Ward Manufacturing

What Ward Manufacturing does

Ward Manufacturing Co. is a family-owned, 100% debt-free contract metal stamping manufacturer founded in 1944 in Chicago and now headquartered in Evanston, Illinois. The company produces custom precision stampings for more than 60 B2B customers across at least eight primary verticals — aerospace/defense, heavy machinery and equipment, construction/green building, plumbing, natural gas, locomotive, hardware, and truck/tractor trailer — with secondary reach into medical, automotive, appliance, electronics, and emerging energy markets. Its mission statement emphasizes providing quality stampings that meet customer specifications while delivering superior service and sustainable profits.

The company operates three core stamping processes: progressive die metal stamping (single-pass transformation of raw stock through cutting, bending, forming, and piercing), compound die stamping on a roller conveyor line of four 275-ton AIDA SERVO presses, and custom deep drawn stamping for parts whose drawn depth exceeds diameter. Production is supported by an in-house tool and die design and build capability — seven full-time toolmakers plus two apprentices, using SolidWorks and Mastercam CAD/CAM, with over 100 years of collective tooling experience and individual tenures up to 55 years. The press fleet totals 32 machines ranging from 10 to 330 tons, including 6 SERVO units with programmable infinite stroke profiles. Material thickness range is 0.006" to 0.250", and progressive die parts up to 94 inches long and 47 inches wide can be run. Secondary services (plating, heat treating, anodizing, assembly, powder coating, welding, etc.) are delivered through strategic partners to position Ward as a one-stop shop for finished, line-ready parts.

Ward generates revenue primarily through per-part contract manufacturing on multi-year contracts, with VMI, KAN BAN, EDI, and JIT shipping to 60+ customers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct sales via a website Request a Quote form and dedicated account management. The infrastructure footprint spans a 50,000 sq. ft. primary production facility with 22,000 sq. ft. of adjacent undeveloped expansion land, a new 37,000 sq. ft. off-site facility completed in 2023, and a separate 30,000 sq. ft. finished goods warehouse in Morton Grove, IL. Quality systems are ISO 9001:2015 certified (current certificate dated May 21, 2024) and a Conflict Minerals Sourcing Policy is in place. The company remains privately held by the founding family with no institutional investors, no public listing, and no acquisitions or divestitures on record.

Name

Ward Manufacturing

Legal name

Ward Manufacturing Co.

Website

https://wardmfgco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ward Manufacturing is a family-owned, 100% debt-free contract metal stamper founded in 1944, serving 60-plus B2B customers across aerospace, heavy machinery, construction, plumbing, natural gas, and transportation with progressive die, compound, and deep drawn stamping from its Evanston, Illinois facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Metal Stamping Contract Manufacturing: Ward Manufacturing operates as a contract manufacturer producing custom metal stampings for customers. They manufacture parts to customer specifications using progressive die, compound die, and deep drawn stamping processes. Revenue is generated through per-part pricing based on production runs, with additional revenue from tool & die design and manufacturing services. The company operates on a project-by-project basis with 60+ active customers.
2. Tool & Die Design and Manufacturing: In-house tool and die design and manufacturing services for customers. The company designs and builds dies using CAD/CAM technology, and also takes over dies from other stamping suppliers with retrofitting services.
3. Finished Goods warehousing and Supply Chain Services: Finished goods warehouse services with VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory), KAN BAN, EDI, and JIT (Just-In-Time) shipping arrangements for customers. Supports disaster recovery plans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ward Manufacturing is a contract manufacturer that produces custom metal stampings using progressive die, compound die, and custom deep drawn stamping processes on a fleet of 32 presses (including 6 SERVO presses). The company designs and builds its own tooling in-house using CAD/CAM software, then matches dies to the correct tonnage and press capabilities to produce precision metal parts to customer specifications. Secondary finishing services such as heat treating, plating, powder coating, and assembly are offered through strategic manufacturing partners, enabling a one-stop-shop for finished, line-ready stampings.

