Where It All Began

We didn’t start in a giant warehouse with racks of metal and high-tech machinery. We started under a cherry tree. Literally.

The story of that journey, from a little garage to the national online metals provider, spans three generations and nearly 80 years and begins with H. Byron “Barney” Hubbard. As a local sheet metal company employee, Barney rose from apprentice to field superintendent. Although he had job security and a good salary, he wanted to be his own boss and put his trade skills to better use.

So, in April 1946, he and several friends spent the day hauling family "treasures" from the garage. When the job was done and the garage scrubbed out, they turned to an area of the backyard, adjacent to the garage and shaded by a large cherry tree. It was in this garage, and under that tree, that he founded Evansville Sheet Metal Works (ESMW).

Word got around quickly, and the garage shop was soon outgrown. A new building was purchased in August 1947. The early work focused primarily on residential projects—gutters, flashing, and ductwork—but soon expanded to include specialized custom jobs. It was this specialization that opened the doors to opportunity. As their customers began demanding aluminum and stainless steel for their products, ESMW tooled up to serve them. The very nature of stainless, aluminum, and other exotic metals required additional skills, which led to the development of technical training programs designed to raise and broaden the skill levels of key personnel.

By 1970, Barney’s son Mark had become president of the business. Mark had an eye on the future and a knack for precision—qualities that helped guide ESMW into two important directions: precision manufacturing and direct metal sales. First, he saw that many customers demanded greater precision in their products, so ESMW began offering highly accurate, laser-cut parts. A significant investment in technology followed, offering “contour cutting” in a wide variety of materials and thicknesses. Although Barney saw the value of precision parts, not all new technology appealed to him.

In 1985, in response to customer inquiries, Mark opened a metal sales division, offering custom-cut items in aluminum, stainless steel, brass, and copper. These items included aluminum diamond plate, stainless steel sheet, brass round, and many more. In fact, businesses and individuals could find over 700 items in stock and buy them off the shelf or have them custom fabricated. Great customer service created devoted customers, and the metal sales division soon became a third of the company’s business.

Mark’s son Andy is the current president, and he continues to refine the business built by his father and grandfather. Since launching Cut2SizeMetals.com, the company has shipped to all 50 states, bringing custom-cut metals to customers across the country. “My grandfather started the business, and my father really gave it direction and focus,” Andy says. “I knew that if we could just tell our story to a wider audience, they would appreciate our service as well.” And in 2010, he launched Cut2SizeMetals.com, an e-commerce website for the metal sales division.

We now operate out of a 78,000-square-foot facility, with well over 700 products in stock. But our mission hasn’t changed since 1946: treat customers right, cut things carefully, and always do the job the right way.

It’s a story rooted in craftsmanship, family values, and steady growth—one project at a time.

From a backyard garage under a cherry tree to a full-service online metal shop—we’re glad you found us.