National Metal Fabricators

800.323.8849

St. Patrick's Day is a big day in Chicago-especially for National Metal Fabricators. It was on that day in 1944 we opened our doors on the near South Side of Chicago, supplying fabricated parts and rolled angle rings to the WWII defense industry and for domestic industrial use. Being part of that era's unprecedented technological modernization inspired our commitment to innovation, an attitude that is still with us today.

By the early 1960’s, we had outgrown our Chicago facility. In 1964 we relocated to our current--and at the time distant—suburban home in Elk Grove Village. To keep pace with growing demand, we expanded our building twice. It now measures 50,000 square feet, and our once distant home is now in the heart of industrial Chicago.

During the 1980’s and 1990’s, American manufacturing experienced another transformation. New dynamics dictated new direction, and National Metal took it. Under the third generation of family ownership, we purchased Held Metalcraft, developed and marketed the DARA System job tracking software package, installed a new 6-by-12-foot Cincinnati 2000-watt Laser Cutting Center, and offered a third tier of service: continuous bar milling.

A major supplier to the construction industry, National Metal is truly part of the architectural landscape. Ever drive through Chicago’s unique Lower Wacker Drive? National Metal produced the forms for its cement column supports. The next time you visit the International Terminal at O’Hare Airport, take a look at the ceiling in the baggage claim area—National Metal made the panels. On your next trip to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, look up as you enter the grounds: National Metal laser-cut the leafy pattern in the steel canopy over the entrance, and the aluminum panels on the gates. See photos in our parts gallery.

Many of our products are not as noticeable, but are just as much a part of Chicago’s magnificent skyline. Iron stair parts, custom indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures, interior drapery pockets and forms, aluminum and stainless steel column covers, decorative exterior metal forms, and numerous metal parts serve as our signature on the construction scene in Chicago and beyond.

In addition to construction and related industries, our sheet metal fabrication services have always played an important role in a host of other sectors. These include conveying, automotive, locomotive, specialty machinery builders, agriculture, refrigeration, amusement parks … the list seems to grow every day. We are proud to be part of Chicago’s rich industrial past, and look forward to being an even bigger part of its future.