About Us: History

E.H. Schwab works with over 300 different customers in a typical year

1929
In the midst of the Great Depression, Brothers Ralph and Earl Schwab opened their garage doors for business in Pittsburgh, PA. Initial orders focused on custom metalwork and parts dedicated to one of Ralph Schwab's 3 patented products- two for the beauty salon industry and one for commercial lighting.
1934
E.H. Schwab moved into a new 6,000 square foot building in Homewood, PA. The customer list has grown to include customers such as Westinghouse, Mine Safety Appliance, US Steel, and other Pittsburgh-based industrial companies.
1940
Ralph Schwab invested in additional manual metal spinning equipment to take part in government-contracted work to support the War effort.
1968
E.H. Schwab was contacted by NASA to spin an aluminum lens cover for the camera that would be used on the Apollo 11 moon landing. The cover was ejected and remains on the moon today.
1969
E.H. Schwab was purchased in-full by R.F. Harrison and relocated to the present facility in Turtle Creek approximately 20 minutes east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1971
E.H. Schwab purchased its first automatic spinning lathe from AutoSpin which expanded the spinning department capacity and increased the material thickness capabilities into heavier gauges.
1984
E.H. Schwab invested in our first hydraulic deep draw press from Sweden. Today, this department houses 3 deep draw presses ranging from 80 ton up to 200 ton. Additional hydraulic and mechanical presses provide complementary capabilities.
1993
After multiple additions to the original 12,000 square foot manufacturing space, a new office is constructed to house the growing office staff including a dedicated inspection room.
1997
Due to expanding business opportunities in the region, E.H. Schwab undertook its largest construction project to date with the addition of a second adjacent building dedicated fully to manufacturing. This brings the total manufacturing footprint to 45,000 square feet at the Turtle Creek location.
2004
E.H. Schwab purchased its first CNC machine lathe used to cut small and medium sized spin tools and fixtures, with CNC machining and milling equipment to be expanded in future years. Today steel, phenolic and/or wood tools and fixtures are drawn in CAD and downloaded directly to the CNC machine lathe.
2005
A custom, state-of-the-art ultrasonic wash system was installed for finished parts with heightened cleanliness requirements. The process was developed by working closely with key customers who would eventually go on to duplicate our process in their own facilities for other items.
2007
With 7 CNC spinning lathes utilizing multiple programming software packages unique to each OEM, E.H. Schwab began a multi-year process of upgrading software on all spinning lathes to a common programming platform. Hardware upgrades were made where required, including to hydraulic systems, electric motors and machine reconditioning.
2012
E.H. Schwab unveils the 1,000 Day Safety Challenge with the goal of zero lost time accidents for 1,000 consecutive days. The goal was successfully reached in mid-2015, and the company continues to move forward with new milestones.
2013
E.H. Schwab purchases the first SmartSpin metal spinning lathe in the United States. This machine is a unique hybrid. Programs are made by spinning manually and then production is run automatically similar to a standard CNC machine. This allows for better efficiency and improved part consistency on low volume custom metal spinnings.
2015
While various cutting technologies had been explored in previous years, in 2015 E.H. Schwab committed to a state-of-the-art 2000 watt Fiber Laser. Capable of cutting both ferrous and non-ferrous materials with ease, the Fiber Laser also cuts faster and more efficiently than comparable CO2 lasers. This translates to lower cost and shorter lead times for our customers.
TODAY
E.H. Schwab is uniquely positioned to produce parts for a broad cross-section of industries. Core custom metal forming technologies are state-of-the-art and are supported by an ever-expanding arsenal of secondary capabilities including rolling, punching, piercing, blasting, stud welding, auto seam welding and more. We are proud to remain a successful family-owned and operated contract manufacturing business.