Gray Machine & Welding

What Gray Machine & Welding does

Gray Machine & Welding is a family-owned machining and welding company founded in September 1971 by Hank Gray in Rock Island, Illinois. The firm operates two distinct revenue lines: (1) custom CNC machining and welding services supplied direct to industrial manufacturers nationwide, producing both one-of-a-kind replacement parts for production equipment and batch production runs of hundreds of parts; and (2) the E-Z Bend sub-brand of tubing benders (90 and 180 degree models) and sheet metal brakes (Racer's Brake), sold direct via graymachinewelding.com and through international distributors. Notable enterprise customers include Bridgestone, DuPont, and Uniparts, with many original customers from 35+ years ago still actively ordering.

The company's manufacturing capabilities are anchored by a fleet of Mazak CNC vertical machining centers (VQC20/50B, VTC30, V655-80, VCN 700), Giddings&Lewis and DeVlieg mill centers, Mazak and Amera-Seike turning centers with live tooling, manual lathes and Bridgeport mills, and a full welding suite (Miller dual wire feed, Hobart Tig, Miller Dialarc). A documented technical differentiator is the ability to machine 330 Stainless Steel, a high thermal-resistant grade that very few machine shops process, supported by tolerances of +/- 0.1 inch and a 5,000-pound weight handling capacity. Machine operators range from 5 to 22 years of experience, and the company machines a broad material set spanning plastics, aluminum, brass, alloys, carbon steel, and multiple stainless grades.

The E-Z Bend product line was introduced in 1997 through a strategic partnership with experienced racer Bill Schwader, and is now distributed across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Japan. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. A three-phase expansion launched in July 2013 added customer technical support staff, site upgrades for city/EPA compliance, and a 30% increase in manufacturing floor space incorporating high-tech robotics, signaling continued capital investment in automation and capacity.

Name

Gray Machine & Welding

Legal name

Gray Machine & Welding

Website

https://graymachinewelding.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Family-owned Rock Island, IL machining and welding company founded in 1971, providing custom CNC machining and welding services to industrial manufacturers and manufacturing the E-Z Bend line of tubing benders and sheet metal brakes for racing and fabrication markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Machining and Welding Services

NAICS

Machine Shops (332710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Custom CNC machining
• Welding fabrication services
• Precision metal parts
• Tubing bender manufacturing
• Sheet metal brakes

Headquarters

HQ city

Rock Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Machining Services: Provides custom CNC machining and welding services to businesses nationwide. Services include precision parts manufacturing, one-of-a-kind parts for production equipment, and batch production of hundreds of parts for customer products.
2. E-Z Bend Products: Manufactures and sells E-Z Bend tubing benders and sheet metal brakes. Products include 90 Tubing Bender, Racer's Brake, and 180 Tubing Bender sold direct and through distributors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Gray Machine & Welding operates a custom CNC and manual machining and welding shop in Rock Island, Illinois, providing one-of-a-kind and batch-production precision parts to industrial manufacturers nationwide. The company also manufactures and sells the proprietary E-Z Bend line of tubing benders and sheet metal brakes through its own website and international distributors.

Product overview

Gray Machine & Welding is a 40+ year old machining and welding company offering custom CNC machining, manual machining, and professional welding services. The company also manufactures the E-Z Bend sub-brand product line, which includes the E-Z Bend 90 Tubing Bender, E-Z Bend 180 Tubing Bender, and E-Z Bend Racer's Brake. E-Z Bend products were introduced in 1997 as quality and affordable tubing benders and sheet metal brakes for racers and fabricators. CNC machining services use Mazak vertical machining centers, Giddings&Lewis horizontal mills, and DeVlieg jig mills, while welding services utilize Miller and Hobart equipment. The company works with materials including aluminum, brass, alloys, carbon steel, and various stainless steel grades.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• E-Z Bend: Tubing benders and sheet metal brakes introduced in 1997, sold worldwide including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Japan. Products include 90 Tubing Bender, Racer's Brake, and 180 Tubing Bender.

