History
1855 - The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad extends it’s line 45 miles west of Chicago and begins construction of what would become the Midwest’s largest railroad shop facility including a forge and foundry on 60 acres of land along the East side of the Fox River in Aurora.
1940 - Diesels are replacing the high-maintenance steam locomotives and the CB&Q’s shops are being downsized. A group of local businessmen purchase the forge, adopt the name “River Valley Forge” and obtain government contracts for war-related materials.
1948 - Five forgers from AMFORGE, a division of American Brake Shoe, purchase River Valley Forge, change the name to Fox Valley Forge and begin to successfully pursue commercial markets such as automotive, truck, agricultural and energy.
1968 - The Cornell Group purchases Cleveland Hardware
1973 - Cleveland Hardware acquires Fox Valley Forge
1978 - Cleveland Hardware acquires Green Bay Drop Forge
1985 - William Hoban and a partner acquire the three business units that now comprise Cleveland Hardware & Forging Company : Cleveland Hardware, Green Bay Drop Forge and Fox Valley Forge.
1993 - A facility expansion and the installation of four large upset forging machines more than doubles the capacity of the upset shop.
1994 - William Hoban becomes sole owner.
2001 - Fox Valley Forge opens a press shop adjacent to the upsetter facility to provide warm and hot forged, near-net gear blanks.
2009 - Press capacity is doubled with the installation another robotic forging cell
2012 - Installation of an integrated production cell for swaged and upset forged tube and pipe to meet the growing demands of the domestic energy market
