Now in its third decade as a custom metal fabrication supplier, Schaffer Manufacturing can point to multiple generations of OEM product offerings. The company’s history includes long-standing partnerships with established manufacturers, as well as many success stories supporting small, emerging entrepreneurs.
1993
Taking a very specific, very exacting way of how metal fabrication is done – along with 20 years of experience – journeyman welder Barry Schaffer established Schaffer Specialty Welding as a one-man, sole proprietor job shop in a rented garage in Luck, Wisconsin.
1995
Just two years later, the expanding business incorporated and Barry built a modest 3,200 sq. ft. facility in the Luck industrial park.
As Schaffer approached its first decade in business – and with a growing, regional reputation – the company required a new 20,500 sq. ft. building constructed in nearby Milltown.
2005
The aggressively growing business regularly supported OEMs requiring large, heavy weldments. Schaffer constructed a 37,500 sq. ft. addition. Total manufacturing space was 58,000 square feet.
2006
A strong foothold in regional manufacturing, built completely by word-of-mouth, enabled the company to establish a sheet metal fabrication division.
2008
Schaffer became a second-generation enterprise, when Steve Schaffer joined the company to lead Sales, Marketing, Finance and HR functions.
2010
Applying its standards for service and quality to product finishing, the company designed and built a dedicated powder coating operation, Schaffer Finishing, located in Centuria, Wisconsin.
2014
Schaffer expanded its single-source, vertically integrated platform with the addition of a 13,000 sq. ft. warehouse that houses the company’s supplier-based inventory management capability. The company also is expanding the powder coating operation from 10,000 sq. ft. to 22,000 sq. ft.
Constant, aggressive investment in leading-edge equipment and technology has enabled Schaffer to keep pace with rapidly advancing OEM requirements. In 2014, the company dramatically extended its laser cutting versatility and production capacity by adding a 5,000-watt fiber laser system with automation.
2015
Steve Schaffer completes purchase of Schaffer Manufacturing from his father, Barry.
2016
Schaffer Manufacturing achieved certification in ISO 9001:2015, the global standard used to evaluate and preview an organization’s performance around quality management and continuous improvement.