What Forney Industries does

Forney Industries, Inc. is a privately held, Fort Collins, Colorado-based manufacturer and distributor of metalworking and welding products, founded in 1932 and operating continuously for over 90 years. The company is led by President and CEO Steve Anderson and VP of Operations & Business Administration Dane Anderson, with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or institutional ownership. It operates a product portfolio organized into four primary categories — welding equipment (TIG, MIG, Stick, Plasma, Multi-Process), abrasives (cutting wheels, grinding wheels, flap discs, wire brushes, carbide burrs, drill bits, hacksaw blades), shop tools (air fittings, battery maintenance, cable ties, electrical connectors), and safety equipment (eye/face, hand, and respiratory protection) — and markets through three sub-brands (Forney, Forney Pro, Forney X-Series) plus the Command PRO line for professional-grade consumables.

The company's technical offering centers on a wide SKU range spanning low-cost consumables (paint markers priced under $8, cut-off wheels from ~$3.59) up to higher-ticket capital equipment such as the X-Series TruCut plasma cutters and STx/FCx welders (priced into the low-hundreds), with proprietary differentiators including TruSet digital amperage control, Pilot Arc and Drag Torch on plasma cutters, and Made-in-USA solid tungsten carbide burrs. X-Series machines carry a 3-year warranty, indicating a deliberate move into the prosumer/professional tier beyond legacy entry-level positioning. The firm combines retail physical storefront and dealer/distributor channels (with documented Dealer Freight Terms) alongside its own e-commerce platform, which offers Quick Order, account registration, and customer-service support — a structure consistent with industrial-supply peers.

Forney makes money primarily through one-time hardware sales: equipment (MIG/TIG/Stick/Plasma machines, drill bit sets, plasma cutters) and consumables (electrodes, flux-core welding wire, cutting/grinding wheels, flap discs), priced on a per-unit basis with no disclosed subscription or recurring billing. Unit pricing is publicly disclosed on the website (e.g., carbide burrs $10.99-$34.99, drill bit sets $26.99-$389.99, flux-core wire $26.99), and recurring-revenue dynamics arise organically from consumable replenishment rather than contracted subscriptions. Customer revenue is geographically concentrated in the United States only, with no international footprint, and is spread across multiple use-case segments — Fabrication and Maintenance/Repair primary, with Farm/Ranch, DIY, Automotive/Racing, and Light Industrial secondary — implying a diversified and not over-concentrated customer mix.

Name

Forney Industries

Legal name

Forney Industries, Inc.

Website

https://forneyind.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Forney Industries is a 90-year-old, Fort Collins-based manufacturer and distributor of welding equipment, abrasives, shop tools, and safety products, serving professional fabricators, maintenance operations, and DIY consumers across the United States through direct e-commerce, dealers, and retail partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Welding Equipment and Metalworking Tools

NAICS

Welding and Soldering Equipment Manufacturing (333992), Cutting Tool and Machine Tool Accessory Manufacturing (333515), Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (33221), Saw Blade and Handtool Manufacturing (332216)

SIC

Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)

akta.pro primary industry

Welding, Joining & Soldering Equipment (Arc, Resistance, Friction, Brazing) (IMAHADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Flame & Heat Protective Foundry/Welding Apparel (CRAAALAL), Chains & Wire Manufacturing (CRAKAIAE)

Keywords

• Welding equipment supplies
• Metalworking tools abrasives
• Plasma cutting machines
• Carbide burrs drill bits
• Welding safety gear

