Cleveland City Forge (CCF) are an innovative manufacturing and engineering company that combines product development alongside production to produce standard and custom structural steel components. The company was established over 155 years ago, and since then have held a stellar reputation for consistent quality in the forged steel structural hardware industry. CCF started out manufacturing structural hardware for the Lake Erie marine industry, but by the 1920’s had expanded the product line to include clevises and turnbuckles – two important products used in the construction industry.
The company’s expertise varies from working on projects ranging from architectural detailing to structurally supporting bridges, buildings, and infrastructure. The AISC – the governing body that develops high-quality standards for construction projects – teamed up with CCF when writing quality standards for parts used in the construction industry.
The company makes hardware ranging from 1 pound up to 250 pounds in weight. Shelly Fairchild, Sales & Marketing Manager at CCF, explains, “This allows us to partner with a number of different market segments on various projects, worldwide.” She went on to speak about how important its products are within the myriad requirements for heavy construction. “Not only is our product going into the building, but it’s now being used as part of the construction of the equipment that is used for that building.”
CCF has the capabilities to produce completely custom forged and machined structural hardware and metal components used in high strength and performance applications. All parts are domestically manufactured to maintain close quality controls. As Shelly explained, “Our engineering, quality, and production management teams are committed to work with companies to produce custom fabricated parts designed for their specific applications.”
To ensure the quality of their products reaches the highest standard, Jim Evans, General Manager at CCF, explains, “Everything is done in-house – we do our own forging, we do our own machining, we test the assemblies, and anything that is processed outside, material coding for example, is inspected at least three times – once when the materials go out, in-process, and once when the materials return.” Labs test the strength of the materials, with Jim stating that “CCF has full oversight on everything that [they] do”, which allows the company to keep the quality of its products high.
A standout project CCF worked on was Longfellow Bridge in Boston, MA, also known as the “Salt and Pepper Bridge” – a huge restoration project classed as a historical landmark. According to Shelly, “The bridge was built in 1900, so taking the technology from today to update the bridge while maintaining it’s historical integrity was a challenge.” CCF engineers worked closely with the restoration team to apply current structural standards on the project.
“CCF engineers worked closely with the restoration team to apply current structural standards on the project.”
CCF partners with colleges and universities as a corporate manufacturing sponsor, which leads to an added benefit of allowing the company to work on highly innovative projects. Recently, CCF partnered with the University of North Carolina College of Engineering to assist on an infrastructure project with the department of transportation in North Carolina. The project involved temporary support of a deteriorating bridge. CCF provided engineering and structural component support to assist in this project.
CCF maintains its status as the “manufacturing leader” in the forged steel structure hardware industry. In July 2021, Edward W. Daniel, LLC joined the team at CCF. Shelly explained, “Our combined experience of over 250 years will continue to set the standards for the construction industry. We look forward to providing the same quality products and care that our partners have always received.”
Shelly is enthusiastic about the future of CCF. “Since our start in 1864, we have seen many changes throughout our business. With change, we understand, comes opportunity. For over 155 years, Cleveland City Forge has been on the forefront of innovative manufacturing. As we reminisce about our successful past, we look forward to a future filled with opportunities with our old partners and new to support the most amazing projects to come!”