Product overview

Ward Manufacturing is a contract manufacturer offering a unified portfolio of precision metal stamping services, primarily organized around three core stamping methods — Progressive Die Metal Stamping, Compound Die Stamping, and Custom Deep Drawn Metal Stamping — supported by an in-house Tool & Die Design & Manufacturing capability that provides CAD/CAM-based die design and construction. Secondary services (annealing, plating, heat treating, assembly, etc.) are available as value-added options through strategic partners, making the company a one-stop-shop for finished, line-ready stampings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Progressive Die Metal Stamping A metal stamping technique employing a series of precisely engineered working stations along a singular die set, transforming raw materials into intricate components in a single pass through cutting, bending, forming, and piercing operations. Serves enterprise customers across Aerospace/Defense, Heavy Machinery, Construction, Plumbing, and other industries requiring high-volume precision stampings.
• Compound Die Stamping A metal stamping process that performs multiple cuts, punches, and bends in a single stroke, used for simpler flat parts and geometries that cannot be performed in progressive dies. Run on a line of four 275-ton AIDA SERVO presses with roller conveyors transporting parts from one press to the next. Serves enterprise customers needing simpler flat stamped parts.
• Custom Deep Drawn Metal Stamping Deep drawing operations where the depth of the drawn cup exceeds its diameter, producible in progressive die tooling or multiple-stage compound die tooling, leveraging Servo press programmability. Serves enterprise customers requiring deep drawn metal components across multiple industries.
• Tool & Die Design & Manufacturing In-house tool and die design using SolidWorks and Mastercam CAD/CAM software, with over 100+ years of collective tooling experience, seven full-time toolmakers, and two apprentices for building and maintaining all dies. Also provides retrofitting services for take-over dies from other stamping suppliers. Serves enterprise customers needing custom tooling development.
• Secondary Services Value-added secondary manufacturing processes including annealing, anodizing, assembly, deburring/cleaning, heat treating, light machining, metal finishing, plating, powder coating, riveting, and welding, delivered through strategic manufacturing partners. Enables Ward to offer complete finished, line-ready stampings as a one-stop shop.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero defects and 100% on-time delivery as company goal
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• Strategic Manufacturing Partners (unnamed)minorOthersWard Manufacturing has strategic relationships with key manufacturing partners that provide secondary services including annealing, anodizing, assembly, deburring/cleaning, heat treating, light machining, metal finishing, plating, powder coating, riveting, and welding. These partners enable Ward to offer complete product solutions as a one-stop shop.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Magna International: Global automotive supplier with extensive metal stamping and body-in-white operations. Massive incumbent that competes for similar stamping work but at a fundamentally different scale and customer profile.
• Shiloh Industries: Large, publicly traded supplier of stampings, lightweight components, and engineered metal solutions primarily serving automotive and industrial OEMs. Overlaps in stamping capability but operates at significantly greater scale and end-market breadth.
• Tower International: Formerly independent Tier 1 supplier of metal stampings and welded assemblies to global automakers, now part of Magna. Comparable stamping processes but operates at OEM-Tier-1 scale rather than mid-market contract scale.

Direct peers

• Bokers, Inc. Contract metal stamper offering progressive die stampings and assemblies serving aerospace, medical, and industrial customers. Closely comparable in service model and customer verticals.
• Acro Metal Stamping: Custom metal stamping contract manufacturer producing progressive die and deep drawn stampings. Directly comparable as a similarly sized, multi-vertical B2B stamping shop.
• Lloyd Industries: Custom metal stamper with in-house tool & die capabilities serving automotive, industrial, and consumer goods. Comparable in vertical mix and turnkey contract manufacturing approach.
• Kenmode Precision Metal Stamping: Midwest-based custom precision metal stamper offering progressive die, deep draw, and tool & die design across diverse industrial end-markets. Most directly comparable to Ward in scale, geography, and process mix.
• Quality Stamping, Inc. Custom metal stamping company offering progressive die stamping and assemblies. Comparable in service portfolio and target customer base.
• Capstan Atlantic: Precision metal stamper specializing in progressive die and drawn parts for industrial and electronics customers. Comparable process focus and B2B contract manufacturing model.
• Hudson Tool & Die Co. Custom stamping and tool & die manufacturer producing progressive die stampings and assemblies for industrial customers. Comparable in-house tool room emphasis and contract manufacturing model.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wardmfgco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ward-manufacturing-company

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Ward Manufacturing