For the 14th year in a row, EVS Metal, a precision sheet metal fabricator with fabrication facilities in New Jersey, Texas, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, has been named to The Fabricator magazine’s Fab 40. It is the leading publication for the metal fabrication industry and EVS is proud to have made the list since its inception.
RIVERDALE, N.J, June 14th, 2023: EVS Metal has been named a Fab 40 metal fabricator for the 14th consecutive year by The Fabricator magazine. EVS is one of the only precision sheet metal fabricators of its size to make the list, and the only one in the Tri-State area (New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut).
“Making the Fab 40 is always a great accomplishment,” says Joe Amico, Vice President of EVS. “It feels especially significant given so many on the list have grown via acquisition, while we have grown organically; so much so that we’ve had to rapidly expand our facilities. This includes moving Pennsylvania last year, planning New Hampshire’s expansion for early 2024, and breaking ground on a brand-new facility for Texas next year as well.”
Metal Fabrication in 2022: A Year of Growth, According to “The Fabricator”
This year’s Fab 40 issue discusses the growth opportunity of various sectors, including transportation, infrastructure, and semiconductors. Semiconductors, often referred to as the “infrastructure” of the modern world, are particularly thriving.
According to The Fabricator, however, concerns about an inventory overbuild persist. This slowdown aligns with the Institute for Supply Management’s Purchasing Managers’ Index, which has indicated contraction for six months, remaining slightly below 50. Despite this, the impact of the slowdown varies depending on the fabricator’s sector and customer mix. While business isn’t as robust as in 2022, it hasn’t sharply declined either.
The publication believes that the success of sheet metal fabricators can very much be attributed to their diverse customer portfolios, and that while 2023 might not match the impressive growth of 2022, few fabricators in the FAB 40 expect a decline in revenues. And, despite concerns about a potential recession, factors such as the debt ceiling and a dysfunctional government, and price and wage inflation, fabricators will continue to innovate and expand.
2023: A Transitional Period?
While certain sectors such as transportation, infrastructure, and agricultural equipment continue to experience the post-COVID economic boom, demand for large discretionary consumer products like ATVs and RVs is softening, partly influenced by the current interest rate environment. Despite this, Fab 40 fabricators, like EVS, remain committed to investing in their operations. Many are allocating funds for new equipment in 2023, such as press brakes, fiber lasers, tube lasers, and automation systems like cobots. And, as stated previously by Mr. Amico, the past few years have seen a rise in acquisitions among those companies on the list. However, rising interest rates may negatively affect this trend well into 2024.
EVS Metal: Providing Thought Leadership; Investing in the Future
Thanks to EVS’s long-time relationship with The Fabricator magazine, EVS was once again able to publish a featured article, this time spotlighting the company’s decision to move its Pennsylvania facility to a new building, while consolidating and expanding their Northern CNC machining capabilities to that location. The article details both the decision-making process, as well as the actual process of moving the facility itself, including the many challenges involved, especially during a global supply-chain slowdown.
The company ultimately made more than $3.5 million in capital investments in Pennsylvania. Some of the technology added included an AMADA EMZRT turret punching machine with setup and material handling automation, a tube cutting laser, a 6,000-W fiber laser, a 1,500-W fiber tube laser, 3 Haas machining centers, an AMADA FBD 1253 robotic press brake, an AMADA HDS 1030 robotic press brake, and a 4th automated powder coating line. EVS is already considering expanding PA further by purchasing the building behind it, giving them an additional 38,000 sq ft of fabrication and manufacturing space.
The Fabricator’s Prediction: Growth via Diversification
Similar to building an investment portfolio, The Fabricator believes that the most successful metal fab companies are constructing their service portfolios with a long-term perspective and an eye toward service and capabilities diversification. Flexible automation, where software and machines work together seamlessly, will be commonplace. Data will play a vital role in decision-making, influencing both sales and production processes. Capacity management will be optimized across multiple facilities, and there will be full visibility from the quoting stage to the cash collection stage.
The current composition of the FAB 40 reflects an industry at a turning point. Many fabricators, like EVS, aspire to become national or even global organizations. With planned expansions in capacity as well as capabilities across the company’s four facilities, it’s easy to see how this may happen sooner rather than later.
About The Fabricator
Since 1971, The Fabricator has been North America’s leading magazine for the metal forming and fabrication industry. The magazine delivers news, technical articles and case studies that assist manufacturers in creating value and quality for their clients. The Fab 40 is an annual publication.
About EVS Metal
EVS Metal is an American precision metal fabricator headquartered in Riverdale, NJ. We utilize the latest technology to cut, bend, weld and finish stand-alone items as well as parts for integration or assembly into more complex products, including medical devices. Our four ISO 9001:2015-certified locations comprise over 250,000 square feet of vertically integrated manufacturing space and feature the most modern equipment available, from welding robots and laser cutting solutions to automated powder coating lines.
EVS serves a diverse customer base across North America. Request a personalized metal fabrication quote online, or call (973) 839-4432 to speak with a specialist today.
