Iron Age Comapny

What Iron Age Comapny does

Iron Age Company is a privately-held sheet metal fabrication specialist founded in 1990 and headquartered in Chetek, Wisconsin. The company designs, forms, stamps, and fabricates restoration-quality reproduction panels and components for discontinued and vintage equipment across four end markets: automotive (primarily Full-Sized Jeep SJ platform vehicles such as Wagoneer, Cherokee, Grand Wagoneer, Gladiator, and J-Truck), aviation (notably Piper Cub J3-L4 components), agricultural (antique tractors including John Deere orchard models), and military (Jeep M715 series and related vehicles). Its product catalog spans aircraft components, Jeep-specific restoration brackets, hardware items such as spot-weld and plug-weld cage nuts, metalworking tools including signature dishing bowls and the SKWAYERS Quick-Fab-Tool, and bespoke custom fabrication work such as fuel tanks, door supports, grills, and fire wall supports. The underlying technology is conventional metalworking: die stamping, CNC machining, custom welding (including aluminum), and forming against steel anchors, with no software or digital platform layer.

The company operates on a direct-to-consumer model with all orders processed via email correspondence and payment handled through PayPal, checks, or money orders; an e-commerce-enabled storefront is planned but not yet active. Pricing is per-unit, ranging from roughly $3.95 for small hardware cage nuts to $929.95 per set for premium aircraft eyebrows, with shipping and handling added and Wisconsin sales tax applied to in-state buyers. Distribution covers the continental United States and international shipments on a custom-quote basis. The customer base is fragmented across hobbyist restoration communities and small custom-fabrication buyers, with no enterprise or channel-partner relationships disclosed. The company is led by owner Wayne Ayers, with Shawn Ayers and Kristi Ayers credited as co-designers of the SKWAYERS tool, and operates with 11-50 employees as an independent business that explicitly disclaims affiliation with Chrysler Group LLC despite its focus on Jeep components.

Name

Iron Age Comapny

Legal name

Iron Age Company

Website

https://ironagecompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Iron Age Company is a Chetek, Wisconsin-based metal sheet fabrication shop founded in 1990 that designs and produces restoration-quality reproduction panels and components for vintage automotive (Jeep FSJ), aviation (Piper Cub), agricultural, and military equipment, selling directly to hobbyist restorers via email order.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication

NAICS

All Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (33299), Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (33272), Special Die and Tool, Die Set, Jig, and Fixture Manufacturing (333514), Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3329)

SIC

Sheet Metal Work (3444), Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460), Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural & Miscellaneous Metals (Stairs, Railings, Ladders) (IMADACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB)

Keywords

• Sheet metal fabrication
• Metal stamping services
• Automotive restoration parts
• Custom metal forming
• Reproduction sheet metal

Headquarters

HQ city

Chetek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sheet Metal Products and Components: Sale of restoration quality sheet metal panels and components for automotive, aircraft, agricultural, and military equipment
2. Specialty Tools and Equipment: Sale of fabrication tools including SKWAYERS and dishing bowls for sheet metal forming
3. Custom Fabrication Services: Custom work including custom fuel tanks, welding, and short run production

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Iron Age Company specializes in the forming, stamping, and fabrication of restoration quality sheet metal panels and components for automotive, aircraft, agricultural, and military equipment of yesteryear. The company manufactures reproduction parts for vintage and discontinued vehicles and equipment, offers custom fabrication services including custom fuel tanks, welding, and short-run production, and sells specialty metalworking tools such as SKWAYERS and dishing bowls.

Product overview

Iron Age Company is a sheet metal fabrication specialist offering restoration quality reproduction parts and custom metalworking solutions. The product portfolio includes aircraft components (Piper Cub J3-L4 Eyebrows), automotive restoration parts (FSJ Body Mount Frame Brackets for Jeep vehicles), hardware components (Cage Nuts in various sizes), metalworking tools (Dishing Bowls and SKWAYERS Quick-Fab-Tool), and custom sheet metal fabrication services for automotive, aircraft, agricultural, and military equipment. The company operates as a single unified custom fabrication business rather than a platform-based product company, with products sold directly via email order.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Piper Cub J3-L4 Type Eyebrows Sheet metal eyebrows for Piper Cub J3-L4 aircraft featuring improved shielded ignition design, aluminum construction with steel anchor points, military spec rubber grommets, flat black powder coat finish, and five-point mounting system. Available at $879.95 per set with mounting brackets and hardware. For experimental use only.
• Cage Nuts

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Year One: Major restoration parts and tire/wheel supplier serving muscle-car and classic vehicle enthusiasts. Overlaps with Iron Age on restoration customers and reproduction sheet metal, but operates at a much broader scale and product breadth.
• Classic Industries: Large-scale restoration parts retailer/manufacturer serving Mopar, GM, and Ford classic vehicle markets. Comparable end customer base (restoration enthusiasts) but vastly larger catalog and B2C e-commerce infrastructure.

Others

• McMaster-Carr: Industrial supplier providing raw stock, fasteners (including cage-nut style hardware), and metalworking consumables. Comparable as a supplier of raw inputs and standard hardware that Iron Age uses in production, and adjacent on Cage Nut category merchandising.

Direct peers

• Layson's Restoration Parts: Reproduction restoration parts supplier for classic American vehicles, including sheet metal and trim components. Comparable niche reproduction-parts catalog and customer overlap with vintage vehicle restorers.
• RealWheels Corporation: Custom metal-fabrication shop producing specialized wheel components and accessories for trucks and SUVs. Comparable as a small-batch custom metal fabricator addressing enthusiast/restoration vehicle owners with made-in-USA products.
• Eastwood Company: Sells restoration tools, fabrication equipment (including English wheels and metal-forming tools), and supplies to hobbyist restorers. Directly comparable on the tooling/fabrication-tools side of Iron Age's business (SKWAYERS, dishing bowls) and adjacent on parts.
• MAC's Antique Auto Parts: Manufactures and supplies reproduction parts for antique and classic vehicles, including body panels and trim. Comparable as a reproduction-parts specialist targeting the classic vehicle restoration buyer with similar SKUs to Iron Age.
• Pypes Performance Exhaust: Designs and fabricates custom exhaust systems and headers for automotive enthusiasts using in-house tube bending, welding, and finishing. Comparable as a custom metal-fabrication shop serving car enthusiasts with restoration/aftermarket products.
• Inline Tube: Manufactures pre-formed reproduction sheet metal tubing (fuel, brake, and transmission lines) for classic American vehicles using similar small-shop fabrication and direct-to-restorer distribution. Closest comparable in scale, customer (vehicle restorer), and metal-forming playbook.

Emerging players

• Custom Autosby Mallory: Custom sheet metal fabrication shop serving hot rod and restoration builders. Comparable custom metal-forming capability and short-run production for enthusiast projects, though narrower product line than Iron Age.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Iron Age Comapny