Island Exterior Fabricators has built a reputation for delivering exceptional work across some of the highest-profile construction projects in the country. Their success comes from commitment to craftsmanship and innovative approaches to design, fabrication, and installation of building envelope systems. Over the last decade, Island has transformed into a national player, earning the trust of some of the most respected architects and builders in the industry.
A commitment to US-based domestic manufacturing is important for the company, whose roots trace back over half a century in New York, where years of experience in rainscreen panels and prefabricated systems laid the groundwork for what has become a complex operation. According to Kyle, the team grew “organically with the market” while carefully incorporating advancements in technology. “Our leadership was tasked with integrating advances in curtainwall manufacturing, from increasing our CNC & milling operations to exploring new vendor & supplier relationships that were critical to delivery this caliber of work,” Kyle shared.
Gradual evolution paved the way for significant growth. Strategic hiring and investments in machining capabilities became central to the company’s trajectory. “We continue to reinvest in our fabrication campus, particularly in the tooling resources that allow us to stay at the cutting edge and deliver what design teams put on paper,” Kyle explained. This commitment to reinvestment to ensures that the production teams at Island Exterior Fabricators have the resources needed to exceed expectations.
“We continue to reinvest in our fabrication campus, particularly in the tooling resources that allow us to stay at the cutting edge and deliver what design teams put on paper.”
Operating out of their expansive facility in New York, the company’s headquarters spans 55 acres, including over 500,000 square feet of indoor space. The campus houses CNC processing equipment, material inventory/storage space, fabrication shops, and advanced assembly halls ranging from 75,000 to 100,000 square feet. Kyle described the unique history of their location, which was previously the site of the Grumman manufacturing facility, where military & test aircraft were constructed. “Each of the buildings is a clear-span hangar serviced by overhead gantry cranes, which sets up perfectly for the ‘medium-scale’ manufacturing of our enclosure systems,” Kyle said.
The campus also serves as a hub for research and development, administrative operations, engineering, and quality control. Beyond New York, the company has strategically positioned offices across the Northeast in Manhattan, Hartford, Boston, and Philadelphia, with remote staff in Miami and Chicago. Expansion to the West Coast is also on the horizon, aligning with their vision of becoming a truly national player.
Island Exterior Fabricators specializes in bespoke enclosure systems, which Kyle described as blending “unique architectural design intent, complex building geometry, sophisticated material finishes, and critical performance criteria.” This could include high-performance rainscreen thermal assemblies integrated into glass and aluminum systems, or traditional cladding materials reimagined for modern applications. Their vertically integrated approach is a key differentiator. “We own and operate our own manufacturing, which in turn, informs aspects of system design & on-site delivery. We’re not a middleman or a broker,” Kyle emphasized. “The team is effectively managing engineering, procurement, manufacturing, and installation under one umbrella.”
This approach has positioned the company to collaborate with sophisticated owners/developers, major general contractors, renowned architectural firms, and respected façade consultants. Kyle noted that their client base consists of “the tier one” across the industry.
Over the years, Island Exterior Fabricators has achieved several milestones. From a locally-focused subcontractor in the tri-state area, the company has expanded its operations to a national scale. Kyle attributed this growth to a combination of strategic hiring and investments in the right tools and processes. “We’ve grown to support our Calverton operations from design, engineering, and management teams across multiple markets,” he said. With projects now spanning across the United States, including growing presences in Chicago and Miami, the team continues to push boundaries.
The company’s portfolio boasts several standout projects. One particularly challenging undertaking was the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, a scope that required exceptional precision and craftsmanship. “We worked with multi-curving carved granite rainscreen modules, prefabricating each megapanel to meet a series of setting tolerances & digitally-measured benchmarks,” Kyle explained. This effort went to ensure alignment between 3-D fabrication models, anchoring systems, panel frames, building structure, and the finished stone surface itself. Each installed megapanel needed to seamlessly meet its adjacent units, while allowing for the inevitable on-site construction tolerances, a testament to the team’s expertise and dedication to quality. The company considers this scope of work for the Gilder Center to be a significant achievement in the world of facade prefabrication. According to Kyle, the project exemplifies the thoughtful execution of design-intent, blending high-quality craftsmanship with cutting-edge architectural vision. “It’s truly a portfolio piece,” he said, underscoring its importance to the company’s legacy.
Another highlight was their work at Northeastern University, in Boston. This project’s high-performance unitized curtainwall system includes triple-glazing, curved units, and more than 6,000 stainless steel solar control fins with embossed surface patterns that created an entirely unique set of one-off components. To manage this process, CNC-controlled setting guides were used to confirm the location of each fin’s attachment during factory assembly, allowing for accurate alignment for on-site installation. “These types of projects garner international design acclaim, but more importantly, they challenge our teams and our processes internally,” Kyle remarked. The goal is not just to execute the design intent but to do so efficiently and safely, within the constraints of the project schedule.
Island Exterior Fabricators has weathered its share of challenges, particularly during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 and the economic uncertainties which followed into 2023 & 2024. However, their ability to maintain a steady workload, thanks to several large ongoing projects, allowed them to navigate these difficulties successfully. “We were able to maintain full factories and field teams while our project groups worked through design & engineering on the next wave of work that will be hitting in 2025,” Kyle said. This resilience has positioned the company for continued success in the years ahead.
Looking forward, the company is focused on expanding its footprint across the U.S. and optimizing its processes. “We’re looking to set up a local points-of-assembly to support fabrication and installation for jobs at the right scale,” Kyle noted. Additionally, they aim to systematize their platforms to offer pre-tested products that enable quicker factory-to-field delivery. This approach not only diversifies their offerings but also mitigates risks associated with entirely custom projects.
At the heart of Island Exterior Fabricators’ success is its people. “Construction is still very much a people business,” Kyle emphasized. He credited the leadership team’s vision and the workforce’s commitment to excellence as key drivers of the company’s growth. “It’s our people, top-down from ownership, with a real desire to grow the business and take on challenging work,” he said. This ethos of innovation and teamwork is what enables the company to tackle some of the most complex projects in the industry.
As they look to the future, Island Exterior Fabricators remains dedicated to their core values of craftsmanship, innovation, and client satisfaction. With a strong foundation, a clear vision, and a talented team, they are well-equipped to continue shaping the architectural landscape. Their journey to become a national leader in façade design and fabrication is a testament to what can be achieved through vision, perseverance, and a commitment to excellence.
