Our fourth-generation owned and operated company has been an industry leader in manufacturing axle shafts for almost a century. Mid-West Forge was started in 1925. It is a privately held company, currently operated by active participation of fourth generation management. Starting with a variety of forged products, Mid-West Forge began manufacturing axle shafts in the early 1930’s as a supplier to the automobile and truck industry, producing products for the following:

Buick, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Cadillac, Chrysler, Ford, Nash, Studebaker, Packard, Hudson, Dana Corporation, Timken Detroit Axle, Indiana Automotive, White Motors, Eaton Axle, Massey Ferguson, Clark Equipment and others.

Through World War II, Mid-West Forge was commissioned by the US Government as a supplier of machine gun barrels and projectile cases for numerous military component suppliers. Post World War II, Mid-West Forge returned to the manufacturing of auto and truck axles, using the standard roll and hammer process and supplying many of the same customers listed above. In the early 1960’s Mid-West Forge made a commitment to highly automate its facilities to serve a more limited base of high volume customers of semi-float and full float axle shafts. During that same period Mid-West Forge entered into a joint venture with General Motors to perfect the cold extruded semi-float process which has become the world standard for rear drive light duty pickups, vans and four wheel drive vehicles. Mid-West Forge committed its volume capability in the 1960’s to the major Detroit producers which included several divisions of Ford, General Motors, Chrysler and American Motors, while continuing to supply Dana and Rockwell axle divisions, eventually building to an annual capacity in excess of 6,000,000 axle forgings. Mid-West Forge added a new high speed automatic 9″ upsetter in 1979 and a 10” upsetter in 1993, designed specifically to produce large on-highway truck axles, increasing our actual capacity to 7,250,000 axles per year. In 2009, Mid-West Forge invested in a new highly automated machining line capable of producing in excess of 500,000 parts a year.  This new line allowed Mid-West to diversify into the rough machining, spline roll, heat treat, automatic straightening, finish turn and assembly of axle shafts forged within the same facility. Mid-West Forge continues to serve the greater automotive industry in both high and low volume segments as well as lower volume forklift and racing applications. [Return Home]