Jason Kennedy of On The Edge Manufacturing said the city-based metal fabricator is producing more than ever before.

Shiny flat metal sheets are custom cut, welded, bent, machine coated and sent out the door of On The Edge Manufacturing's city site daily.

Representative Jason Kennedy said the precision metal fabrication company's lead time and willingness to turn around even one- or two-item jobs are its calling card.

The laser cutter on the shop's lower level is its “bread-and-butter” machine.

But it's the team that's making On The Edge grow.

“They're a super good group of dudes, phenomenal,” Kennedy said. “Everyone is intelligent in their own role. We don't have a bunch of people doing stuff they don't need to do.”

The company, founded by John and Tyrus Novak in 1979, has 10 employees in addition to the hands-on, on-site owners.

That number, Kennedy said, has doubled since he started a decade ago. But at one point in between, the headcount was even higher.

“We are getting more out the door now, with 10 solid dudes than we did in the past with three more,” Kennedy said. “The goal of what we are doing here is to provide a solid job and foundation for these guys to raise a family.”

Kennedy said much of the company's advancement, including ongoing capital upgrades, focuses not only on customer needs but also “to make ourselves faster and better. We are making it easier for (the employees) to get their jobs accomplished.”

Most recently, On The Edge purchased a piece of technology called a “Faro arm” that allows it to inspect critically.“That's important to our current customers as well as the customers we could eventually serve,” Kennedy said. “The things we do here go to the third decimal place in tolerance. It must be spot on. We produce really sophisticated stuff for a little manufacturer.”At the East Quarry Street shop, everything starts with a flat sheet.That might be aluminum, steel or stainless steel in varying thicknesses, up to a 5-foot-by-10-foot sheet.After the laser does the precision cutting, the product makes it around the shop to be finished to customer specs.The products leaving the facility, generally, are parts that will support a larger project, like brackets, enclosures or a chassis.“We do thousands of jobs a year. But it's a high mix and low volume. We do a lot of different parts, not piles and piles of quantity,” Kennedy said. “These parts are often intricate and sophisticated.”Customers are from various industries and are located regionally and nationally, Kennedy said.On The Edge is proud to accept “quick turn product” challenges.“If you want someone cool to deal with, we should be the easiest phone call you can make,” Kennedy said. “One of the best parts of this job is the different technologies and people we meet. And they share their new ideas. Every day, I get to talk to people smarter than me, and it's a blessing because I get to learn things and see the really cool things people are working on.”

On The Edge Manufacturing employs about 10 people.