Wall-Ties & Forms
Wall-Ties & Forms, founded in 1976 in Shawnee, Kansas, is the claimed world's largest manufacturer of aluminum concrete forms and formwork accessories. The privately held firm serves residential, commercial, pool, agricultural, and specialty construction contractors across 45 countries via distributors and direct sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersShawnee, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Wall-Ties & Forms does
Wall-Ties & Forms, Inc. (WTF) is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of aluminum concrete forms and formwork accessories, headquartered in Shawnee, Kansas, with primary manufacturing operations in the suburban Kansas City area. Firmographic records date the company to 1976, though company-published materials reference "over 40 years" of operations as of 2014, suggesting an origin in the early 1970s. WTF self-describes as the world's largest aluminum concrete forms manufacturer, producing over 30 million wall ties and 200,000+ aluminum forms annually for shipment to 45 countries. The company operates a wholly-owned division, Swim-crete Pool Products, which has designed custom swimming pool forming systems since 1980 from a 100,000-square-foot facility employing over 100 people. The company appears to be founder- or family-owned, with no disclosed external investors, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity on record.
Wall-Ties & Forms firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wall-Ties & Forms
- Legal name
- Wall-Ties & Forms, Inc.
- Website
- https://aluminumconcreteforms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Wall-Ties & Forms, founded in 1976 in Shawnee, Kansas, is the claimed world's largest manufacturer of aluminum concrete forms and formwork accessories. The privately held firm serves residential, commercial, pool, agricultural, and specialty construction contractors across 45 countries via distributors and direct sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wall-Ties & Forms industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Concrete formwork and forming systems
- NAICS
- Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing (332322)
- SIC
- Sheet Metal Work (3444)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Masonry Accessories & Reinforcement (Lintels, Ties, Mesh, Rebar) (IMADABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sheet Metal & Flashing Works (Gutters, Copings, Edge Metal, Downspouts) (IMAFAMAE)
Keywords
Where Wall-Ties & Forms is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shawnee
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Wall-Ties & Forms business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Aluminum Concrete Forms Sales: Manufacturing and selling aluminum concrete forms as the world's largest aluminum concrete forms manufacturer. Products include various form sizes, patterns (6-12, 8-8/8-24), and specialties (brick, block, ashlar stone).
- Concrete Formwork Accessories: Comprehensive line of accessories including pins, wedges, wall ties, waler brackets, blockouts, pouring accessories, release agents, windows, insulation, and waterproofing products.
- Forming Systems: Specialized forming systems including concrete foundation, crawl spaces, housing (SecureTech), international mass housing, post and beam, swimming pools (Swim-crete), agricultural, precast, fence, safe rooms, column forms, and burial crypt systems.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Direct sales through distributor network |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Wall-Ties & Forms product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wall-Ties & Forms manufactures and supplies aluminum concrete forms and formwork systems used by construction contractors for residential, commercial, mass-housing, swimming pool, agricultural, precast, fencing, safe-room, and column applications. The company produces over 200,000 aluminum concrete forms and 30 million wall ties annually, ships to 45 countries, and complements its forms with a comprehensive line of accessories (pins and wedges, waler brackets, wall ties, blockouts, pouring accessories, release agents, insulation, waterproofing products, and window systems).
Product overview
Wall-Ties & Forms is the world's largest aluminum concrete forms manufacturer and supplier, offering a comprehensive portfolio of concrete forming products and systems. The core offering centers on aluminum concrete forms available in multiple configurations (6-12, 8-8/8-24, Big Panel, Gang Adapters, Super Light, Commercial, Ashlar Stone, Split Block, and Brick patterns). The forming systems portfolio includes specialized solutions such as the SecureTech concrete housing system, International Mass Housing system, Post and Beam system, and Swim-crete swimming pool system. Supporting products include an extensive accessories line (pins and wedges, waler brackets, wall ties, blockouts, pouring accessories, release agents, insulation, waterproofing, and windows). The company ships products to 45 countries worldwide and has been in operation for over 40 years, producing over 30 million ties and 200,000 aluminum concrete forms annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Swim-crete™ Pool Products: Division specializing in custom designed swimming pool forming systems since 1980, serving swimming pool builders throughout the United States and the world.
- SecureTech™
- FastLock
Products and services
- Aluminum Concrete Forms Reusable aluminum concrete forms used by contractors for pouring concrete walls in residential, commercial, and industrial construction. Available in multiple configurations and patterns.
- FastLock Attached Hardware System Latest aluminum concrete forms accessory offering advantages over other locking attached hardware systems for improved efficiency in concrete forming.
- Big Panel Concrete Forms Large crane-set aluminum concrete forms (8'x8', 8'x9', 8'x10') for repetitive tall concrete wall construction, weighing 7 lbs per square foot.
- Gang Adapter Concrete Forms System enabling contractors to create gangs using 36 inch wide aluminum concrete forms, requiring only two ties for 8, 9, and 10 foot walls and weighing less than 7 lbs per square foot.
