Author Archives: tsnobarger@goshenstamping.com

Celebrating over a century of excellence

Goshen Stamping has been providing quality metal stamping services since the company began in 1920. Over a century later, we have grown into a widely-recognized leader in metal stamping services with a facility of 80,000 square feet and a large team of experienced employees providing high-quality products and services to our customers.

The early years

The company was first established in 1920, as a partnership between John H. Yoder and Ervin Kenaga, and was incorporated on April 2, 1923 as Goshen Stamping and Tool Co. The shop came under the direction of John S. Plank, who would lead the company until 1965, who set a foundation of excellence and respect for our employees, customers, and suppliers.

Throughout the 20th Century

In 1965, Mark Yoder became president of Goshen Stamping, and would continue to help the company grow. Eight-four hundred square feet of space was added to the plant in 1973, increasing the overall size to nearly 45,000 square feet in total. Ronald D. Minzey bought the company in 1975 and changed the name to Goshen Stamping Co. Inc. Gerald ‘Jerry’ Trolz joined the company around this time as well, as the administrative vice president. He would later buy the company alongside Bob Havens in 1981, and would lead Goshen for over thirty years.

Goshen Stamping continued to expand in both capabilities and size. In 1990, Jerry Trolz bought the company in full and expanded the office, bringing the total size of the plant to 75,000 sq ft. In 1996, we received the Distinguished Supplier Award from Emerson Electric based on our service, price control, on-time delivery, and the quality of our products and our services. To continue to uphold that level of quality, Goshen’s quality management system received an ISO 9000 certification in 1998. This would later be updated to ISO 9001:2000 in 2003.

The 21st Century to the Present Day

As a new century dawned, Goshen Stamping continued to anchor itself and everything it did firmly in its original foundation of quality and excellence. Thanks to our team’s dedication, we were awarded the Supplier of the Year award in 2007 from Green Bull Ladder Co. (now Werner Ladder) for the tenth consecutive year in recognition of our superior quality, service, and cost containment. We are one of the few companies that has ever been recognized for this award for ten years in a row. In 2016, Goshen Stamping was among the inaugural class to be inducted in to the Indiana Manufacturers Hall of Fame.

In 2016, Goshen Stamping was sold to Eric C. Kus, who continues the tradition of excellence in quality service, supporting its employees with respect, training, and appreciation for the family of employees and its suppliers. We have continued to maintain and update our ISO 9001 certification, and are a leading supplier of metal stampings to the ladder, educational, RV, and agricultural equipment industries.

If you’re in need of a trusted supplier of metal stamping services, then check out our website or contact us today for more information about what Goshen Stamping can do for you.

Ladder Safety Month

Goshen Stamping, LLC is a proud supporter of National Safety Month this March, 2023. As a supplier of critical metal components for manufacturers of ladders across the country, we also promote ladder safety through the production of quality ladder parts. 

National Ladder Safety Month is led by the American Ladder Institute to promote the safe use of ladders, both at home and at work. The ALI is the only approved developer of safety standards for the U.S. ladder production industries. Their goal through National Ladder Safety Month is to decrease the number of ladder-related accidents and increase the frequency of training modules in the workplace for ladder use. And in all of this, the American Ladder Institute seeks to better educate everyone on the proper use of ladders, as well as the proper disposal of old or damaged ladders.

Ladder

National Ladder Safety month is an important, annual event. Here are some of the key statistics from the 2022 event:

  • 12 industry-leading sponsor organizations
  • Nearly 5.5 million National Ladder Safety Month promotional videos impressions
  • Over 1 million impressions on social media
  • 154,344 website visits
  • 621,956 website pageviews

Goshen Stamping, LLC–a global supplier of metal ladder parts

Goshen Stamping is a leading manufacturer of stamped metal parts for most ladders across North America. From side lock spreaders to step braces and much more, our parts make up ladders in homes, businesses, and industrial shops. If there’s a ladder in your home or office, it was most likely made with Goshen’s stamping presses. 

We know how important our parts are to ensuring that ladders meet the ALI’s standards. Goshen is an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer of metal stamped parts, meaning that our quality management system assures that our customers receive defect-free parts. We also perform regular production checks, not just on the parts, but also on the dies and tools to examine them for wear. We also have a large, well-trained staff with centuries of combined experience in metal stamping and quality control. 

The team at Goshen Stamping, LLC is proud to support ladder safety across North America through our dedication to manufacturing accurate parts for ladders and our attention to quality. If you’re looking for an experienced manufacturer of stamped metal parts for ladders, or other applications, then contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you!