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Welding Equipment and Consumables: Sale of welding machines (MIG, TIG, Stick, Plasma, Multi-Process), filler metals, welding wire, torches, regulators, and accessories. Products include both equipment (one-time purchase) and consumables (recurring purchases of electrodes, wire, gas accessories).
2. Abrasives and Cutting Tools: Sale of cutting wheels, grinding wheels, flap discs, drill bits, carbide burrs, wire brushes, and sanding products. Mix of one-time purchase tools and consumable abrasives with recurring purchase patterns.
3. Shop Tools and Accessories: Sale of air fittings, hoses, battery maintenance products, cable ties, chain and wire rope, electrical connectors, paint markers, pressure washer parts, and general workshop tools.
4. Safety Equipment: Sale of welding safety gear, eye/face protection, hand protection (gloves), and respiratory protection products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Forney Industries manufactures and distributes a full line of welding equipment (TIG, MIG, Stick, Plasma, Multi-Process machines including X-Series units), abrasives and cutting tools (cutting wheels, grinding wheels, flap discs, carbide burrs, drill bits, wire brushes), shop tools (air fittings, battery maintenance, cable ties, paint markers, solder supplies), and safety equipment (eye/face, hand, and respiratory protection). Products are sold individually with unit-based pricing through the company's own e-commerce site, retail partners, and dealer/distributor network across the United States.

Product overview

Forney Industries is a manufacturer and distributor of metalworking tools and equipment founded in 1932. The company offers a comprehensive product portfolio organized into four main categories: Welding (including TIG, MIG, Stick, Plasma, Multi-Process machines, and the X-Series featuring TruCut plasma cutters and STx/FCx welders), Abrasives (cutting wheels, grinding wheels, flap discs, carbide burrs, wire brushes, drill bits), Shop Tools (air fittings, battery maintenance, cable ties, electrical connectors, paint markers, solder supplies), and Safety Equipment (eye/face protection, hand protection, welding safety gear). The X-Series represents their featured welder and plasma cutter line. Products are sold primarily through their e-commerce platform and dealer network, with the company celebrating 90 years of business in 2022.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forney: Primary brand for welding equipment, abrasives, shop tools, and safety products
• Forney Pro
• Forney X-Series
• Command PRO

Products and services

• X-Series TruCut Plasma Cutter 120V plasma cutter capable of clean cuts up to 1/4 inch and sever cuts up to 3/8 inch, featuring TruSet technology, Pilot Arc, and Drag Torch Technology for professional and DIY metalworking users.
• X-Series 100 STx Stick/TIG Welder 120V stick and DC TIG welder with bright LCD, arc-force control, and a 3-year warranty; delivers up to 85 amps to weld 1/4 inch mild steel for portable repair and fabrication work.
• X-Series 160 STx Stick/TIG Welder Dual-voltage stick and DC TIG welder with bright LCD, 6010 capability, and adjustable arc force; delivers up to 160 amps for portable 3/8 inch welding on job sites, farms, and shops.
• X-Series 125 FCx Flux Core Welder TruSet 120V flux-core welder with bright LCD display that welds up to 3/16 inch steel, designed for fast, easy setup on home, garage, and farm repairs.
• Welding Equipment (TIG, MIG, Stick, Plasma, Multi-Process) Complete line of welding equipment and consumables including TIG machines and consumables, MIG machines and accessories, stick electrodes and machines, plasma cutters and consumables, oxygen-acetylene fuel equipment, and multi-process machines for professional and DIY welders.
• Abrasives (Cutting Wheels, Grinding Wheels, Flap Discs, Wire Brushes) Comprehensive abrasive product line including cutting tools, cutting wheels, flap discs, grinding wheels, wire brushes, surface cleaning products, and micro-abrasives for metalworking fabrication, grinding, and finishing.
• Shop Tools (Air Fittings, Battery Maintenance, Cable Ties, Solder) General shop tools and consumables including air fittings and hoses, battery maintenance equipment, cable ties, electrical connectors, paint markers, plumbing torches, pressure washer parts, solder supplies, steel and aluminum stock, and weed burners.
• Safety Equipment (Eye/Face, Hand Protection, Welding Safety) Welding and metalworking safety products including welding goggles, face shields, safety glasses, respiratory protection, welding gloves, chemical gloves, coated gloves, leather palm gloves, welding helmets, and protective clothing.
• Tungsten Carbide Burrs Solid carbide double-cut burrs made in USA for machining, fabrication, and shaping, available in various shapes (ball, cylindrical, tree, cone, flame) for use on metals, plastics, wood, and composites with rotary tools and die grinders.
• Cobalt Bi-Metal Hacksaw Blades Extremely durable cobalt bi-metal hacksaw blades with shatterproof construction for cutting most metals, available in various teeth-per-inch options (18, 24, 32 TPI).
• E71T-GS Self-Shielded Flux Core Welding Wire Self-shielded flux-core welding wire for mild steel; ideal for all-position welding and single-pass applications with high travel speed, available in .030 inch and .035 inch diameters, and requires no shielding gas.
• Type 27 Depressed Center Grinding Wheels Aluminum oxide metal grinding wheels for metal grinding, metal abrasion, body work, metal fabrication, and general repair work on ferrous materials, available in various Type 27 depressed center sizes.
• Paint Markers Solvent-based paint markers for permanent marking on most surfaces, available in multiple colors (red, black, white, blue, yellow, green, orange, silver) in standard and X-Large sizes with a xylene-free formula.
• Tip Cleaner Kits Standard and extra-long oxy-acetylene tip cleaner kits containing sizes 6-27, featuring over 60 cleaning edges per inch in an aluminum case with dressing tool.
• 8% Cobalt Drill Bit Sets Heat-resistant 8% Cobalt High Speed Steel drill bits with gold finish and 135-degree split point, ideal for drilling in hard, tough materials such as stainless steel, titanium, and high-temperature/high-strength alloys; available in various piece counts and sizes.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Eastwood Company: Eastwood is a DTC-focused retailer of DIY and prosumer auto restoration tools including welders, plasma cutters, and abrasives. Its direct-to-consumer, hobbyist-heavy positioning closely mirrors Forney's DIY and Automotive/Racing segments, though it lacks Forney's dealer footprint.
• Klutch / Harbor Freight Tools: Harbor Freight's Klutch brand sells value-positioned welding equipment, abrasives, and shop tools through its own retail and e-commerce channels. It competes with Forney primarily on price in the DIY and prosumer segments where Forney's X-Series and consumables also play.