Products and services

• E-Z Bend 180 Tubing Bender Vertical compact tubing bender with simple operation and 22 available die sizes that produces smooth, wrinkle-free bends in various tubing and pipe. Ships with 4 standard dies and air/hydraulic foot pump; dimensions 24.5" W x 19" D x 36" work height. Made for racers, fabricators, and automotive professionals.
• E-Z Bend 90 Tubing Bender Full welded frame tubing bender with heat-treated dies that bends .049 to .180 electric weld, DOM and chromoly tubing. Includes hooks, pins, 4-way follow bar, steel slip plate, and how-to video. Requires a 10-ton Porta Power Pump for operation. Made for stock car and pulling truck builders.
• E-Z Bend Racer's Brake Sheet metal brake rated for a maximum of 20 Gauge Mild Steel and capable of bending Lexan up to 1/8". Available in 6' or 6.5' lengths with full width hems, full width 1/4" lip, three-side bending, and sharp or radius bends. Shipping weight 450–500 lbs and ships with a free instructional video. Made for stock car and pulling truck builders.
• CNC Machining Services Custom CNC machining services using Mazak vertical and horizontal machining centers, Giddings&Lewis horizontal mill, DeVlieg jig mill, and Mazak and Amera-Seike turning centers with live tooling. Operators have 5–22 years of experience. Tolerances of +/- 0.1 inch and maximum weight capacity of 5,000 pounds. Built for industrial manufacturers needing precision parts and batch production runs.
• Welding Services Professional welding services using 600 Amp Miller dual wire feed, Hobart wire feed, Hobart Synchrowave Tig, Miller Dialarc 250-AC/DC, and a Hobart 600 Amp portable welder. Additional capabilities include sandblasting, iron working, and tube bending up to 2" diameter. Made for industrial manufacturers and fabrication customers.
• Manual Machining Services Manual machining capabilities including 4 lathes up to 60-inch diameter with max length 240 inches, 2 Bridgeport mills, key broach machine, surface grinder, vertical band saw, radial drill, and 2 manual drills. Made for industrial customers requiring conventional machining alongside CNC work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Many original customers from 35 years ago still order from the company today
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bill SchwadercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Bill Schwader, with background in auto racing starting in 1959 as driver/builder of stock cars and pulling trucks, developed E-Z Bend products in 1997. He continues as consultant on new products and changes to existing products, and attends trade shows. Gray Machine & Welding has been the only shop to do machine work on E-Z Bend since day one.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Huron Machine Products: Midwest U.S. precision machining and fabrication services provider with CNC and manual equipment. Comparable as a similarly sized full-service machine shop competitor with overlapping geographic and customer exposure.

Direct peers

• Xometry: On-demand custom manufacturing marketplace offering CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and welding services to enterprise customers. Direct competitor for industrial custom parts work, with broader scale and a digital procurement platform.
• Mayville Engineering Company (MEC): U.S. metal fabrication, machining, and welding services provider serving industrial OEMs. Closely comparable combination of metalworking services across multiple industries, though at substantially larger scale.
• Protolabs: Digital-native custom CNC machining and prototyping services provider serving industrial OEMs. Directly comparable as a custom machining services provider, though at significantly larger scale and with a software-driven go-to-market model.
• MetalTek International: Custom metal components manufacturer specializing in sand castings, investment castings, and centrifugal castings with in-house machining. Comparable as a precision metal manufacturing services provider serving industrial OEMs.
• Hubs: Global custom manufacturing platform providing CNC machining, sheet metal, and injection molding services. Comparable as a custom parts services competitor, with a network-based fulfillment model.
• BTD Manufacturing: Metal fabrication, welding, and powder coating services provider with multiple U.S. facilities. Comparable as a full-service metal fabrication and welding competitor serving industrial customers.

Emerging players

• Baileigh Industrial: Manufacturer and direct-to-consumer seller of metalworking equipment including tube/pipe benders, sheet metal brakes, and band saws. Directly comparable to Gray's E-Z Bend product line in the tubing bender / sheet metal brake niche.
• JD Squared (J2): Niche manufacturer of tubing benders targeted at the racing and custom fabrication community. Comparable as a competing brand in the same tubing bender / racer-fabricator end market as E-Z Bend.

Broad incumbents

• Worthington Industries: Large diversified metal manufacturing company with pressure cylinder, steel processing, and custom fabrication operations. Broadly comparable as an incumbent in industrial metal processing, though far larger and more diversified than Gray.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Gray Machine & Welding