It's not every day that a company celebrates its Golden Anniversary. For those that reach this milestone and beyond, many companies have experienced tumultuous change based on economic factors, technological improvements, and other factors that redefined their operations. While Ace has not been immune to such marketplace pressures, it has been the consistency of its owners and a common vision that have helped this company stay the course.

The roots of Ace begin in 1960, when 16 sheetmetal workers combined their funds and expertise into one company that offered a simple suite of services and one specialty: stainless steel fabrication. Today, Ace is renowned for the value engineering and fabrication of stainless steel components for some of the most demanding industries: food processing, packaging, environmental, nuclear, pharmaceutical, and plastics. Inside a 40,000 square foot facility, the 70 experts at Ace who work on one of two shifts excel at laser cutting, forming, rolling, welding, polishing, tube and pipe laser cutting, and light assembly.

Since the original 16, there have been only two owners of Ace: Jack Lichter (1982-1991), and sisters Jean Pitzo and Mary Lichter (1991-present).

Throughout the decades, the company's leaders were opportunistic. Many of the expansions reflected advancement within the larger sector or the nation as a whole. For instance, in the 1970s, as the food industry expanded because of increasing consumer demand, Ace ramped up its focus and today is considered a valued suppliers to many leading OEMs.

In the early 1980s as application of technology solutions in all sectors began to increase, then owner Jack Lichter invested heavily in technology and new equipment, such as CNC turret punch press with 48 tooling stations to speed fabrication, and the Symix scheduling system to track jobs and optimize on-time delivery.

During the 1990s, Ace purchased its first laser, under the direction of new owners Jean Pitzo and Mary Lichter. Two years later, the company added a second laser. Business was brisk during the decade, so they expanded operations by purchasing the building next door.

In the last 10 years, Ace continued its investment in technology and Lean manufacturing techniques. Glass-beading was brought in-house to improve speed, quality, and value to sanitary applications. Then the company installed its first six-axis laser for processing structural components, and a flat laser with automated material handling, as part of its new frame cell.

On June 1st, the company officially recognized its Golden Anniversary with a number of special community and customer events.