- Ashlar Stone Concrete Forms Decorative aluminum concrete forms that leave a natural stone impression on walls, paintable or stainable for residential or commercial applications.
- Split Block Concrete Forms Aluminum concrete forms providing a deep block design with a realistic finished look, available in widths 36 to 1 inch and heights up to 120 inches.
- Brick Concrete Forms Brick-look aluminum concrete forms available in smooth, textured brick, and vertibrick patterns for decorative residential or commercial applications.
- Commercial Concrete Forms Accurate and reliable aluminum forms with 24 inch width and the thickest aluminum face sheet (.156) available, weighing 64-71 lbs.
- Super Light Concrete Forms Lightweight aluminum concrete forms designed for sites where weight is a concern; 36x120 forms weigh only 90 lbs with striker pads for face sheet protection.
- 6-12 Concrete Forms Aluminum concrete forms with a hole pattern allowing 12 inch jumps, available in widths from 36 to 1 inch and heights up to 120 inches.
- 8-8/8-24 Concrete Forms Aluminum concrete forms with hole patterns ideal for markets converting from block to poured concrete walls, allowing contractors to easily accomplish 8 inch jumps.
- 6-12 Double Bracing Concrete Forms Double bracing aluminum concrete forms with widths from 36 to 1 inch, available in .125 or .115 face sheet thickness.
- Concrete Foundation System Formwork system for contractors specializing in concrete foundation work, suitable for simple structures to complex custom homes.
- Crawl Space System Specially designed system for integrated wall and footing construction allowing monolithic concreting of footings and walls.
- SecureTech Concrete Housing System State-of-the-art concrete housing construction technology using commercial forms, ledger system, deck system, and insulation to create monolithic concrete structures with energy efficiency and strength.
- International Mass Housing Forming System Aluminum forming system providing low cost construction and rapid completion of residential or commercial, single or multi-level structures for international mass housing.
- Post and Beam System Formwork system optimally designed to produce variable concrete sections, keeping concrete forming costs to a minimum for international and domestic markets.
- Swim-crete Swimming Pool System Custom designed pool forms since 1980 for vinyl liner, all-concrete pool construction, or both, designed with pool dealers in mind.
- Agricultural Formwork System Confinement system for farm related operations including innovative design, long lasting products, ease of setup and speed of construction.
- Precast Form Systems Lightweight modular concrete forms for an infinite number of size and shaped precast concrete structures including junction boxes, culverts, and architectural elements.
- Concrete Fence Forming System Concrete fence forming system designed for ease of use with minimal maintenance, flexibility, and a wide variety of designs with adjustable column spacings.
- Safe Room System (FEMA-compliant) Concrete safe room system incorporating wall, ledger and deck forms to create FEMA-compliant monolithic structures meeting tornado and hurricane protection standards.
- Column Forms Round and adjustable rectangle aluminum column forms for various column forming needs.
- Burial Crypt Formwork Concrete forming system for multiple story burial chambers, designed to minimize the use of ties; proven to enable 80 burial chambers per day using two sets of forms.
- Pins and Wedges Simple and fast pin and wedge system allowing unskilled labor to be quickly trained, with round tapered pins and milled wedge slots to eliminate pin sag and improve stripping.
- Attached Hardware Factory installed permanent pin system where wedging is only required at top and bottom pin for increased efficiency.
- Waler Brackets Steel waler brackets for use with standard wood boards or aluminum channels that attach directly to concrete forms to straighten walls and minimize bracing.
- Wall Ties Cold rolled steel wall ties manufactured to meet various pouring method requirements with minimum pull strength of 7,200 lbs.
- Blockouts and Blockdowns Steel or aluminum blockouts for forming garage door openings, access holes, and specific depth applications, including beam blocks, drain tile blockouts, and adjustable options.
- Pouring Accessories Concrete pouring accessories including spray tanks (5 and 60 gallon), footing chutes, pouring boards, standard and flared chutes, and puddle sticks.
- Release Agents Mineral based release agents including WTF Form Release for stain-free form removal and WTF Form Seasoning Aluminum Form Conditioner for new forms.
- Material Handling Equipment Heavy duty material handling baskets including full panel baskets, filler baskets, and stacker baskets with various configurations for crane truck operations.
- Concrete Form Trucks Custom designed filler beds to fit customer's truck and concrete form needs.
- Insulation System Complete insulation system for concrete walls using 2 lb. density PerformGuard EPS with termite resistant properties, including I-Section, F-Section, and T-Section components.
- Dampproofing/Waterproofing Products (Deco) Deco waterproofing products including DECO 20 SEAL (BOCA-approved waterproof gray coating) and DECO 20 CLEAR (penetrating sealer) for masonry and poured concrete foundation walls.
