
Locations
Capitol Iron Works
Business Hours | |
---|---|
Monday | 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM EST |
Tuesday | 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM EST |
Wednesday | 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM EST |
Thursday | 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM EST |
Friday | 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM EST |
Saturday | |
Sunday |
Key Contacts
Owners, Principals & Senior Executives
Ronald Vargas's Bio
Capitol Iron Works is a young company—Ronald started it in August 2014—but it has grown quickly under his leadership.
“In 2014, with only a few months in business, we did about $30,000,” Ronald says. “We did 10 times that in 2015. We’ve kept growing and are projecting $1.5 million in business for 2018. We’re still just in the beginning. This is only our fourth year; we’re a relatively new company,” he says. “We can handle ferrous metals, nonferrous, intricate ornamental work or architectural metals, and we’re always hungry to take on new challenges. Some of our projects are as low as $1,000. We can handle projects as large as $500,000 now, but we’re still expanding and will be able to take on even larger jobs soon.”
It’s unusual for a young company to see so much success so quickly, and there is no lack of competition in the industry in the area around Washington, D.C.. But Ronald has no doubts about the reasons for Capitol Iron Works’s prosperity.
“It comes down to the importance that I put into customer service and communication with our customers,” Ronald says. “That’s why I work together with my team to always be on schedule to meet deadlines and make sure our customers are 100 percent satisfied with our work. The quality of the work we do speaks for itself. We always try to do our best, no matter the size of the project. People are happy with us and our work. We know how to do what we do.”
Ronald didn’t set out to make his living in metalworking; it is a career he fell into by circumstance. He immigrated to the United States from Nicaragua by himself at the age of 21, searching for the American Dream. He knew the first step was finding a career.
“When I came to this country in 2004, I was just looking for a job in one of the trades,” Ronald says. “I tried several things I didn’t like—like pouring concrete—until I found a job in welding at a place called Bethesda Iron Works.
“I started out working as a welder’s helper; most of what I did was grinding and things like that. I learned on the job, became a mechanic and got my welding certification. Eventually, I decided it was time to make a difference and go into business for myself. I started Capitol Iron Solutions in August 2014.
“At first, I was doing almost everything,” he explains. “I was doing the fabrication, the installation, answering the phone. It was a fun process and gave me the chance to learn many things about how to run a business.”
Capitol Iron Works is still operating in its initial location, though it has grown from a 1,100-square-foot building with a single fabrication unit to a 4,300-square-foot facility with three separate fabrication units. Meanwhile, the staff has grown from Ronald to an employee base of 14.
“The people who work for us are another reason for our success,” Ronald says. “We’re very lucky—our people are loyal and happy. When people come to work for us, they don’t leave. In four years, only one employee has left, and that was because he wanted to work for himself. We still work with him as a subcontractor.”