1. Ace Wire Spring & Form Co. Celebrates its 75th Anniversary
Springs Magazine – Summer 2014
For 75 years, Ace Wire Spring & Form Co., Inc. has worked in the custom spring manufacturing industry.
Since its beginning, Ace Wire Spring has been a family owned and operated business, always staying close
to its roots in the community of McKees Rocks, right outside of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Joseph Vodvarka was going to be a professional tenor, but was worried that if he were to lose his voice
someday, he would lose his livelihood. So in 1939, to have something to fall back on, he took up the trade
of being a machinist, and soon realized this career path was a better opportunity for him to take care of his
family.
So Vodvarka started Ace Wire Spring with a small coiling machine, making garter springs by hand. Vodvarka
worked hands-on in the upstairs room of his house, which was converted into a small office / shop to produce
the garter springs needed at the time. This gave Vodvarka the opportunity to educate his family about all
aspects of the spring manufacturing industry, while at the same time teaching them a valuable trade.
After some time, and slight expansions into other rooms of the house, the company had outgrown its first
location. In 1955, Ace Wire Spring built its own facility right down the road from the Vodvarka home. Vodvarka
and his children, Joey and Linda, continued to work and be involved with the family business while it grew by
increasing customers and staff.
In 1976, Vodvarka wanted to retire and sell the company. Vodvarka’s daughter, Linda, and her husband Rich Froehlich,
bought the company and kept Ace Wire Spring as a family owned and operated business. The Froehlichs have a strong
belief in family and carry over that value into the Ace Wire Spring culture when doing business. Customers benefit by
receiving personalized customer service, engineering assistance, and a quality final product suited to meet their needs.
This mindset helped the company outgrow its location again, and in 1986, Ace Wire Spring built a new 55,000 sq. ft. facility.
The new location was less than five minutes from the old office. Staying in the local community, where they and a large
majority of Ace employees were based and had connections, were paramount in the decision making process of where to
build. With this community feel and local ties, Ace Wire Spring employees were able to stay with the company for the long
haul.
Many Ace Wire Spring employees have been at the company for over 20 years, with one craftsman still working part-time
after 68 years with the company. A lot of pride and passion goes into everyone’s work and that is evident in the custom
spring and wire form products they produce.
Customer communication is also very important. Design Engineers are available to help any customer with a problem,
usually talking with them to find out what the exact need is. Finding the solution is more important than just manufacturing
any springs, and the customer can feel that level of caring and commitment when working with
Ace Wire Spring.
“My dad instilled in me the 3 P’s of business: Passion, Perseverance, and Persistence,” said
Linda Froehlich. It is that way of thinking that has helped Ace Wire Spring grow over the past 75
years, and it is something Linda and Rich pass down to their son, Ritchy Froehlich, who is
continuing the tradition of family owned and operated as the General Manager.
Ace Wire Spring & Form Co., Inc. continues to be an industry leader in the manufacturing of
Compression, Extension, Torsion springs, and Wire Forms. The company’s 75 years of
experience allows them to offer a wide variety of custom precision springs.
“We have a first-class team of on-site engineers to assist customers with developing solutions for
a large variety of applications, along with an on-site quality control staff,” said Froehlich. The veteran craftsmen who work in
the plant are trained in the latest and most advanced forms of mechanical and CNC wire forming machines and techniques.
Combined together they have over 100 years of experience and success within the industry.
“The benefit Ace Wire Spring delivers to companies time and time again is that we understand the customer’s needs, and
meet or exceed, their requirements while delivering a quality product,” Froehlich related.
“Ace Wire Spring & Form Co., Inc. would like to thank all of its customers and vendors for making it possible for us to
celebrate being in business for 75 years,” said Froehlich. We look forward to the next 75, where it’s always ‘SPRINGtime.’”