Direct peers

• Lincoln Electric Holdings: Lincoln Electric is a global manufacturer of welding and cutting products, including arc welding equipment, consumables, and automation. It is the most direct competitor to Forney's welding-equipment and consumables business and competes head-to-head across professional, fabrication, and DIY channels.
• ESAB Corporation: ESAB is a global welding and cutting manufacturer offering equipment, filler metals, and abrasives. Its equipment portfolio and consumables line directly overlap Forney's welding machines, plasma cutters, and consumables categories across industrial and prosumer customers.
• Hobart Welding Products: Hobart sells MIG, Stick, TIG, and plasma equipment plus filler metals to farm, ranch, hobbyist, and light-industrial buyers — a near-perfect overlap with Forney's DIY, Farm/Ranch, and Light Industrial customer segments.
• Hypertherm: Hypertherm specializes in plasma, laser, and waterjet cutting systems and consumables. Its Powermax plasma cutters compete directly with Forney's X-Series TruCut line, while its consumables business overlaps Forney's cutting wheels and plasma consumables categories.
• Miller Electric (ITW): Miller Electric, an Illinois Tool Works subsidiary, manufactures MIG, TIG, Stick, and plasma equipment plus consumables for professional and industrial welding. Its product breadth and dealer relationships overlap almost entirely with Forney's welding category, including Stick/TIG machines that compete directly with Forney's X-Series STx line.

Broad incumbents

• Norton Abrasives (Saint-Gobain): Norton, a Saint-Gobain brand, is a major manufacturer of bonded and coated abrasives including cutting and grinding wheels and flap discs. It competes with Forney's abrasives line at industrial and retail customers but operates a much broader portfolio across many other abrasive categories.
• DeWalt (Stanley Black & Decker): DeWalt is a global power tools, hand tools, and accessories brand with overlapping categories in drill bits, abrasive wheels, and shop accessories. While it does not specialize in welding, it competes with Forney in the same retail channels for abrasives and cutting tools among professional and DIY buyers.
• 3M Abrasives: 3M offers a broad abrasive and industrial-supplies portfolio including Cubitron II cutting and grinding products and Scotch-Brite surface conditioning items. It overlaps Forney's abrasives, flap discs, and surface-prep categories while serving a far wider industrial customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/forneyind
• Facebookfacebook.com/forneyind
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forney-industries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Forney Industries