EMWHouston.com - Economy Metal Works, precision sheet metal fabricator
About EMWHouston.com
In business since 1931, Economy Metal Works is a Houston-based metal fabrication company. The company, which for decades existed as a small tin shop, has been transformed into a sophisticated full-service precision metal fabricator.
History
In the early 1920s Charles Eisemann ran a small tin shop with his son, Charles Jr. in Houston. For reasons that remain unclear, in 1931 Charles Jr. struck out on his own to start his own tin shop, known as Economy Tin & Sheet Metal Works.* The company remained in control of the Eisemann family until 1972, when Charles Jr.’s widow Gertrude sold it to Bill Thompson.
When Thompson took control of EMW, he sought to transform the company from a small tin shop to a major precision metal fabricating operation. Over the next 21 years the company systematically replaced its manual shop tools with advanced computerized manufacturing equipment. In 1989, due in large part to this expansion, the company moved from its original 5,000 square foot building to a 50,000 square foot facility.
In 1993, Economy Metal Works again changed hands when Thompson sold the company to two employees, who today remain co-owners of EMW.
(* While the company is still legally known as Economy T&S Metal Works, publicly the company goes by Economy Metal Works for marketing purposes. EMW has not worked with tin for many years.)
Products
Economy Metal Works prides itself on being diverse and flexible. EMW has deliberately arranged its manufacturing processes for maximum flexibility, able to manufacture stainless steel, galvanized steel, carbon steel and aluminum products that fit the customer’s exact specifications. Over the years the company has carved out a niche for itself with the following products:
- Louvers – EMW is experienced in manufacturing louvers for a wide range of applications, including decorative (or architectural) louvers, gable louvers for residential construction, stamped louvers, and industrial louvers.
- Dampers – Economy Metal Works has a long track record of providing custom manufactured industrial dampers, either manually operated or motorized. The company also provides heavy duty dampers for more extreme environments, such as chemical plants.
- Industrial Skids – Industrial skids, or metal framework designed to carry specific types of equipment, can be built to the customer’s precise requirements. EMW is experienced in manufacturing pump skids, carbon steel skids, turbine skids and heat exchanger skids.
- Heavy Steel Fabrication – This is the manufacture of heavier metal parts using shapes such as I-beams, angles, channels, rectangular tubing and plate. These steel components are used in bigger applications such as large enclosures, turbine inlet, turbine exhaust systems and bottle racks.
- Beveled End Protectors – Many customers reported the challenge and expense of protecting bevels on pipe ends during shipping. EMW responded by manufacturing Bev-Pro, a metal wraparound that can be installed on any size pipe from 12” and up. EMW developed custom-built machinery to manufacture this one-of-a-kind product, which has proven to be an inexpensive, flexible alternative for protecting expensive pipes during shipment.
