Our History

In 1954, John (Jack) M. Pelet, Sr., was a husband, father of four young children, proud World War II veteran, and firm believer that anything was possible in the United States. Having always been mechanically inclined, he decides to go into business for himself repairing lawn mowers and small engines in and around Coatesville, PA.

As fate would have it, a close friend reached out with an interest in teaching Jack to weld metal. He said that metal awnings were becoming popular and people would need to have them installed and repaired. That was Jack Pelet’s entrance into the world of metal fabricating and welding. Every day, for several months, Jack would close his shop at 4:30 PM and go to his friend’s home for welding lessons.

Soon, Jack was supporting his family by repairing lawn mowers and installing metal awnings. Customers began asking for wrought iron railings, so Jack evolved to fabricating and installing railings. He bought a truck with a portable welder so he could better serve his customers.

About this time, Walter Griff who owned Griff’s Welding, Inc. in Coatesville approached Jack to buy his business. Mr. Griff had been in business for a long time and was ready for retirement. Jack was hesitant – having a wife and four small children he thought the huge debt of purchasing a business might be too big of a risk. After expressing his concerns, Mr. Griff, an astute businessman, took Jack under his wing. Within five years Jack had paid off Mr. Griff and had eight employees.

Our Present and Future

Today PELET remains a family-owned business. The 3rd generation of Pelets run daily operations, under the guidance of Douglas Pelet, Jack’s son. Doug has close to 50 years of experience in the business and has seen many changes in the steel industry.

The company maintains a reputation for quality work and transparency, continuing to grow through 65+ years of dips and bends in the industry and the economy. PELET looks forward to continuing to serve the metal fabrication industry for generations to come.

OUR TEAM