Our Capabilities

Goshen Stamping Company

An industry leader in metal stampings across the globe

Goshen Metal Stamping Sidelock Spreader

Goshen Stamping, LLC is a leading supplier of quality metal stampings across the world. We maintain a 95,000 sq. foot facility with a full complement of automatic-fed stamping presses, hand-fed stamping presses, a tool room, an assembly department, and raw material storage. We also maintain good relationships with our raw material vendors and a variety of outside surface treatment suppliers, all of which helps us supply a myriad of industries throughout North America.

Our metal stamping equipment 

Goshen Stamping has a large metal stamping facility comprising two departments. Most of our production comes from 18 automatic-fed presses, with a second department of 11 hand-fed presses and 5 brake presses perfect for secondary operations and projects with lower production volumes.

With over a century of stamping experience, we utilize our team’s exceptional talent and our variety of stamping presses to provide the best solution for our customers’ medium- to high-volume stamping needs. This makes us a great partner for metal stamping across many industries. 

Our metal stamping capabilities are wide-ranging, with:

  • 36 presses ranging from 30 ton OBI’s to a 400 ton SSDC
  • Bed sizes up to 84″ x 48″ with stroke ranges from 2″ to 8″
  • Project volume capabilities from 25,000 pieces to upwards of 2,000,000
  • Metal temper in gauges from 0.010″ to 0.250″. These are guidelines only, and we can go out of this range depending on certain variables of the project, which we would be happy to discuss with you.

We can work with a range of materials:

  • All forms of carbon-based steel
    • HRPO
    • CR
    • Galvanized
    • Draw Quality
  • Aluminum
  • Stainless Steels
  • Copper
  • Brass

In addition, we offer several surface treatments, such as Heat treating, Plating, Painting, and Powder coating to ensure that we deliver finished products to our customers.

And if you aren’t sure which metal would be best for your needs, we would be happy to discuss the best option for you based on your project’s requirements. The team at Goshen Stamping has extensive knowledge in all parts of the fabrication process and can answer any questions you might have.

The benefits of our stamping services

The team at Goshen Stamping has exceptional experience in tooling, tool repair, machine operation, and project management, and together we have devoted ourselves to continuous improvement. That means that we are always looking for ways to make our process more efficient, while never compromising on quality. Our dedicated quality team is compulsive about collecting data and ensuring that each part meets or exceeds our customer’s expectations. 

Looking for a metal stamping expert for your next project?

Goshen Stamping, LLC is an ISO 9001 certified metal stamping company with several decades of combined experience to offer our customers. If you’re looking for someone who can complete intricate, high-speed and high-volume metal stamping projects, then contact us today! You can check out our capabilities, and contact us today with any questions or project ideas that you have. We provide the most value when collaborating with our customers to design tooling and run options to maximize their bottom line.

ISO9001:2015 Quality Standard Surveillance Audit

Goshen Stamping is pleased to announce a successful ISO9001: 2015 quality standard surveillance audit completion.

Following a comprehensive review of the Quality Management System, SAI Global has recommended Goshen Stamping for continued certification to the 2015 revision.

Congratulations to our management team and all of our employees at Goshen Stamping for their commitment to and focus on quality. We are committed to delivering the highest quality products to our customers and ensuring an excellent working experience for our employees.

The Goshen Stamping “Rock”

Goshen Stamping Rocks

Goshen Stamping is a foundationally strong, enviable business nearly 100 years old.  Companies that make it to 100 are among the rarest items on earth.  it is inconceivable that an organization reaches this milestone without a strong foundation of leadership, passion and commitment from its employees.  These people are the foundational rock on which companies like Goshen Stamping rests and deserve special recognition. 

There are many people in the history of Goshen Stamping that are the rocks that support this great business.  The current class of leaders recognize those people and the work over many years they put in to building and maintaining Goshen Stamping.  We take seriously our charge as stewards of the values, hard work and commitment that proceeds us. 

If someone were to listen in to the current leaders, one would hear the word rock used almost daily.  Today, a rock is an important project to be completed within a 90-day window that is critical for the current and future success of Goshen Stamping.  It is just one tool in a complete bag of tools and processes we use to continue the legacy of Goshen Stamping.  The overall process is called EOS and stands for Entrepreneurial Operating System. 

The rocks outside the Goshen Stamping front door represent the company and the people who are the rocks of the company.  They also are reminders of the rocks we create and work on every day and how important it is that we pursue them with the same passion and commitment of our predecessors.  People who have named rocks have made a significant contribution to Goshen Stamping over many years.  The contribution is the kind that has helped shape the past, present and future of Goshen Stamping.  In other words, Goshen Stamping wouldn’t be what it is without these people.

Strong rocks last for hundreds and thousands of years.  We are grateful for the opportunity to install and maintain the rock that greets people entering our front door.  More importantly, we are grateful for, and work for, the people who have earned a named rock, as foundational members of the Goshen Stamping family. 

