Established in the heart of Southwest Iowa, Red Oak Fabrication has evolved from its humble beginnings in 1913 to become a cornerstone of the fabrication industry and home to the region’s most expansive Carhartt storefront. From our state-of-the-art fabrication services to our sprawling 4,600 sq ft. Carhartt store filled with the finest merchandise, we stand proud as a testament to quality, innovation, and the enduring spirit of community service.
Red Oak Fabrication has been serving Southwest Iowa since 1913, when the company was established as the Pike Machine Shop. In 1917 it settled at 306 3rd Street — the Central facility it still operates from today.
In 1923 the Pike Machine Shop was renamed Red Oak Machine Co. Five years later, in 1928, Ted Fort began his employment as one of three men in the shop — the first of four generations of Forts to build a career here.
In February 1931 Red Oak Machine Co. purchased a 200-ampere Hansen arc welding generator, mounted on a used Ford Model T chassis so it could travel to the job. That same year the company began selling Linde Oxygen on a pickup basis — the start of the welding supply business.
Ted Fort purchased a half interest in the business in 1944 and the remaining half in 1946, when J.C. England retired. His sons followed him — in 1946 Bill launched outside sales of oxygen and welding supplies and in 1947 Jack joined the sales force, both after returning from service in World War II.
Through the 1950’s Bill and Jack continued to grow the outside sales of both oxygen and welding supplies. This expansion allowed Red Oak Machine to purchase additional delivery vehicles and an expanded customer base.
Bill and Jack later purchased the company from their father and worked alongside each other for many years. Later, Bill purchased Jack’s half of the company and continued to work on the shop floor helping customers, even after he lost his eyesight due to a health condition.
Jeff Fort began his career at Red Oak Machine in 1978, working under his father, Bill, and his uncle Jack. He started out driving route trucks, delivering welding supplies to shops across Southwest Iowa.
By the early 1980s Red Oak Machine ran eight trucks across 13 counties from 20,000 square feet of floor space, with sixteen people on the payroll. Alongside the machine shop and welding supply business, the company manufactured the Red Oak Hitch — a heavy-duty truck-trailer hitch of its own design, distributed nationally.
In 1992 Jeff Fort purchased the company. That March, Red Oak Machine installed its own oxygen pumping system — six feet across and fourteen feet high, able to fill 48 cylinders at a time. It ended the trip to Omaha for high-pressure fills and extended the company’s reach to 15,000 square miles a week.
In 2004 Jeff Fort sold the gas division to focus the company entirely on custom metal fabrication.
Red Oak Fabrication celebrates a hundred years in business. They’ve experienced growth in many different areas, but continue to appreciate their humble beginnings.
In January 2022 Jeff Fort welcomed his three sons — Jacob, Jordan, and Justin — as equity partners, beginning the fourth generation of Fort family ownership. Today Red Oak Fabrication runs four facilities in Red Oak, Iowa, delivering turnkey fabrication from laser cutting through powder coating, assembly, and delivery.
