Custom Engineering & Fabrication

What Custom Engineering & Fabrication does

Custom Engineering & Fabrication is a private heavy-industrial fabrication company founded in 1998 in Auburn, Indiana, operating from two facilities in northeast Indiana (Auburn and Fort Wayne at 2211 Freeman St.) with over 120,000 square feet of manufacturing space, 20 overhead cranes, and 20+ acres of outdoor storage. The company delivers turnkey scrap-metal and conveyor systems by integrating engineering design, custom fabrication, and on-site millwright installation for industrial customers.

Its core offerings span four interlocking services: Engineering Design Services (using AutoCAD 2D/3D, AutoCAD Inventor, Tekla, and TruNest for 2D/3D modeling and nesting), Production/Fabrication Services (CNC fabrication and forming, Messer plasma cutting on a 10'x50' bed, BendTech A400 Laser Dragon cutting, Ficep beam line processing, and certified welding), System Integration (designing new systems or incorporating a customer's existing preferred equipment), and Equipment Installation / Millwright Services (on-site round-the-clock installation and project management). Output includes steel mixing drums, shredder equipment, fines processing systems, ZCV systems, batch feeders, plant additions, and structural steel components.

The business model is project-based custom fabrication sold through direct enterprise field sales: customers bring concepts or process needs, the in-house engineering team designs a solution, the company fabricates it, and its own millwright crews install it on the customer site. Revenue is generated as one-time project revenue per engagement, with no disclosed recurring contracts, software subscriptions, or pricing model. Primary customers are enterprise buyers in the scrap metal recycling, foundry, asphalt, and structural steel industries, with named engagements including Schnitzer Steel, US Shredder, SGM, Covanta, Sims, Omni, and Milliron. The company is privately held (no public listing, no disclosed ownership beyond founder Bob Hatfield), has 11-50 employees, and is not described as pursuing M&A, funding rounds, or geographic expansion beyond the existing northeast Indiana footprint.

Name

Custom Engineering & Fabrication

Legal name

Custom Engineering & Fabrication

Website

https://ceandf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Custom Engineering & Fabrication is a private, northeast-Indiana heavy-industrial fabrication shop that designs, builds, and installs custom scrap-metal processing, conveyor, and structural-steel systems for enterprise customers in the scrap recycling, foundry, asphalt, and structural steel industries via integrated engineering, fabrication, and millwright installation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Metal Fabrication

NAICS

Plate Work and Fabricated Structural Product Manufacturing (33231), Machine Shops (332710), All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (333248)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440), Sheet Metal Work (3444), Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping) (IMAHADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Saws & Cutting Systems (Band/Circular Saws, Abrasive Cutting) (IMAHADAL), Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures) (IMAHADAB)

Keywords

• Custom metal fabrication
• Scrap metal systems
• Structural steel fabrication
• Conveyor system engineering
• Industrial equipment installation

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Fabrication Projects: Project-based custom fabrication services delivering engineered, produced, and installed turnkey solutions. Revenue generated through custom engineering design fees, fabrication services, and installation/project management services as a complete package offering.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Custom Engineering & Fabrication designs, fabricates, and installs turnkey industrial systems for scrap metal processing, recycling, and material handling. The company takes customer concepts through in-house engineering (CAD-based design), CNC/laser/plasma fabrication and welding, and on-site millwright equipment installation as a single integrated project deliverable. Its customers include enterprise scrap recyclers, foundries, asphalt producers, and structural steel fabricators across the United States.

Product overview

Custom Engineering & Fabrication is a traditional engineering and fabrication company offering an integrated suite of services for the scrap metal and industrial sectors. The company operates a single unified service model combining engineering design, production/fabrication, system integration, and equipment installation. The core offerings are: Engineering Design Services (using AutoCAD, Inventor, Tekla, True Nest, and custom software for 2D/3D drawings and designs), Production/Fabrication Services (CNC fabrication, forming, laser cutting, welding with 130,000 sqft manufacturing space), System Integration (designing and streamlining new systems with preferred equipment manufacturers), and Equipment Installation (Millwright Services for on-site installation with project management). The company also produces custom industrial equipment including steel mixing drums, trailers, batch feeders, shredders, and plant additions for clients in foundry, scrap recycling, asphalt, and structural steel industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Engineering Design Services Custom engineering design services where staff engineers transform client concepts into integrated finished products using CAD tools including AutoCAD 2D/3D, AutoCAD Inventor, Tekla, and custom in-house software for industrial fabrication projects.
• Production/Fabrication Services Full-service custom metal fabrication manufacturing with CNC plasma cutting, laser cutting, bending, welding, and forming capabilities delivered across 120,000+ square feet of manufacturing space for industrial customers in scrap recycling, foundry, asphalt, and structural steel.
• System Integration Design and integration of new industrial systems from scratch or by incorporating existing equipment, working with customer-preferred equipment manufacturers to create integrated turnkey systems for scrap metal processing and material handling.
• Equipment Installation (Millwright Services) On-site equipment installation services with professional and safe crews providing project management and round-the-clock installation coverage for fabricated industrial systems at customer facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Minimizes waste while maximizing output and cost efficiencies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Shambaugh & Son: Shambaugh & Son is a large mechanical and industrial contractor with in-house fabrication capabilities serving food processing, steel, and heavy industry. Overlaps with CE&F in industrial fabrication and installation, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Metso Outotec: Metso is a global industrial OEM serving mining, aggregates, and recycling with engineered equipment and processing systems. Overlaps with CE&F in scrap and recycling equipment, though operates as a multinational OEM rather than a regional custom fabricator.
• CBI (Terex Recycling): CBI manufactures industrial shredders and recycling equipment at scale and is a recognized brand in scrap metal processing — directly competing with CE&F's shredder and recycling equipment fabrication for the same customer base, though CBI is a global OEM with much larger scale.

Regional players

• Schupan Recycling / Industrial Fabrication: Schupan operates in both scrap recycling and industrial fabrication with in-house processing equipment manufacturing. Comparable to CE&F's vertical integration in scrap recycling, though serves primarily Midwest markets from a different base.

Direct peers

• SteelFab Inc: SteelFab is a regional structural and miscellaneous metals fabricator serving heavy industrial and commercial customers with engineering, fabrication, and erection services. Comparable to CE&F in business model (custom engineering + fabrication + installation) and target customer base of industrial general contractors.
• Midwest Steel Inc: Midwest Steel is a structural steel and miscellaneous metals fabricator serving commercial and industrial construction. Comparable to CE&F in fabrication capabilities, project-based delivery, and Midwest regional focus.
• Anderson Industries: Anderson Industries is a custom metal fabricator and machine shop providing CNC machining, welding, and assembly for industrial OEM customers. Closely matches CE&F's custom fabrication service model and industrial customer profile.
• Douglas Steel Fabrication: Douglas Steel is a custom structural and miscellaneous steel fabricator with engineering, CNC fabrication, and field installation capabilities. Comparable in scale, Midwest geography, and turnkey service delivery model.
• Pioneer Steel & Engineering: Pioneer Steel is a Midwest structural steel and miscellaneous metals fabricator offering custom fabrication, engineering, and project management. Closely matches CE&F's integrated design-build-install model and industrial customer mix.
• Stecker Machine Company: Stecker Machine is a heavy industrial machine shop and fabricator providing custom machining, welding, and assembly for steel mills, foundries, and industrial OEMs. Comparable to CE&F in serving heavy industrial customers with custom engineered solutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Custom Engineering & Fabrication