About Forney
Forney corporate headquarters and manufacturing is located near Zelienople PA, just 25 miles north of Pittsburgh.
Our Account Executives and dedicated Sales Representative Team serve the world. These multilingual men and women can advise you on all aspects of testing, standards, protocols, and state requirements.
Our dedicated Technical Support Team of engineers and technicians have years of experience with your equipment and are familiar with all aspects of your testing system. They’re able to assist you with special and complex testing requirements and equipment. On-site or remotely, our Field Service Support Network travels the world to address your on-site calibration, repairs, or service needs.
As the leading manufacturer of testing equipment for the construction industry, we promise — as we have for the past 100 years — to support you in your vital work of making the world a safer place.
OUR HISTORY
Founded by Joe Forney in 1916, Forney proudly celebrates over 100 years of success in the Construction Materials Testing industry.
Joe Forney began his career as a welder and machinist in a tin mill in New Castle, PA. He opened a welding and machining business behind his home in 1916. It was a “job shop,” meaning they’d take on whatever jobs came their way.
Joe’s son Russell took over the day to day management in the 1930s. Incorporated in 1945, the business thrived. Joe continued to work at the factory in New Castle every day into the late 1960s.
During World War II, the company produced a variety of military items ranging from gun carriage axles to intricate parts for torpedoes and machine guns. Forney expanded into light manufacturing, welding, and fabrication. At that time, we produced bronzed baby shoes, game-winning footballs, and even built statuettes for the Wendell Willkie Presidential campaign in 1940.
In the early 1950s, Russ’s uncle, Frank Forney, who manufactured cement block in Niles, Ohio, presented Russ with a new opportunity: concrete block and concrete test cylinder testing. At that time, testing of these items was performed with large and expensive compression testing machines located in specialty testing laboratories. Russ was intrigued and figured there was a better way to do this testing and worked to develop a smaller and more affordable version of the compression machine. And thus, the Forney Concrete Testing Machine was launched. The machine was a phenomenal success.
Forney began to grow by expanding the product line with the other test instruments and supplies that were needed to perform the related tests. With a full range of test instruments for concrete, cement, soils, aggregate, and asphalt, Forney developed a substantial international presence. The company was awarded the “Presidents E Award for Export Excellence” in 1963.
Today, we continue to innovate and offer thousands of scientific testing, measuring and processing instruments for the concrete, soils, and asphalt industries worldwide. You’ll find Forney equipment in test labs, universities, civil engineering firms, pre-casters, block producers, material producers, construction companies, energy companies, and government agencies.
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