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AISC Certified Fabricator · AWS Certified Welders
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A Garbe Iron Works welder in a welding hood joining steel, sparks and smoke rising from the arc
Structural Steel Fabrication · Aurora, Illinois

Built in Aurora since 1919.

AISC-certified fabrication and erection for the full Division 5 scope. From a one-ton job to a 1,000-ton project, you get one shop and one point of responsibility.

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1919Founded in Aurora, Illinois
5,000+Tons of annual capacity
32,000Sq. ft. fabrication shop
1–1,000+Ton projects welcome
Single-point responsibility

One call covers
all of Division 5.

Drawings to erection to ornamental, under one roof. Fewer hand-offs means less coordination and scheduling for you, and you always know who owns the job.

AISC certified for Steel Building Structures and Component Manufacturer – Bridge, audited every year.

Every welder AWS certified. Nondestructive testing in our shop when the specs call for it.

Fabrication only? We quote that too, for fabricators chasing a schedule.

Aerial view of the Garbe Iron Works fabrication shop on North Broadway in Aurora, Illinois
456 N. Broadway · Aurora, IL
Our shop

More than a century of steel in Aurora.

Frank B. Garbe started the company in 1919. In 1950 it settled on North Broadway, and in 1976 a new shop opened with a material handling system so far ahead of its time that AISC brought foreign trade delegations through to see it.

Today the 32,000 sq. ft. shop runs Peddinghaus CNC lines and serves repeat clients across the upper Midwest.

Garbe Iron Works building in the company's early yearsGarbe Iron Works, the early years
  1. 1919Founded by Frank B. Garbe
  2. 1950Moves to North Broadway
  3. 197327,000 sq. ft. shop
  4. 1976New shop opens
  5. TodayPeddinghaus CNC lines
  6. NextPlate laser + new shop layout
Plant & Equipment

The machines behind
the tonnage.

CNC-controlled and well maintained. This is what runs on the floor today.

  • Peddinghaus band saw head ready to cut a structural member
    Cutting

    Band Saws

    • 2 × Peddinghaus 1250 band saws, 50" capacity
    • Ellis 3000 band saw
    • Beam splitters, track burners, hand & plasma torches
  • The Peddinghaus Peddi-Bot 1250 ST robotic thermal cell at installation in the Garbe Iron Works shop
    Beam Processing

    Robotic Thermal Cutting

    • Peddi-Bot 1250 ST robotic CNC thermal cutting
    • CNC thermal beam processing

    Shown at installation. Cutting footage coming soon.

  • Close-up of clean drilled holes in a steel plate
    Hole Making

    CNC Drill Line

    • PCD 1100 drill line with 5-station tool changer
    • High-speed carbide drilling
    • Multiple magnetic-base core drills
  • Peddinghaus FPB 1800 plate processor cutting plate with plasma
    Plate Processing

    Plate Processor

    • Peddinghaus FPB 1800 plasma with 3 hydraulic punches
    • Plate up to 1-1/4" thick and 6'-0" wide
  • Peddinghaus Anglemaster AFCPS 623 processing a steel angle
    Connection Material

    Anglemaster

    • Peddinghaus Anglemaster AFCPS 623
    • Holes in connection material, brace angles and cut-to-length
    • Piranha P-90 ironworker
  • Roller conveyor and horizontal transfers in the Garbe Iron Works steel yard
    Material Handling

    Cranes & Conveyor

    • 20-ton bridge crane, 76'-0" span
    • Four 10-ton bridge cranes, tandem 20-ton picks
    • 510' of roller conveyor with horizontal transfers

Also on the floor

Floor and wall-mounted jib cranes throughout the shop, horizontal transfers from conveyor to conveyor or to exit, and a full set of flame and plasma cutting tools.

Coming soon

Plate Laser

A new plate laser and a new shop layout are on the way. New footage goes up here once they're running.

Two members of the Garbe Iron Works team on the shop floor
Watch · 4 min

Maximizing tonnage and shop floorspace.

Peddinghaus filmed inside the GIW shop: the crew, the floor and the CNC lines at work.

Projects

Standing all over
the Midwest.

View all projects →
Questions

What GCs ask us first

Short answers about scope, capacity and certification. Call 630.897.5100 for anything else.

What does Garbe Iron Works do?

Garbe Iron Works is a structural steel fabricator in Aurora, Illinois. We cover the full Division 5 scope: steel detailing, material supply with mill test reports, fabrication, erection, steel joists, steel trusses, roof and floor deck, and miscellaneous steel. One company carries the whole package, so you have one point of responsibility.

How large a project can GIW take on?

We take fabrication work from as little as 1 ton to over 1,000 tons, and the shop has an annual capacity of more than 5,000 tons.

Is Garbe Iron Works AISC certified?

Yes. We take part in an annual AISC quality assurance audit and are certified for Steel Building Structures and as a Component Manufacturer – Bridge. All of our welders are certified by the American Welding Society.

Do you take fabrication-only work from other fabricators?

Yes. We write straight fabrication-only proposals, and we do it regularly for other fabricators who need help making a schedule.

Where is GIW located, and what area do you serve?

The shop is at 456 N. Broadway in Aurora, Illinois. We work for repeat clients throughout the upper Midwest.

How do I get a quote?

Tell us about the job through the contact form, email info@giwinc.com, or call 630.897.5100.

Contact the office

Tell us about
your project.

Send us a few details about the job and the office will get back to you, whether it is full Division 5 or fabrication only.

Or call the office630.897.5100

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A Garbe Iron Works welder joining a steel member in the shop
Careers

Build with us.

GIW offers competitive wages and benefits, state-of-the-art technology and machinery, and a good place to work. We occasionally have openings in both the office and the shop. If you are a motivated team player, email your resume to info@giwinc.com.