Above: Ermaksan’s 3 kW Fibermak Raptor fi ber laser has an IPG Photonics laser source and Precitec cutting head.
February, 2026- In 2024, siblings Kelly and Kiffin Ward left their respective jobs to start Ward’s Manufacturing, a custom metal fabrication company in Rhode Island. They had both experienced gaps in the domestic supply chain for American-made metal parts and recognized an opportunity.
“A recent push to reshore manufacturing to New England helped inspire us to start this business,” says Kelly Ward, president. “We saw the value in becoming a trusted resource for custom metal parts for customers both locally and nationwide. For local customers, we wanted to create a business where people could pick up orders in person and discuss their needs and ideas directly with our team.”
The shop serves a diverse customer base that includes robotics and electronics, marine and aerospace, industrial and construction, medical devices, and artists.
The Wards anchor their metal fabrication with an Ermaksan Fibermak Raptor 3kW fiber laser cutting machine. “We knew we wanted a fiber laser because it is the fastest, most modern technology available for thermal cutting metal,” says Kelly Ward. “Depending on metal thickness, a fiber laser can be six times faster than a CO2 and five times faster than a waterjet cutting machine. It’s also more energy efficient and cost effective. My brother Kiffin, our CEO and mechanical and product engineer, has experience with fiber lasers.”
SMART FACTORY INTEGRATION
The Wards attended Fabtech to weigh their fiber laser options in person. The two were looking for reliability and U.S.-based service and support.
“We wanted [to work with] a company that would partner with us,” Kelly Ward says. “We saw an informative demonstration of the Ermaksan fiber laser at Fabtech, and after getting to know their sales and support staff, we felt like Ermak cared about us. We also talked with other customers who had an Ermaksan fiber laser for several years without the need for on-site service, which spoke to their reliability.
“The other selling point was the Ermaksan fiber laser’s IPG Photonics laser source and Precitec cutting head, built and produced by a company an hour’s drive from us in Massachusetts,” Kelly Ward continues. “We’re an American company, and we wanted to support American-made equipment.”
Ward’s Manufacturing installed a 3 kW Fibermak Raptor fiber laser with a sheet size capacity of 5 by 10 feet in 2024. The high-speed, precision 2D CNC fiber laser is designed for efficiency and smart factory integration. Automatic beam centering, anti-collision and Industry 4.0 readiness gives Ward’s Manufacturing the ability to cut a variety of metals quickly and accurately, from one-offs to mass production.
President and co-founder Kelly Ward and her brother Kiffin Ward, CEO and mechanical and product engineer.
Ward’s Manufacturing can handle a wide range of bending operations, from simple folds to complex bends.
FLEXIBLE SYSTEM
“Everything begins with the fiber laser,” Kelly Ward says. “We can run sheet and plate metal on two exchange tables. This gives us a continuous cutting flow because you can load material or offload parts on one table while material is being cut on the other table.”
Ermaksan’s fiber laser technology allows Ward’s Manufacturing to produce anything from tiny, precision electrical parts for computer boards and sensors for unmanned, underwater vehicles to large, structural pieces for shipbuilders. The fabricator also gets a lot of requests for signs, fixtures and sizable sculpture pieces.
“We’re able to achieve very tight tolerances with the Fibermak Raptor laser,” Kelly Ward says. “It’s automated, energy efficient, precise and consistent. It’s the fastest cutting method available, and we can cut up to ¾-inch-thick metal. Ermaksan’s advanced technology,” she says, “along with its responsive service and support, have kept us up and running. In almost two years, we have yet to have downtime that required a technician on site.”
The Ermaksan Fibermak Raptor 2D CNC fiber laser has a sheet size capacity of 5 feet by 10 feet and is designed for efficiency and smart factory integration.
BUILDING BLOCKS
Once parts are cut and deburred, they transition to a CNC press brake, Bridgeport or machining station for machining, assembly or hardware inserts. If the parts need additional finishing such as anodizing or powder coating, Ward’s Manufacturing will source the work to an outside partner, then bring the completed parts back to its facility for quality control and shipping.
“We have built a large network of dependable, principled businesses,” says Kelly Ward. “If we can’t perform the task, we know someone who can. These connections have helped us expand.”
Ward’s Manufacturing runs one shift, five days a week with a team of contract fabricators that can cover second shift or weekends when needed. “We work on a range of order sizes, from a quantity of one to quantities in the tens of thousands,” Kelly Ward says. The fabricator may get 10 smaller orders in one day or a large project that could take days. Ward’s Manufacturing also accepts prototype work. “A lot of companies won’t take one-offs or R&D projects,” she says.
“People can come to us with nothing more than an idea. Kiffin can design and fabricate a part based on a concept or improve existing designs for cost and manufacturability.”
Armed with Ermaksan fiber cutting technology, the Wards are growing the manufacturing space in their region and encouraging millennials to become business owners whomake things in the U.S.
“My brother and I are atypical owners, we are a millennial- and woman-owned business,” says Kelly Ward. “We want to make parts that people need and create more good jobs. We also want to support the ecosystem. We are a certified green manufacturer and are proud of having a sustainable operation.”
Ermak USA Inc., 847/640-7765, ermakusa.com.
Ward’s Manufacturing, 401/441-0453, wardsmanufacturing.com.