- Windows and Window Wells Wide variety of windows including WTF Window Mold (collapsible, patent-pending), vinyl exterior/interior mount windows, aluminum windows, bucko vents, foundation vents, and safety egress systems.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 30 million ties produced per year and over 200,000 aluminum concrete forms shipped to 45 countries
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Wall-Ties & Forms
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Wall-Ties & Forms technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Wall-Ties & Forms partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- Swim-crete (Division/Subsidiary)coreSwim-crete Pool Products is a division of Wall-Tries & Forms, Inc. Operating since 1980, it has been the leader in custom designed swimming pool forming systems. Located in a 100,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in suburban Kansas City with over 100 employees.
- Texas Tech University (Safe Room Research)strategicTexas Tech researchers collaborated with FEMA on the development of safe rooms, drawing on 25 years of field research. Their work includes studies of building performance following dozens of tornadoes and laboratory testing on building materials and systems when impacted by airborne debris.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wall-Ties & Forms competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ULMA Construction: ULMA is a Spanish formwork and scaffolding manufacturer serving global commercial and residential markets. Overlaps with WTF in wall formwork and modular systems but offers a much wider product range.
- MEVA Formwork Systems: MEVA is a German-based formwork manufacturer with wall, slab, and climbing systems serving commercial, residential, and civil construction. Comparable core wall forming capability with broader product portfolio.
- Alsina Formwork: Alsina is a Spanish formwork specialist offering wall, slab, and column systems plus shoring. Comparable in wall formwork and accessories, with strong European and Latin American presence.
- PERI: PERI is the world's largest formwork and scaffolding manufacturer, offering a broad portfolio spanning wall, slab, and column systems. It overlaps with WTF in wall forming and mass housing but is much larger and offers a wider product range globally.
- Doka: Doka is a global formwork and scaffolding leader with deep presence in commercial, infrastructure, and high-rise concrete forming. Comparable in core wall formwork, but operates at significantly larger scale and across more geographies than WTF.
Regional players
- MFE Formwork & Engineering: MFE is a Malaysia-based formwork manufacturer with strong Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern mass-housing focus. Comparable in aluminum formwork for affordable housing but primarily serves Asian markets where WTF also competes.
- Outinord: Outinord is a French formwork manufacturer specializing in tunnels, civil engineering, and vertical concrete forming. Comparable in heavy formwork engineering, but primarily serves European infrastructure projects.
- Mesa Impala (Grupo M): Mesa Impala is a Mexico-based aluminum concrete formwork manufacturer with strong Latin American mass-housing focus. Comparable product and mass-housing application, but primarily serves Mexico and Latin America rather than WTF's U.S./Asia distribution.
Direct peers
- Western Forms: Western Forms is a U.S. aluminum concrete forms manufacturer with a comparable catalog of handset forms, accessories, and wall ties serving residential and light commercial contractors. Direct competitor in the aluminum handset forms segment.
- EFCO (EFCO Corp): EFCO is one of the largest North American aluminum and steel concrete forming manufacturers, with a comparable product line of handset, gang, and crane-set forms serving residential and commercial contractors. Directly comparable in product category, customer base, and distribution model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wall-Ties & Forms social profiles
Digital presenceWall-Ties & Forms financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wall-Ties & Forms leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Wall-Ties & Forms subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Wall-Ties & Forms funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wall-Ties & Forms M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wall-Ties & Forms
What does Wall-Ties & Forms do?
Wall-Ties & Forms manufactures and supplies aluminum concrete forms and formwork systems used by construction contractors for residential, commercial, mass-housing, swimming pool, agricultural, precast, fencing, safe-room, and column applications. The company produces over 200,000 aluminum concrete forms and 30 million wall ties annually, ships to 45 countries, and complements its forms with a comprehensive line of accessories (pins and wedges, waler brackets, wall ties, blockouts, pouring accessories, release agents, insulation, waterproofing products, and window systems).
Is Wall-Ties & Forms a public or private company?
Wall-Ties & Forms is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Wall-Ties & Forms founded?
Wall-Ties & Forms was founded in 1970. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Wall-Ties & Forms based?
Wall-Ties & Forms is headquartered in Shawnee, United States, in the North America region.
How does Wall-Ties & Forms make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Aluminum Concrete Forms Sales are the primary driver. The others are concrete Formwork Accessories and forming Systems.
Who are Wall-Ties & Forms's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ULMA Construction, MEVA Formwork Systems, Alsina Formwork, PERI and Doka. Regional players are MFE Formwork & Engineering, Outinord and Mesa Impala (Grupo M). Direct peers are Western Forms and EFCO (EFCO Corp).
Does Wall-Ties & Forms have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wall-Ties & Forms.
What industry is Wall-Ties & Forms in?
Wall-Ties & Forms's product category is Concrete formwork and forming systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMADABAK, Masonry Accessories & Reinforcement (Lintels, Ties, Mesh, Rebar), with a secondary code of IMAFAMAE, Sheet Metal & Flashing Works (Gutters, Copings, Edge Metal, Downspouts). Its NAICS code is 332322 and its SIC code is 3444.