Reshoring Metal Fabrication: Bring Your Sheet Metal Parts Back to a US Shop

Buying fabricated parts overseas used to look like the cheapest option. Long ocean transit, port delays, tariffs, container-sized orders and slow design changes have made many industrial companies and OEMs rethink that. D&J Metalcraft Co. is a family-owned and family-run sheet metal fabrication shop in Chicago, established in 1975. We make parts to your print at 4451 N Ravenswood Ave and ship them nationwide, with lead times as little as 1 week, no large minimums, and you talk to the owners, not a sales desk.

If you buy laser-cut, punched, formed or welded parts overseas today, send us the drawing and we'll quote it so you can compare.

Why Companies Are Reshoring Metal Fabrication

Moving work back to a US shop isn't right for every part. It usually makes sense when one or more of these is hurting your business:

• Lead times and late containers. Weeks on the water, plus port and customs delays, make it hard to plan production. Our lead times can be as little as 1 week, depending on job size.
• Tariffs and freight costs. No ocean freight, import duties or customs paperwork on the finished parts.
• Container-sized orders. Overseas suppliers often push large minimums so the container is worth shipping. We take on small runs without large minimum order quantities, so you can order closer to what you need.
• Quality problems found too late. When a bad shipment arrives, it has already cost you weeks. Here, problems get caught and fixed before the parts leave the shop. We review every drawing and tell you up front if something could be made better or for less.
• Slow design changes. A revised prototype from overseas can take weeks. Here, we can update the part and run revised parts without waiting on overseas shipping.
• Communication. You get the same time zones, the same language, and people you can call directly. You talk to the owners, not a sales desk, and you're welcome to visit the shop to see your parts being made.

Domestic Fabrication from Chicago, Shipped Nationwide

We're based in Chicago and serve customers across the Midwest and nationwide. Industrial and OEM customers across the country send us their fabrication work, and many have worked with us for decades. Being in the middle of the country means your parts travel by truck, not by container ship.

What We Can Take Over from Your Overseas Supplier

We handle laser cutting, punching, forming, welding, hardware insertion and assembly under one roof, mostly in stainless steel, mild steel and aluminum. Finishing and outside work are managed by us, so you deal with one shop and one PO. If your part uses a different material, ask us.

• Laser cutting: Trumpf fiber lasers with 5 x 10 ft tables. We cut up to 1" mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum, and up to 3/8" copper and brass. Typical tolerance is ±0.003".
• CNC turret punching: a Strippit turret punch with multiple auto-index stations, for hole patterns, slots, knockouts and louvers on sheets up to 110" x 40". Typical tolerance is ±0.001".
• Forming: press brakes up to 130 tons with 6 to 10 ft beds. Typical bend tolerance is ±0.005" and ±0.5°.
• Shearing and sawing: a 10 ft shear for blanks, and bandsaws for bar and tube stock.
• Welding: MIG and TIG welding, plus spot welders, for parts, weldments and assemblies.
• Secondary operations in-house: hardware insertion (PEM nuts, studs and standoffs), drilling, tapping and countersinking.
• Machining: in-house and through our trusted partners.
• Finishing and tube cutting: powder coating, wet paint, plating and other finishes, plus laser tube cutting, through our trusted partners. We manage that work, so you deal with one shop and one PO.
• Assembly: fabricated parts put together and shipped ready to use.

From Small Prototype Batches to Full Production Runs

We take on work from small prototype batches all the way up to full production runs. Most of our work is short and mid-size runs, and we have the capacity for large production volumes when you need them. You can start with a small batch to prove out a part you used to buy overseas, then keep the same part, the same shop and the same people as you move into production.

How to Move a Part to D&J

1. Send your drawing. Email your print (PDF, DXF, STEP or SolidWorks .SLDPRT) with material, thickness, quantities and timeline to info@djmetalcraft.com.
2. Get a quote and drawing review. We review every drawing carefully and tell you up front if something could be made better or for less.
3. Approve the first article. Before a production run starts, we can check the first parts against your drawing and give you a written first-article inspection (FAI) report, so you approve the part before we make the full quantity.
4. Run production and ship. We make your parts in Chicago and ship them to you, wherever you are in the US.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should we reshore our metal fabrication from overseas to a US shop?

It depends on the part. Reshoring usually pays off when long lead times, tariffs, freight costs, large container minimums, quality problems or frequent design changes are costing you money. Compare the total landed cost of the overseas part (price plus freight, tariffs, customs, inventory you carry, and the cost of late or bad shipments) against a domestic quote. D&J Metalcraft in Chicago will quote your drawing so you can make that comparison with real numbers.

Which US metal fabricators work with companies moving production back from overseas?

D&J Metalcraft Co. is a family-owned and family-run sheet metal fabricator in Chicago, established in 1975, that ships nationwide. We do laser cutting, CNC turret punching, press brake forming, MIG, TIG and spot welding, hardware insertion and assembly, from small prototype batches all the way up to full production runs. Lead times can be as little as 1 week, depending on job size.

Can a US fabrication shop handle small orders without container-sized minimums?

Yes. D&J takes on small runs without large minimum order quantities. Most of our work is short and mid-size runs, and we have the capacity for large production volumes when you need them.

How do we know a new US supplier will match the parts we get overseas?

Before a production run starts, D&J can check the first parts against your drawing and give you a written first-article inspection report. Typical tolerances are ±0.003" on laser-cut features, ±0.001" on punched features, and ±0.005" and ±0.5° on bends.

Do you ship reshored parts outside Chicago?

Yes. We fabricate in Chicago and ship to industrial and OEM customers nationwide.

What do you need to quote a part we buy overseas today?

Your drawing (PDF, DXF, STEP or SolidWorks .SLDPRT), the material and thickness, the quantities you order, and your timeline. Email it to info@djmetalcraft.com or call 773-878-6446.

Get a Reshoring Quote

Send us the drawings for the parts you buy overseas today, with your quantities and timeline, and we'll get back to you with a quote you can compare against your current supplier.

Call: 773-878-6446 Email: info@djmetalcraft.com Visit: 4451 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640