructing custom naval and commercial vessels in the Great Lakes region. Comparable scale and geographic footprint for marine fabrication with federal/government customer overlap.
• Colonna's Shipyard: East Coast ship repair and fabrication yard serving government, commercial, and industrial marine customers. Comparable to MIW's marine fabrication and repair services with similar project-based contract structure.
• National Material Company: U.S. integrated steel processor and fabricator serving industrial markets with custom metal products. Comparable mid-size custom industrial fabrication profile across automotive, energy, and heavy industrial end-markets.

Emerging players

• Trachte LLC: Wisconsin-based custom metal fabricator specializing in power industry equipment including substations, control houses, and turbine/generator enclosures. Adjacent product overlap with MIW's gas turbine component fabrication.

Broad incumbents

• Voith Hydro: Global large-cap supplier of hydroelectric turbines, generators, and hydro-mechanical equipment. Overlaps with MIW's Hydro segment but at much larger scale and broader product scope; representative of the incumbent ecosystem MIW supplies structural components into.
• Andritz Hydro: Global tier-one hydro turbine and equipment OEM. Represents the large-incumbent customer ecosystem that procures fabricated hydro steel structures and dam components similar to MIW's product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFnaea5S5tLjV6jVB1q-vrA
• Facebookfacebook.com/moraniron
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moraniron
• Instagraminstagram.com/moranironworks
• Xx.com/moranironworks

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Moran Iron Works