The Need for Tanks When Charlie Frye first built a stainless steel tank for a brewery several years ago in his 125-sq-ft garage, he never imagined making this and specialty items, including a draft beer tower, would turn into a full-time business, or that it would flourish enough to serve more than 130 breweries worldwide, including 30 states and Norway. That’s only the stuff of dreams, right? But this did happen, for which the artistic son of a steel worker is grateful every day. Metalcraft Fabrication was formed nearly 10 years ago after Frye recognized the demand for his tanks and the brewing industry’s popularity. He acknowledged Cofounder Jennifer Baque for her work during that time, including product customization. “I don’t deserve all the credit,” he said. Located in the heart of Portland, Ore., the company is now known as MCF Craft Brewing Systems (mcfpdx.com) — Figs. 1, 2. What started as a one-man shop has expanded to nearly 50 employees, 20 of whom weld — Fig. 3. A majority of the talented staff members are younger, which has led to an energetic environment. “A big part of building the company has been finding the best way to do things, listening to others, a willingness to try, and treating everybody with respect,” Frye said. JUNE 2016 / WELDING JOURNAL 67 Fig. 2 — Matt Cartwright is not scared of heights. In MCF’s shop, with lift assistance, he gas tungsten arc welds a 12-gauge shell at the top of a 12-ft-tall, 30-bbl fermenter. Fig. 3 — MCF staff members, shown here in a group shot, value teamwork. Behind the banner (first row, center) are Sales and Marketing Director Liz Shearer and President/Founder Charlie Frye.
Welding Journal | June 2016
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