What we offer

Gerding Enterprises, Inc. (GEI) specializes in metal parts machining and fabrication, including sheet metal fabrication and forming of very complex and tight tolerance parts. We are also able to build custom assemblies ranging from small to large per customer specifications. Known throughout the nation as one of the premier weld shops in the country, GEI is certified to weld aluminum, stainless steel and steel. We have produced sheet metal parts on various military and commercial aircraft, as well as missiles through our proprietary spinning process. 

GEI also does commercial spinning for lighting and furniture customers. The spinning technique creates the ability to make several different applications of parts without having to take a solid ingot to machine through.

 

A Family-Owned Aerospace Plant in the Midwest

Gerding Enterprises has grown from a 1 man shop in a basement to a world class machine, welding, and spin shop with over 30 employees. We strive to uphold the highest level of quality while constantly improving our efficiency levels in order to offer the most affordable products to our customers.


The Gerding Team

 


MaryAnn & Charlie Gerding
Founders of Gerding Enterprises


Charlie spinning parts in his basement


Chuck's spinning artistry


 

Gerding Enterprises Celebrates 60th Anniversary

Gerding Enterprises, Inc. (GEI) Dittmer Missouri, is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The firm was founded in 1960 by Charles and MaryAnn Gerding and offers machining, metal spinning and welding.

“Dad found an old spinning lathe in a scrap yard and brought it home. With his ingenuity and the help of a Harley-Davidson transmission, he got it running (it is still used to this day) and that was how we got started,” stated Chuck Gerding, son of the founders. “In the basement of our home in St. Louis Dad would work through the night after working all day at his ‘day job’. He would spin parts and Mom and Family would move, clean, and package them. Their commitment to quality work at a fair price has been instilled in all of us.”

GEI, which is AS9100/ISO9001 certified, offers AWS certified MIG & TIG welding of stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, and steel. “We have a national reputation for our welding” stated Gerding. “We have some of the top technological welders on our crew.”

The company has ten pieces of CNC machining equipment with capacities including 42” for turning and 40” x 84” for milling. GEI also has 3 5 axis machines and a lathe with live tooling, along with 2 other CNC lathes.

A unique service offered at GEI is metal spinning. This involves taking a flat pieces of sheet metal and forming it into a seamless circular or conical shape while spinning it on a special lathe (i.e. missile nose cones or metal lighting fixtures.

GEI’s metal spinning is so precise that their parts can be found on military and commercial jets as well as lighting and furniture. “Spinning gives us a whole different avenue to serve our customers,” commented Gerding. Parts up to 60” can be spun at GEI. We also do sheet metal and assembly, including riveting and bending. We take pride in being a one stop shop.

GEI, located southwest of St. Louis, operates in a 20,000 sq.-ft. climate-controlled facility with a crew of 27. The firm serves customers across the country and a few overseas.

In 1971, Gerding Enterprises won the Small Business Subcontractor of the Year Region VII Award. Charlies and MaryAnn were very proud of this accomplishment because it showed the rewards of honest, hard work.

“Our unique services and our quality have really set us apart,” noted Gerding. “We have manufactured everything from parts on the Gemini, Mercury, Apollo, space shuttle and satellite programs to an 8,000-pound lottery machine for the government of Puerto Rico. We take on the jobs that others pass on. McDonnell Douglas/Boeing has been our mainstay for 60 years. Through the years we have worked on numerous projects; from the F4, F15, C17, to working with a great group of people at F18 Ground Support Group. They have given us the opportunity to work on their really cool and innovative projects. We are very proud of our aerospace heritage. We would like to take the time to thank each and every one of our customers for helping us make 60 years, without all of them we wouldn’t be here.

Gerding Enterprises can be contacted at: (636) 274-9802; Fax (636) 285-2786; 8404 Amy Lane, Dittmer, Missouri 63023; www.gerdingent.com; gerding1@gerdingent.com.