December 2023
Wall Colmonoy, a leading global materials engineering group, celebrates its 85 years of business. The company employs 600 team members across the United States and its European Headquarters in the United Kingdom.
Today, Wall Colmonoy remains under the ownership and leadership of its founding family, now in its fourth generation. “This enduring legacy attests to the company's adaptability, ingenuity, and durability,” asserts Ann Clark Kendall, VP of Global Marketing and fourth generation family member.
Wall Colmonoy commemorates this 85th year milestone with a special anniversary logo along with celebrations at each of its six locations.
“Our success and growth could not have been possible without our customers, distributors, and committed and talented people. We continue to focus on our strengths of technical expertise, innovation and passion for our purpose serving the critical manufacturing industry,” adds Nicholas Clark, President and fourth generation family member.
In 1937, metallurgists Norman Cole and Walter Edmonds created a new nickel-based alloy containing chromium boride for oil & gas downhole drilling. The alloy became known as Colmonoy®, an anagram of Cole and Edmonds’ surnames. The following year, entrepreneur Albert F. Wall acquired the company and renamed it Wall Colmonoy Corporation.
Today, Colmonoy® hardsurfacing products are applied in a wide range of surfacing and thermal spraying techniques for a variety of industries such as glass container, oil & gas, mining, waste to energy, steel, and more.
Expanding their expertise in 1950, Robert L. Peaslee, Materials Engineer, introduced a new brazing technology utilizing nickel-based filler metals and hydrogen atmosphere furnaces. This new filler metal was named Nicrobraz® and was commonly used to join hot section components in military jet engines. The technology and Nicrobraz® product line continues to develop today. At its Modern Furnace Brazing School, high-temperature brazing is taught by Wall Colmonoy’s leading brazing engineers at its Brazing Engineering Centers in both the U.S. and U.K.
In the 1970s, Aerobraze Oklahoma City developed the first stainless steel heat exchanger re-core procedure to support military aircraft, including at the nearby Tinker Air Force Base. In 2018, investments in aluminum heat exchangers were made to serve commercial aircraft like Embraer CRJs and Boeing 700 series. The 2006 purchase of Aerobraze Cincinnati complemented Wall Colmonoy’s brazing, heat treating, welding, coating, and machining capabilities.
In 2014, Wall Colmonoy acquired Franklin Bronze Precision Components, a Franklin, Pennsylvania-based investment casting foundry. Initially focused on glass parts, Wall Colmonoy diversified the business into other sectors. Today, the company is a leader in precision investment castings for glass container, pumps & valves, oil & gas, steel, food and metal processing, transportation, and more.
Established in 1969, Wall Colmonoy Limited serves as the company's European Headquarters in Pontardawe, Wales, U.K. The facility specializes in manufacturing Colmonoy®, Wallex® and Nicrobraz® products, additive manufactured powders and parts, engineered cast or fully machined components and provides coatings, brazing, and heat treatment. Its products reach Europe, Africa, India, Australia, Middle East, and CIS Countries. The state-of-the-art research center is at the forefront of developing new applications and investing in emerging technologies.
By making metals work harder since 1938, Wall Colmonoy contributes to a more productive, efficient, cleaner world.
To commemorate this milestone, we have created the following videos:
William P. Clark, Jr., Chairman & CEO, explains the origin of the Wall Colmonoy name, provides a brief history of the company, and gives a toast to employees past and present and our partners in achieving 85 years in business.
Here's to our employees who helped us achieve this milestone.
Our global partners congratulate Wall Colmonoy on their 85th anniversary.
As part of this incredible milestone, each of our six locations hosted celebrations. Pictures from these events shown below.