Gardner Manufacturing

What Gardner Manufacturing does

Gardner Manufacturing is a privately held custom metal fabrication company incorporated on November 1, 1928, in Horicon, Wisconsin, and still controlled by the founding Gardner family. Operating from a single 160,000-square-foot plant on 20 acres with three-shift capacity, the firm provides vertically integrated sheet metal services spanning laser cutting, punching, forming, welding, painting, assembly, and warehousing. Its core product line is engineered-to-order NEMA Type 1, Type 3, and Type 3R enclosures and cabinets for wiring, junction boxes, cable management wireways, and transformer cabinets, complemented by build-to-print fabrication work for defense, aerospace, electronics, machine tool, transportation, solar/alternative energy, construction, factory automation, and pollution abatement customers.

The business runs a quote-based, direct-sales model with no disclosed distributors or e-commerce channels. Pricing is project-specific, determined by scope, materials, quantities, and specifications, and the firm supplements fabrication revenue with JIT inventory and warehousing. Technical capabilities rest on ISO 9001:2015, ITAR registration, UL 1332-compliant paint line capable of applying military-grade CARC coatings, AWS D1.1/D1.3 weld certifications, a ROMER 7-axis CMM with scanning/probe capability, Fabrivision flatbed scanning, SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD/CAM, and mobile-tablet in-process inspection. The company markets itself as a certified Minority Business Enterprise and emphasizes 90+ years of enclosure manufacturing experience.

Customer relationships are project-based and enterprise-oriented, with at least one long-tenured electronics manufacturing client since 2009 and certifications enabling defense and aerospace work. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no public financials. Operations are confined to the single Horicon, WI site, serving primarily domestic, Midwest-anchored customers across a diversified vertical mix.

Name

Gardner Manufacturing

Legal name

Gardner Manufacturing Inc.

Website

https://gardnermfg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Family-owned since 1928, Gardner Manufacturing is a Horicon, Wisconsin custom metal fabricator producing engineered-to-order NEMA enclosures and build-to-print sheet metal components for defense, aerospace, electronics, transportation, solar, and construction customers from an ITAR- and ISO 9001-certified, 160,000-square-foot plant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication

SIC

Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Welding, Fabrication & Field Machining Services (On-site) (IMAIACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sheet Metal Machinery (Laser/Plasma/Waterjet Cutting, Punching) (IMAHADAD)

Keywords

• Custom sheet metal fabrication
• NEMA enclosures manufacturing
• Precision welding services
• Metal finishing and painting
• Build-to-print fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Horicon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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. Custom Metal Fabrication Services: One-stop-shop custom sheet metal fabrication services including laser cutting, punching, forming, welding, painting, assembling, and warehousing. Services range from single piece prototype to large production runs. Projects span from small light-gauge brackets to large heavy-gauge weldments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Gardner Manufacturing is a custom sheet metal fabricator providing engineered-to-order NEMA Type 1, Type 3, and Type 3R enclosures and cabinets, alongside full-service fabrication capabilities including laser cutting, punching, forming, welding, painting, assembly, and warehousing. Projects range from single-piece prototypes to large production runs, serving OEMs and commercial contractors across defense, aerospace, electronics, machine tool, transportation, construction, and alternative energy industries.

Product overview

Gardner Manufacturing is a custom metal fabrication company offering a portfolio of NEMA enclosure products and comprehensive fabrication services. Their core product line centers on custom NEMA Type 1, Type 3, and Type 3R enclosures and cabinets for wiring, junction, cable management, and transformer applications. These products are complemented by full-service metal fabrication capabilities including laser cutting, punching, forming, welding, painting, and warehousing—all delivered from their vertically integrated 160,000 square foot facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Metal Fabrication Services Full-service custom sheet metal fabrication covering laser cutting, punching, forming, welding, painting, assembly, and warehousing. Supports processes including etching, louvers, stamping, forming, and tapping, and handles production runs from single-piece prototype through large-volume orders. Built to customer specifications at the Horicon, Wisconsin facility and shipped with JIT inventory support.
• Custom NEMA Enclosures and Cabinets Custom engineered-to-order NEMA Type 1, Type 3, and Type 3R enclosures and cabinets used for wiring, junction and pull boxes, cable management wireways and troughs, and transformer cabinets. Available in any size and complexity, with optional powder coating for weatherproofing and environmental protection, and material/coating recommendations for corrosion resistance, weight, ruggedness, security, heat dissipation, and cost.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects typically result in lower cost, higher quality and faster delivery compared to customers' expectations

Named customers1 record

Segments8 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

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Hammond Manufacturing: Canadian-headquartered manufacturer of standard and custom electrical enclosures (including NEMA-rated types) and sheet metal products. Highly comparable to Gardner's NEMA enclosure focus and custom fabrication services to industrial and OEM customers.
• Stahlin Enclosures: US manufacturer specializing exclusively in NEMA-rated enclosures (nonmetallic and metallic) for industrial and electrical applications. A focused direct peer to Gardner's NEMA enclosure product line across indoor/outdoor ratings.
• Rittal: Global leader in industrial enclosures, climate control, and IT infrastructure — including a broad portfolio of NEMA-rated enclosures. Comparable to Gardner for direct competition in custom NEMA enclosures for OEM and industrial customers.
• Fibox: European-origin enclosure manufacturer with US operations offering polycarbonate and metal NEMA enclosures globally. Competes with Gardner's NEMA Type 1/3/3R enclosures in OEM and industrial customer applications.

Broad incumbents

• Hubbell: Diversified electrical products company with a Wiegmann brand for NEMA-rated enclosures serving industrial and OEM customers. Comparable breadth of end markets and enclosure-customer overlap with Gardner.
• nVent (Hoffman brand): Publicly-traded electrical connection and protection company whose Hoffman brand is a market-leading NEMA enclosure line in North America. A broad incumbent in adjacent comparison — overlapping product, broader distribution, and broader portfolio than Gardner.
• Worthington Industries: Diversified metal manufacturing company (pressure cylinders, steel processing, sustainable building solutions) with custom metal fabrication capabilities serving industrial and OEM customers. Comparable in fabrication processes and customer base, though broader scope than Gardner.
• Schneider Electric (Square D / Spacial): Global energy management and automation firm whose Square D and Spacial enclosure lines compete with Gardner's custom NEMA enclosures, especially for industrial OEMs and electrical infrastructure customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Gardner Manufacturing