The Modern American Blacksmiths- Hand Forged Vermont Made Lighting
Hubbardton Forge is known for their clean honest design that celebrates form, materials, artistry and the “Art of Light”. The year, 1974...It was year of the Watergate scandal, The Sting was a box-office hit, and aspiring artists and entrepreneurs George Chandler and Reed Hampton fired up their first blacksmithing forge in a drafty old Vermont barn.With anvils, swage blocks, trip hammers and other tools from a bygone era, the two set out to revive the nearly forgotten craft of hand-forging raw metal into functional art. Their innovative designs became recognized for their simplicity and integrity. From these humble beginnings, one of the most respected brands in the industry was born, Hubbardton Forge.
Today, Hubbardton Forge is the oldest and largest commercial forge in the country with a team of over 200 people creating hand-forged lighting of timeless beauty and artistry…an American wrought-iron renaissance. The focus Hubbardton Forge's design environment is to foster a collaborative process. Hubbardton Forge's designers, engineers and craftspeople, all work together under one roof, are free to connect and explore new design directions. In this unique environment new designs emerge and evolve. Many are incremental and evolutionary, others bold and dramatic.
Quality is an organic process in Hubbardton Forge's culture. The integration of meticulous hand-crafting and modern technology sets Hubbardton Forge's designs apart and every employee takes ownership of the process. Hubbardton Forge spends a tremendous amount of time and resources to develop innovative manufacturing techniques, new science to ensure Hubbardton Forge's products will last for generations. Hubbardton Forge adds quality and structural integrity at every point along the way with heavy gauge steel, durable powder-coated finishes, hand-welded arms and shafts and premium grade internal components. Hubbardton Forge's employees take great pride in the products they create, always working to achieve the highest standards of craftsmanship.
Hubbardton Forge's Green Initiatives
Social responsibility and environmental stewardship are at the heart of Hubbardton Forge's core values. Hubbardton Forge has long believed that saving energy, preventing waste and reducing our environmental footprint are vital to our prosperity. Hubbardton Forge continuously develops new initiatives to improve the efficiency and cleanliness of their manufacturing process. Here are some examples Hubbardton Forge has adopted and pioneered over the years:
• Hubbardton Forge was among the first companies in the state of VT to use powder coating. In doing so Hubbardton Forge eliminated VOC's, hazardous waste and health issues associated with liquid finishes while offering a durable, state of the art, finish to the customer.
• Hubbardton Forge was also one of the first companies in VT to use Aqueous metal cleaning — a recyclable, environmentally friendly water-based part cleaning process.
• Hubbardton Forge installed Catalytic Infrared curing technology in their powder coating line, which uses less energy and has dramatically less combustion byproducts than conventional convection curing technology.
• Hubbardton Forge is just one of a handful of companies in North America to use bioremediation (microbes) to eat the soils and oils out of the wash solution, giving it a long bath life, measured in years. In 2009 Hubbardton Forge was the first in the world to beta test a phosphate free bioremediation cleaner for a leading chemical manufacturer — and they continue to use this product today.
• Hubbardton Forge developed a plan and invested in automated centrifuge separation technology as a method for extending the life of their tumble solution. This change resulted in a 97% reduction in water usage, a 150% increase in cleaning efficiency, elimination of a hazardous waste stream, improved worker safety, improved part quality and a reduction in labor.
• Excess heat from Hubbardton Forge's ovens is recycled — captured and used to supplement the heating of their building.
In recognition of several of these efforts, Hubbardton Forge has been honored with the "Vermont Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence in Pollution Prevention" in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2005, and 2010.
Artistry.Integrity.Enduring Value. These time-honored principles are built into every Hubbardton Forge design. Each piece is hand-forged one at a time by their team of skilled artisans at their forge in Castleton, Vermont.
Lighting Designer: Hubbardton Forge
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