Jerry Trolz

Jerry Trolz

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of Jerry Trolz. Jerry worked at Goshen Stamping for 43 years, the last 37 as owner.  We are all grateful for the foundation and core values Jerry built over his time. Outside of Goshen Stamping, Jerry was a passionate golfer. It was that love for the game that led him to buy Bent Oak Golf Course in Elkhart. He was also a generous benefactor to the community. For his philanthropic work, Jerry received the Guy Gunlach award for making a difference in the Elkhart Community and the Goshen Chamber Legacy Award for his 20 years as president of the Goshen Industrial Park.  Jerry generously supported many organizations through his time, talent, and treasure. Goshen Hospital, Kiwanis International, The Salvation Army, The Boys and Girls Club and the American Ladder Institute are just a few.  Jerry left a legacy the few can exceed and will be missed be everyone that knew him at Goshen Stamping.

“Jerry was an extraordinary person. He spent his life in service to others. The people who worked with him at Goshen Stamping received a rare and special gift in knowing him and sharing their lives with him. We miss him.”  – Eric Kus, Owner/CEO of Goshen Stamping

American Ladder Institute mourns the passing of ALI Board Member and former Goshen Stamping president, Jerry Trolz


Born November 27, 1935 in Manchester, Michigan, Gerald “Jerry” Trolz passed away July 19, 2020 in Elkhart, Michigan. Jerry served as the President of Goshen Stamping from 1973-2016 and was an active ALI member. He helped organize the golf tournaments that were held at ALI meetings throughout the 1980s, making lifelong connections with fellow ALI board members and their families.

Keith Liskey, ALI board member and Senior Advisor at Strongwell, said:

“With Jerry, what you saw is what you got. An old-fashioned, intelligent, hard working, honest guy with a very big heart and no hidden agendas.”

Manny DeSantis, ALI board member and President and CEO of Valley Fastener Group, said:

“They don’t make them like him anymore but the one word that best described him to me was ‘class’.”

He will be missed by all of those who knew him at ALI. To read ALI’s full tribute to Jerry, including details on memorial contributions, click here.

The Goshen Stamping Rock

Goshen Stamping Rock
The Goshen Stamping ROCK

Goshen Stamping is a foundationally strong, enviable business nearly 100 years old. Companies that make it to 100 are among the rarest items on earth. It is inconceivable that an organization reaches this milestone without a strong foundation of leadership, passion and commitment from its employees. These people are the foundational rock on which companies like Goshen Stamping rests and deserve special recognition.

There are many people in the history of Goshen Stamping that are the rocks that support this great business. The current class of leaders recognize those people and the work over many years they put in to building and maintaining Goshen Stamping. We take seriously our charge as stewards of the values, hard work and commitment that proceed us.

If someone were to listen in to the current leaders, one would hear the word rock used almost daily. Today, a rock is an important project to be completed within a 90-day window that is critical for the current and future success of Goshen Stamping. It is just one tool in a complete bag of tools and processes we use to continue the legacy of Goshen Stamping. The overall process is called EOS and stands for Entrepreneurial Operating System.

The rocks outside the Goshen Stamping front door represent the company and the people who are the rocks of the company. They also are reminders of the rocks we create and work on every day and how important it is that we pursue them with the same passion and commitment of our predecessors.  People who have named rocks have made a significant contribution to Goshen Stamping over many years. The contribution is the kind that has helped shape the past, present and future of Goshen Stamping. In other words, Goshen Stamping wouldn’t be what it is without these people.

Strong rocks last for hundreds and thousands of years. We are grateful for the opportunity to install and maintain the rock that greets people entering our front door. More importantly, we are grateful for, and work for, the people who have earned a named rock, as foundational members of the Goshen Stamping family.

National Manufacturing Day

October 1st, 2018 – Goshen Stamping welcomed several groups of local 8th grade students into their facility as part of National Manufacturing Day. The student’s visit included a tour of our manufacturing facilities as well as career pathway discussions including engineering, design, accounting, sales, customer service and production. Goshen Stamping was 1 of 77 companies in Elkhart County to open their doors to the youngsters with the intent to inspire the next generation of manufacturers and local innovators. MFG Day is a national grassroots movement to enhance the perception of modern manufacturing, connect with the next generation and build a talent pipeline to solve the skills gap crisis. Led nationwide by the Manufacturing Institute, the social impact arm of the National Association of Manufacturers.

Ladder Institute Conference – Nashville, TN

October 1, 2018 – Eric Kus, Goshen Stamping president attended the fall meeting of the American Ladder Institute in Nashville Tennessee September 30th and October 1st 2018. At the meeting, technical standards for ladder manufacturers were discussed. Ladder safety and the March 2019 Ladder Safety Month were also reviewed. Other current government actions were considered as they impact our industry. The meeting was attended by all major manufacturers of ladders in North America.