Our History

Ottenweller Company was founded by Ed Ottenweller as a blacksmith and iron repair shop. Ed had only 6 employees in a small shop on Superior Street in downtown Fort Wayne.

The company began to transition from a small local fabricator to a large production shop for companies across the Midwest. The third generation of ownership (Michael Ottenweller, Nancy (Ottenweller) Dwire, Gary Ottenweller) began to invest heavily in technology that could serve OEMs across the Midwest. Due to expansion, Ottenweller Company opened a new, facility just outside of downtown to house new equipment and 75 employees.

Company expansion continued in the 1990s as OCI created 75+ additional jobs at the Fort Wayne facility. The third generation was able to secure a few large packages from Fortune 100 companies John Deere and Caterpillar, which led to further investment in technologically advanced equipment and automation. Another building was constructed on the Fort Wayne campus to help house new employees and processes.

The fourth generation of ownership came into the business starting in 2005. David Ottenweller (Michael’s son) and Kevin Dwire (Nancy’s son) trained in various disciplines in the business (Operations, Quality, Purchasing, etc) before moving into Executive Management roles. The business continued to grow during this period, adding a second location in Mount Airy, NC to serve southeastern US markets. With the addition of the new location, OCI had approximately 220 employees on staff. In 2016, Ottenweller Company celebrated its 100th anniversary and was celebrated by the governor of Indiana for their commitment and job creation in the state. During this period, Ottenweller Company became a leader in investing in robotic weld automation, as well as advanced laser cutting and machining equipment. In 2019, David and Kevin finalized a transfer of majority ownership of the business from the third to fourth generations. The company continues to look for opportunities to grow, finding new markets and opportunities by continuing to invest in cutting edge technologies to reduce customer cost and increase quality.