Impactful designs, lasting relationships
WE BELIEVE IN FORGING IMPACTFUL DESIGNS AND LASTING RELATIONSHIPS. GET IN TOUCH WITH US TO CREATE YOUR IDEAS TO LAST A LIFETIME!
The Modern Iron Concepts Inc. design, fabrication, and installation processes demonstrate our versatility and our broad range of experience. We bring your visions to life by listening and fully understanding your desires, budget, and architectural space.
Modern Iron Concepts Inc. Concierge Services guides your entire experience through design, fabrication, and installation. Our Concierge Services help establish a responsive professional relationship ensuring every service encounter delights and impresses you. It is part of our “Iron-Clad Guarantee”.
Our Promise To You
- Listen, get to know you, and value our relationship
- Communicate responsively in the manner you prefer
- Meet agreed-upon timelines and budgets
- Design a product that meets your style, function , and material requirements
- Fabricate and hand-craft your designs to exact specification and detail, meeting applicable codes
- Install the product safely and professionally, demonstrating extreme care for your property
- Create a finished product that delights you and brings pleasure as you incorporate the use of it into your daily life
Our Concierge Services generate warm memories of doing business with a group of folks that really understand what it means to be valued.
Our Story
Back in 1997, I was driving around south Nashville looking for a new location for Phillips Roofing and Remodeling. My plan was to keep building that company by investing in a larger building with ample parking space.
I found this little place on Zimmerlee St. with two wooden structures and one metal building that appeared to have been a metal shop. The sign “Iron Concepts” hung over the door. It just seemed to speak to me. For several months, I tried to forget about it because it was not ideal for the construction company, but from time to time I would find myself back on Zimmerlee, driving slow and considering it. I could not seem to let it go.
We finally did buy the property and I thought it was for Phillips Roofing and Remodeling. However, there was another plan about to unfold. The purchase of Zimmerlee included the steel and metal-working tools of the former owner that supplied water keys, mailbox posts and trash can holders to Ace Hardware. The equipment was geared for lighter-weight materials and was not going to benefit me in my future metalworking projects, but it did inspire me to immerse myself in figuring out what was in the building. I spent the winter organizing and clearing out the steel in the building. Much of the existing metalworking equipment needed repairing so I tinkered with each piece till it was functional and then I figured out what it did and what the limitations were for each tool.
When I shared my dream about transitioning to metalwork, my elders advise me to stick with remodeling and roofing because we were experts in that field. However, my wife, Susan, encouraged me and was as excited as I to learn about the ornamental iron industry and the business of providing this type of product to the marketplace.
While cleaning out the office area, Susan found an old Lawler Foundry catalog and spent several hours browsing through it, soaking up inspiration. For fun, she ordered a few castings from the catalog and when the pieces arrived, a new sense of purpose came in that box.
After 25 years of being in the construction industry, I gave myself permission to enjoy a more creative way to make a living. We both knew as seasoned entrepreneurs, there would be a learning curve but as a team, we were committed to a new adventure.
The world-wide web was not really a thing for most of us in 1997. Information was hard to come by and the local ornamental iron company saw me as the “new kid” and were not sharing any information about the industry. Enrolling in a trade college was not an option as there were no trade schools specifically for the ornamental iron trade. The Auto Diesel College taught welding and automotive bodywork, but what I wanted to pursue was so much more than what they were offering. I was on my own and had to figure it out quickly. We had a family of 5 kids at the time and they couldn’t eat steel.
My construction experience was key in helping me transition to fabricating fine metalwork. While learning the ornamental iron trade, I continued with remodeling. An opportunity came as part of a remodel project to build an ornamental iron fence for my client. My next project was a spiral stair unit and then I designed, forged, and installed the sign for The Spaghetti Factory. I was plugged in and had so much fun with these projects.
When the yellow pages lady dropped by the shop to renew the ads for Phillips Roofing and Remodeling, I setup ads for Modern Iron Concepts, and never looked back.
Twenty four years later, we are still going strong. By the grace of God, I am where I am today and am grateful for the experiences that have taught me this industry.