Storms Welding & Mfg

What Storms Welding & Mfg does

Storms Welding & Mfg is a privately held, family-owned metal fabrication and welding manufacturer headquartered in Cologne, Minnesota, with a second production facility in Norwood, Minnesota. The company operates a walk-in retail storefront at its headquarters and a Shopify-based online store for welding supplies, alongside a direct phone-based sales channel for custom fabrication quotes. Its primary customer base is regional, concentrated in Minnesota and the surrounding Midwest, serving dairy farms, agricultural operations, commercial and residential customers, transportation/recreation buyers, and individual consumers, plus private label manufacturing clients. Founded in 1982 when Charlie Storms acquired the predecessor Louis Blacksmith Shop, the company is currently under new ownership that took control in 2013.

The company's core offering is custom metal fabrication in steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, anchored by a specialized dairy equipment product line that includes crowd gates, free stalls, parlors, feed lane equipment, and manure handling systems. Manufacturing capabilities are consolidated under one roof across multiple CNC platforms: a Trumpf 3040 laser (up to 3/4" mild steel), a Flow Mach 2 4020b waterjet, a Bystronic Xpert 200 press brake (200 ton, 12' capacity), a full 5' by 10' CNC plasma table, a CNC band saw, and 5-axis robotic welding. Welding services span MIG, TIG, and stick processes, with mobile welding for on-site work, complemented by retail sales of welding helmets, gloves, safety equipment, and metal stock.

The business model is multi-stream and project-based. Revenue is generated through one-time custom fabrication projects, dairy equipment manufacturing and installation, commercial and farm repair services, retail welding supply sales, and private label production for other manufacturers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer via the storefront, phone, and online store, with no identified social media or digital marketing presence. The company employs highly skilled in-house welders and fabricators, and its ownership and operational structure remain family-held with no disclosed institutional investors or external funding.

Name

Storms Welding & Mfg

Legal name

Storms Welding & Mfg

Website

https://stormsweldingmfg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Storms Welding & Mfg is a family-owned Minnesota metal fabricator serving regional dairy, agricultural, commercial, and residential customers with custom steel, stainless, and aluminum fabrication, dairy barn equipment, welding services, and retail welding supplies from two facilities in Cologne and Norwood.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Metal Fabrication & Welding

NAICS

Welding and Soldering Equipment Manufacturing (333992), Construction Machinery Manufacturing (33312)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Custom metal fabrication
• Welding services
• Dairy equipment
• Structural steel fabrication
• Welding supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Metal Fabrication: One-time project-based fabrication services for steel, stainless steel, and aluminum products including dairy equipment, truck accessories, trailers, decorative items, and commercial/residential metalwork.
2. Dairy Equipment Manufacturing: Manufacturing and installation of dairy barn equipment including crowd gates, free stalls, gates, parlors, feed lane equipment, and manure equipment.
3. Welding and Repair Services: Commercial and farm equipment repair services, residential welding repairs, and industrial welding services. Also includes mobile welding for on-site repairs.
4. Welding Supplies and Materials Sales: Retail sales of welding supplies including welding helmets, gloves, safety equipment, and metal materials. Sales through physical store and online Shopify platform.
5. Private Label Production: Manufacturing products under private label for other manufacturers in the dairy industry and industrial sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Storms Welding & Mfg is a family-owned Minnesota metal fabrication and welding company that designs, fabricates, and welds custom steel products, manufactures dairy equipment, and sells welding supplies. Operations span two production sites (Cologne and Norwood, MN) serving agricultural, commercial, residential, and transportation/recreation customers.

Product overview

Storms Welding & Mfg is a welding and manufacturing company offering custom metal fabrication services and a diverse range of products. The company operates two facilities in Cologne and Norwood, Minnesota. Their core offerings include custom fabrication of steel, stainless steel, and aluminum products; specialized dairy barn equipment (crowd gates, free stalls, gates, parlors, feed lane equipment, and manure equipment); welding services (MIG, TIG, and stick welding for residential, commercial, and industrial applications); and metal cutting services using CNC laser, waterjet, and plasma equipment. The company also produces truck accessories (beds, hoists, box liners, retrofit services), trailers, equipment attachments (Bobcat, skid steer), decorative metal products (benches, signs, fencing, fire rings), commercial/residential products (hydraulic doors, railings), jet ski and pontoon lifts, and sells welding supplies and materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• O'Neal Manufacturing Services: Large US metal fabrication and contract manufacturing network with full-service cutting, forming, welding, and assembly capabilities. Competes with Storms for non-dairy industrial and agricultural OEM work, but at significantly larger scale.
• Mayville Engineering Company (MEC): Midwest-based contract manufacturer providing metal fabrication, welding, and assembly for heavy equipment, agriculture, and industrial markets. Operates as a tier-1 supplier with broader geographic and customer reach than Storms, but competes in the same Midwest manufacturing ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Dynamic Fabrication: Custom metal fabrication shop offering CNC plasma, laser, waterjet, and welding services to industrial and agricultural customers in the Upper Midwest. Overlaps Storms' equipment capabilities and target customer profile.
• Ceroni Fabrication & Machine, Inc. Minnesota-based custom metal fabricator serving agricultural, industrial, and commercial customers with welding, machining, and equipment-building services. Comparable scale and regional footprint to Storms in the Upper Midwest fabrication market.
• Astro Metal Craft: Storms' general contact email ([email protected]) is hosted on the Astro Metal Craft domain, indicating shared ownership or close affiliation. Astro Metal Craft is a Midwest custom metal fabricator offering CNC cutting, forming, welding, and assembly - directly overlapping Storms' core service menu and customer base.
• Precision Metal Fabrication (PMF): Midwest metal fabrication provider offering custom welding, laser cutting, and forming for industrial and agricultural OEMs. Comparable services and customer mix to Storms' B2B project work.
• Pieper Industries, Inc. Custom metal fabrication and welding company serving industrial, agricultural, and commercial customers. Provides CNC cutting, forming, and welding services with comparable equipment mix and customer base to Storms.

Regional players

• Midwest Metal Fabrication & Supply: Regional Midwest supplier offering custom metal fabrication, welding supplies, and structural steel services to local industrial and agricultural customers. Similar product/service mix to Storms but operates in a different midwestern territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 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 Storms Welding & Mfg