When James Glass and Dennis Rohrer had a concept to create a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Advanced Manufacturing company, one of the first places they looked was Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Inc. (SOAR).  

SOAR helped Glass and Rohrer connect with resources and contacts that eventually turned their dream into a reality.  American Metal Works (AMW) was formed in 2016 at the Business Incubator at Big Sandy Community and Technical College’s Mayo campus in Paintsville. 

In 2017, the company was the first in eastern Kentucky to participate in the state’s apprenticeship program and their staff has doubled since its opening.  AMW employs 10 people, including four apprenticeship participants. Five of the company’s employees were displaced from the coal and oil sectors.

Some of AMW’s clients include customers making high security locking systems, components for drones, a storage tank for the Department of Defense, and parts for a satellite built by the Morehead State University Space Science Center that will orbit the moon in 2019.

AMW is a HubZone company and will be receiving its AS9100D/ISO9011:2015 certifications in 2018. The company hopes to employee 50 team members over the next five years.