Forging a New Path to Success
Multitalented metal fabrication team challenges the status quo
Rogue Ironworks, LLC
Rogue. Jerad and Stephanie Rains chose this daring word for their company’s name to suggest doing things differently to get similar, indeed better, results.
One obvious way this new metal fabricator based in greater Seattle, Wash., stands out is its breadth of services. Whether contractors need truckloads of structural steel for the skeletal framework of a building prepped in advance for erection, or need customized metal accents or functional additions like railing, Rogue Ironworks, LLC can deliver.
Another way is a strong focus on client attention and satisfaction. As a new company not yet two years old, Rogue is lean and hungry for more success—and willing to put forth the resources and time to become a preferred subcontractor for construction firms.
The full-service company, located in Poulsbo, works with all types of metals, including stainless, structural and mild steels, and aluminum to be used for structural steel jobs, ornamental and architectural production and even parts manufacturing. Rogue has eight employees, a 4,800-square-foot facility, two shop trucks and three trailers. Its experienced welders and fabricators have the required certification from the Washington Association of Building Officials and have backgrounds ranging from ironwork, pile driving, and showrig fabrication.
“Rogue” also means being a bit unorthodox, when it comes to the husband-and-wife team. They each bring a variety of skills and experiences that make them standouts among competitors.
Jerad is the company’s welder-in-chief who got his start in structural steel fabrication for bridges and aquatic equipment; but the last 10 years have seen him leading pile driving work crews for other companies. He initially studied marine engineering at the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, Piney Point, Md., after high school. When he was growing up, he got his rolled-up sleeves’ sense of good hard work from his father who ran a garbage collection service on Bainbridge Island, Wash. Jerad would grease the trucks for him to keep them running properly.
Stephanie grew up in a family in the construction business and dabbled in metal yard art. Prior to helping Jerad start their business, she worked in a dentist’s office.
The couple wanted to unify the families’ talents and so they started Rogue in early 2016. Stephanie is President and Manager, but still hand-draws plans for artistic creations when possible.
“We create a business around the combination of our experiences; we are challenging the status quo every day,” Jerad says. “There are a lot of structural steel companies out there, but we are a custom shop.”
No Small Imperfections
By “custom shop,” he means an ability to excel at either structural, ornamental, architectural or one-of-a-kind metal and steel work. Some days, Rogue accompanies the delivery of steel to form the foundation of construction projects. Such was the case when the company sent building materials to construct the new DICK’s Sporting Goods in nearby Bellevue. Other days, Jerad busily works on things like an A-frame metal arm to help diving companies get things off the ocean floor.
“I never noticed that there’s metal and steel in everything everywhere,” Stephanie says.
It was this variety of work—all needing high-quality workmanship—that first got Jerad thinking about starting his own company. He found himself wanting to improve upon steel that was not correct dimensionally or had holes drilled wrong or was not free of slag. He would take the time to refashion the material. The clients knew it was important, the contractors greatly appreciated it, and the vision was born.
Like a true tradesman, Jerad has a keen understanding of the pros and cons of metal and steel. Metal is more malleable in shape and texture, depending upon the desired look. Steel is strong and stabilizing anywhere it is used. He likes both, but at this point in life, he thinks often of steel’s longevity, like it’s part of his legacy.
We create a business around the combination of our experiences; we are challenging the status quo every day. There are a lot of structural steel companies out there, but we are a custom shop.” Jerad Rains, COO, Rogue Ironworks, LLC
“If I work on a project in downtown Seattle or for the zoo, our kids will enjoy those for a long time. We really want to build things that are long-lasting,” he says.
The steel, of course, most often gets placed inside structures like residences and commercial and institutional buildings. The customized pieces coming out of Rogue are out front: elegant handrails, custom staircases, canopies and stainless-steel sheeting.
Rogue’s facility is where the sparks fly to create it all. The company has a CNC plasma table, horizontal band saw, and MIG and TIG welding machines.
A Stainless Reputation
No matter the project, Rogue Ironworks toils onward. For example, the Port of Seattle has an ongoing need for metal pieces and so Jerad spends time between major projects fashioning 90-degree brackets, and figures he’s made 500 over time by now.
For the new DICK’s Sporting Goods store, Rogue created the trademark metal towers that greet visitors at the entrance.
And when a woman needed to reinforce the door on her metal dog crate so it would hold up during upcoming international travel, Rogue delivered the solution.
These projects exemplify that the same attention and quality goes to projects large and small. One of the largest for Rogue opens to the public this fall. South Seattle College’s new 57,550-square-foot, $20 million Integrated Education Center is a three-story building that will accommodate the school’s growing health care programs.
Rogue did those “finishing touches” that the building visitors will appreciate. The company engineered, fabricated and installed stainless steel and glass stairs, railings and guardrails throughout the facility.
“The talent that Rogue Ironworks has established allows the company to be extremely versatile with many types of metal fabrication and unique installations,” says Philip Milianis, Construction Project Manager for Korsmo Construction. “They are not just tradesmen, they are artists in metallurgy.”