About Us
Our Approach
At Skol Mfg., we don't sell products; we offer our customers a wealth of generational knowledge in sheet metal craftsmanship. We collaborate closely with our clients to bring their ideas to life, providing expert guidance and assistance along the way. We understand that sometimes what looks good on paper may not be as feasible in practice, so we work with our customers to refine and optimize their designs for efficiency and effectiveness.
Commitment to Excellence
Once a project is underway, we prioritize efficiency without compromising on quality. Our streamlined processes allow us to handle large-scale projects with speed and precision while maintaining the highest standards of craftsmanship. Throughout the entire process, our team is readily available to address any questions or concerns, ensuring a seamless experience from start to finish.
Personalized Service
As a family-owned company, we value personal connections and strive to build relationships with our customers beyond just transactions. Unlike large corporations where you may feel like just another number, at Skol Mfg., you'll always have a real person to talk to—someone who genuinely cares about your project and is committed to your satisfaction.
Shipping and Delivery
When it comes to shipping, we take every precaution to ensure that your parts arrive safely and intact. Each item is meticulously packed to eliminate the risk of damage during transit, giving you peace of mind from production to delivery.
Our Promise
No project is too small or too big for us to handle, and we offer free quotes with no obligation until you're ready to move forward. With Skol Mfg., you can trust that the quality of our work will always exceed your expectations.
Partner with Us
Partner with us, and let's bring your ideas to life, one sheet of metal at a time.
Skol Manufacturing
The history of a sheet metal fabricator
- Sometime before the first World War, John Skolorzynski, a Polish immigrant and former Russian POW made it to Chicago and began a new business. He was a skilled tradesman with experience in making chandeliers. His business was located on Kenneth Ave at Dickens on the North Side. John met his wife in the city, also a Polish immigrant and they had two sons, Walter and Chester.
- Due to health-related issues, John was forced to leave Illinois for the more temperate climate in California and thus Walter and Chester took over the chandelier making business in 1945. Seeing a greater opportunity to expand into other metal fabrication, the two brothers moved the shop to 1812 N. Milwaukee Ave and bought the necessary machines that would become the foundation for Skol Manufacturing.
- Walter took on the accounting and sales for Skol while Chester was meticulous in the details and production quality of fabrication. Continuing the same theme of servicing the lighting industry, Skol Manufacturing began to win more and more substantial contracts to make light fixtures, much of which was comprised of strip lights and channels which were in high demand at that time.
- Walter’s son Raymond began working for the family business while still in high school during the summer. “I was in the shop working the machines and I remember feeling sorry for my dad that this was his business. I thought, I would never work here once I was done with school.” Famous last words for sure! After graduating college with a business and marketing degree in the late 60’s and finding work in the world to be less than glamorous, Raymond (now ‘Ray’) accepted a position in sales for his father’s business.
- Bringing more of an entrepreneurial spirit to the business, Ray saw opportunity everywhere and had to push against the old school ways that Chester had established of extreme detail and handmade craftsmanship in order to convince the business owners to purchase more modern machinery.
- “We butted heads a lot. Chester was excellent at what he did but he used to say there were 2 ways to do things… my way and the wrong way,” Ray recounted chuckling. As Ray was becoming more of an influential part of Skol Manufacturing, a lot of lighting companies were seeking them out as a preferred manufacturer of their fixtures and other components.
- Need for a larger shop brought Skol to 2707 N. Ashland at Diversey in the mid-seventies where the 5000 square feet allowed them to increase production and attract more quality jobs. Around this time, Ray remembers an interesting story.
- “A company called Failsafe which made light fixtures asked us to make a vandal proof fixture for a prison on the East Coast. We worked on this for a long time and several prototypes later, we had this thing that was practically indestructible.” Failsafe still didn’t have the contract but was told to bring the final prototype to the correctional institute in Philadelphia.
- “So off he went taking our fixture on the plane and when he got there, the warden instructed one of the biggest inmates to climb on the top bunk, laid the fixture on the floor and had this huge guy jump off the bunk and land full force on it. If it didn’t cave in, he’d give Failsafe the order for a large quantity.
- “Well, it didn’t cave in and Failsafe got the order which means we got the order as well.”
- This proved to be a big step for Skol Manufacturing Company and launched a whole new focus for them. Failsafe marketed the vandal proof line very intensively and within a few years, was acquired by Cooper Lighting, recognized as one of the top lighting manufacturers in the US. Cooper continued to work with Skol and remains one of the company’s best clients.
- Ray finally bought out his uncle Chester and solidified the partnership with his father into the late 70’s. One more move brought Skol to its current location at 4444 N. Ravenswood Ave in the Ravenswood Industrial Corridor, a 25,000 sq ft facility equipped with state-of-the-art punch presses, CNC machines, press brakes and welding stations. Ray’s son Rhett joined the company once out of high school and is responsible for estimating jobs and managing incoming projects. Shortly after Rhett joined, Walter retired.
- Besides its niche in lighting, Skol Manufacturing also supplies many local construction projects in particular electrical contractors, ceiling installers and even the funeral home industry.
- “We’re a custom job shop. If it’s made out of sheet metal, bent, formed, welded in any way, surely we can make it.” Ray’s openness and willingness to work with all clients has been a big factor in growing Skol to its current level of success. The office staff is now 5 people and the shop employs up to 12 during peak production months.
- Always seeking to be aligned with the times, Skol recently developed a perimeter edging for garden roofs called Green Roof Ultra Clean Edge. “We hired our first official sales person in 2009 and wanted to find ways to service the renewable energy sector. We know that Chicago is the country’s leader in green roof installations, so we found a way to contribute.”