ICM Metal Fabrication Success Story

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Building a Foundation for Business Growth

ICM Metal Fab is a structural steel fabrication and assembly company based in Perry, Georgia. Founded in 2015 as a metal sign shop, the company has grown into a full-scale structural steel manufacturer. ICM Metal Fab now serves clients across the U.S. in industries ranging from self-storage and hospitality to retail and education.

ICM Metal Fabrication

Situation

In 2020, ICM Metal Fab was at a turning point. The company had recently shifted from ornamental metalwork to structural steel fabrication, but its processes were still largely manual and inconsistent. “We were doing a lot on pen and paper,” Founder and CEO James Parker recalled. “We’d order steel, take it to the job site, and fabricate it on-site.”

As demand grew, Parker knew the company needed help standardizing operations to scale effectively. That’s when a mutual connection introduced him to Bob Wray, an operational excellence project manager with the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech.

Solution

Wray began by creating standardized shop drawings and developing a custom costing tool that allowed the company to bid projects more accurately and strategically. He then helped the team streamline other aspects of their operations, making it easier for the company to grow. As Parker put it, “Bob helped us move from a job shop making one-offs to a true manufacturing facility.”

Wray’s approach was both technical and human-centered. He designed shop drawings with the fabricator in mind to reduce human error. “He understood the human element of manufacturing,” Parker noted. “He thought about everything from the symmetry of the part to how someone would pull a tape measure on the shop floor.”

As ICM grew, Wray’s support evolved. When the company outgrew his capacity, Parker transitioned drafting work to a third-party firm, eventually acquiring the firm to ensure around-the-clock support. Still, the foundation Wray helped build remained central to ICM’s operations.

Results

Since beginning work with GaMEP in 2020, ICM Metal Fab has:

  • Grown from 2 to 35 full-time employees in five years
  • Increased annual steel production from 150,000 lbs. to over 20 million lbs.
  • Expanded from a 1,500 sq. ft. facility to a more than 40-acre footprint
  • Achieved AISC certification, a designation held by fewer than 10% of steel fabricators worldwide
  • Diversified into new markets, including hospitality, healthcare, and education

Testimonial

“Bob was the pivotal person who helped us standardize our processes and gave us the confidence to grow. I truly don’t believe we’d be where we are today without the foundation he helped us build. GaMEP was instrumental in our success.”

— James Parker, Founder and CEO, ICM Metal Fab