Red Oak Fabrication Leadership & Operational Team

Fourth-Generation Family Ownership in Red Oak, Iowa

At Red Oak Fabrication, quality contract manufacturing is driven by owner-operators who work directly on the shop floor. The company was founded in 1913 as Pike Machine Shop. Today it is owned and operated by the third and fourth generations of the Fort family.

Our leadership team pairs four generations of family manufacturing heritage with careers at major industrial equipment makers. These include Hypertherm and Fronius. This background gives us real skill, honest talk, and hands-on care on every job.

Red Oak Fabrication owners from the Fort family

Ownership

Red Oak Fabrication is owned and operated by the Fort family.

The group spans third-generation owner Jeff Fort and fourth-generation co-owners Justin Fort, Jacob Fort, and Jordan Fort. The team is based in Red Oak, Iowa. It draws on work at leading industrial equipment makers like Hypertherm and Fronius. That skill helps the team run welding, laser cutting, CNC machining, and powder coating.

Executive Leadership

Jacob Fort

Owner & Metal Processing Manager

Jacob manages our metal processing department. Jacob started his career with Red Oak Industrial Gases in 2001 as the inside/outside salesman. He followed the gas business when it was purchased by Linweld, and came back to Red Oak Fabrication in 2014. With over two decades of hands-on experience, Jacob is a proven leader in the industrial gas and welding industries. His career is built on a deep technical understanding of production equipment and a relentless commitment to helping clients optimize their operations. Jacob attended Iowa Western for Business Administration.

Jordan Fort, Owner & Powder Coating Manager

Jordan Fort

Owner & Powder Coating Manager

Jordan manages the powder coating operations, including the 3-stage chemical wash bays and blast booths. Jordan leverages his aviation industry experience to implement cross-functional systems proven in both manufacturing and aviation sectors. His expertise allows him to apply precision-driven standards and techniques directly to our manufacturing and finishing processes. Under his management, our powder-coating and blasting departments consistently deliver the highest quality, durable finishes for our clients. He attended the University of Missouri for International Business/German. After working in the aviation industry, he came back to Red Oak Fabrication in 2012.

Justin Fort, Owner & Metal Operations Manager

Justin Fort

Owner & Metal Operations Manager

Justin manages our metal operations overseeing our daily manufacturing and fabrication activities. He brings more than two decades of manufacturing experience to Red Oak Fabrication. His experience allows him the ability to foster strong client partnerships, optimize distribution networks, and provide the deep technical expertise needed to keep operations running at peak efficiency. Justin studied at Kirkwood College, and prior to coming back to Red Oak Fabrication in 2022 he was the District Sales Manager for Hypertherm.

Hannah Hultman

Controller

Hannah manages the daily accounting operations, ensures accurate financial reporting, and oversees compliance with regulatory standards. She contributes to improved financial performance by creating budgets and developing financial projections. She joined Red Oak Fabrication in 2026 after working in the public accounting sector. Hannah holds a CPA license and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Iowa State University.

Sydney Jones

Human Resources Manager

Sydney manages all administrative and strategic functions of our HR department. She guides organizational culture, manages talent acquisition, and ensures that company policies support both staff satisfaction and legal compliance. She joined Red Oak Fabrication in 2021 after holding upper management roles within the credit industry. Sydney earned her Master’s Degree in Management and Human Resources from Walden University.

Operational & Plant Management

Carla Mueller

Carhartt Manager & Bookkeeper

Carla manages our retail operations, ensuring we are tracking and meeting our customers’ needs. She also handles our bookkeeping, managing both the accounts payable and accounts receivable, therefore ensuring timely payments. She was hired by Ted Fort (the current owner’s great grandpa) and has worked with 4 different generations of the Fort family.

Jim Jones

Laser Operations & Drafting Manager

Jim manages both the technical drafting/programming department and the hands-on laser production floor, ensuring seamless conversion of CAD concepts into precision-cut manufactured parts. He started for the Fort family when Jeff owned the gas business, and after a deployment to Afghanistan he came back to work as a laser operator and drafter for Red Oak Fabrication.

Dave Stalder

Purchasing

Dave sources, negotiates, and procures the necessary supplies, raw materials, and services required for our daily business operations. He also ensures that all deliveries meet our quality standards while maintaining reliable vendor relationships. Dave has been with Red Oak Fabrication since 2016, originally working in our metal processing department.

Drew Wilson

Assembly & Warehouse Manager

Drew manages the daily shipping, receiving, and inventory to keep supply chains running safely and efficiently. He coordinates with in-house and transport carriers to ensure deliveries are made on time. He joined Red Oak Fabrication in 2018, after working with troubled youth for over a decade.

Taylor Smith

Press Brake Manager

Taylor manages all metal-bending operations, manages department staff, and ensures production schedules, safety rules, and quality standards are met. Taylor started with Red Oak Fabrication as a summer intern in 2019. After graduating from Iowa Western in 2020 with his Associate’s Degree in Science/Engineering, he came back to Red Oak Fabrication full time as one of our drafter/designers.

Dillon Weeks

Tube Laser Manager

Dillon manages the daily activities of the tube laser cutting department, coordinating machine utilization, maintenance, and material flow from raw stock to finished cut parts. He joined Red Oak Fabrication in 2019 after working in the retail industry.

Bryan Gross

Welding Manager

Bryan manages all daily welding and fabrication operations, ensuring that production goals, safety protocols, and strict quality standards are met. He is certified in both Advanced Robotics Programming and AWS D1.1. He joined Red Oak Fabrication in 2025 after working in the operations field.

Cole Thornton

South Shop Manager

Cole manages our South location – overseeing daily operation, inventory, and workflow. His location houses our CNC machines as well as our plasma table. He joined Red Oak Fabrication in 2025, after owning a retail location in southwest Iowa.

SEND US YOUR PRINT

Get one partner for the whole build.

Have a drawing, a repeat order, or just a question about whether we can make it? Send it over and it goes straight to the manager who runs that work, not a queue.

Reviewed in 24 hours, during business hours.
Get a Quote

Upload your drawing: We accept everything from DXF files to napkin sketches!

.dxf, .dwg, .step, .sldprt, .iges, file-share