Coast Iron Works is one of the oldest businesses in the South Bay area. We still have one of the original 500 telephone numbers! In 1914, Ivor Bell established The Coast Welding Company in San Pedro, California. The company started as a blacksmith shop focused on blacksmithing and boat repair at the Port of San Pedro. Coast quickly earned a reputation as a reliable and skilled place to get things done. With the rise of the Industrial Revolution, and the birth of sons Jack and Bob, the business evolved into a successful family-owned operation.
Jack and Bob took over the business when their father retired in the 1940’s, and they continued to do a wide variety of welding and metal fabrication projects. After Bob Bell passed away in 1971, Jack decided it was time to sell the company.
Joe Martinez purchased the company in 1972 and refocused it to the design, fabrication, installation of custom ornamental ironwork for both residential and commercial applications. Joe retained Roger Manatt, one of the older, highly skilled blacksmiths, and so began a relationship that spanned many years – Roger’s work can still be seen all over Southern California today.