Senator McCormick Tours North American Forgemasters and ELLWOOD Crankshaft & Machine

U.S. Senator Dave McCormick visited two leading regional manufacturers on Tuesday, touring North American Forgemasters (NAF) and ELLWOOD Crankshaft and Machine (ECM) in Hermitage to see firsthand the advanced industrial capabilities supporting U.S. energy, transportation, defense, and infrastructure.

During the visit, the Senator met with leadership and employees at both facilities and observed production operations that position Lawrence and Mercer counties as critical contributors to American manufacturing.

At ELLWOOD Crankshaft & Machine in Hermitage, President Brian Taylor led a walkthrough alongside ELLWOOD’s Chairman of the Board, David Barensfeld, where team members produce crankshafts and camshafts used in diesel engines, frac pumps, compressors, and other heavy industrial applications. The company manufactures crankshafts for both Wabtec and Progress Rail (CAT), with ELLWOOD producing every railroad crankshaft used in the United States.

The facility is currently experiencing strong domestic and international demand for engine crankshafts, particularly those used in power generation for data centers as both primary and backup energy sources. Recent tariffs on Canada and India have helped bring certain frac pump crankshaft production back to the Hermitage facility, strengthening local manufacturing capacity. Additionally, a favorable export environment and workforce-focused policies have supported the company’s ability to compete globally while retaining experienced employees in a tight labor market.

“The Trump administration’s tariffs on imported steel products have increased our customers’ demand for our crankshafts produced at our manufacturing plants located in Warren County and Mercer County in Pennsylvania,” said Brian Taylor, President of ELLWOOD Crankshaft Group. “Our amazing workforce has been able to demonstrate an ability to capitalize on this new market opportunity”

The tour continued at North American Forgemasters in New Castle, the only facility in North America capable of melting steel, forging, heat treating, machining, and delivering finished products entirely under one roof for ultra-heavy forgings. The New Castle facility is uniquely equipped to melt and forge steel weights exceeding 440,000 pounds, producing components ranging from 52 tons up to 222 tons for naval propulsion, commercial nuclear, and critical infrastructure applications.

“North American Forgemasters is the only facility on the continent capable of melting and forging weights exceeding 440,000 pounds,” said Brian Hoover, President of North American Forgemasters. “It was refreshing to have Senator McCormick put his boots on our grounds, see our operations firsthand, and interact with our team members. The skilled workmanship done here supports the American warfighter and helps lead the renaissance in the commercial nuclear marketplace to power our nation’s growing energy demands.”

The visit underscored the importance of Western Pennsylvania’s manufacturing sector and its role in strengthening domestic supply chains, advancing onshoring efforts, and powering the nation’s transportation, defense, and energy infrastructure.

About ELLWOOD and North American Forgemasters:
Family-owned since 1910, ELLWOOD is a vertically integrated supplier of mission-critical metals and engineered components serving defense, energy, transportation, and other high-performance industries. With 25 North American locations and more than 2,000 team members, ELLWOOD delivers advanced manufacturing and metallurgical expertise to meet the world’s most demanding specifications. North American Forgemasters (NAF), a joint venture between ELLWOOD and Scot Forge, operates in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and is the only facility on the continent capable of producing ultra-heavy steel forgings exceeding 440,000 pounds under one roof, supporting U.S. Naval, commercial nuclear, and critical infrastructure applications. For more information, visit www.ellwoodgroup.com