Today we’d like to introduce you to Lloyd Mandelbaum.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My business is casting bronze, aluminum and iron sculpture, furniture, and other pieces of decorative metal work. I was first introduced to the process in highschool and ended up getting my BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with an emphasis in foundry and metal fabrication. I worked at a handful of art foundries directly out of school before starting my own shop under the name Chicago Crucible in 2009. That operation started in a 2 car garage but with in a year was in an industrial warehouse. For the last 5 years, the business has operated out of a 5,000 sq. ft. warehouse in the broader complex of the Central Park Arts Building. In April of 2017, the main producing capability of the business moved to Hamilton in Western Michigan. The location in West Humboldt Park is still a consultation and client meeting office.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I really got started with my own shop right after the ressention in 2008 and so in some ways, the market and demand has been steadily growing since then. But there have been slow periods. To supplement workflow, I have taught classes and workshops as well as broadened my offerings to include building foundry equipment for other shops.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Chicago Crucible – what should we know?
Chicago Crucible is a fine art cast foundry specializing in cast bronze, aluminum, and iron. We do rubber and rigid molding for wax pattern generation. Those waxes are used for lost wax metal casting. We also do a full range of finishing on our castings including fabrication, texturing and surface refinement, polishing, patination, and sealing.
Additionally, we design and build custom foundry equipment for other businesses and institutions. A deep understanding of both the artistic and technical sides of fine art casting are what set us apart. As a complete one stop shop for art casting needs run by artists and artisans, we have the capability, artistry, and know how that’s hard to find anywhere else. This translates to superior castings tailored to the aesthetic sensibilities of each artist and designer we work with.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Understanding my goals and taking the long view on my aspiration has always helped me stay on track and better handle speed bumps along the way. Understanding where I’m headed has shown me what I need to learn and achieve, and in turn has made it easy to focus on the important things. While thinking about the horizon to help me sort through what’s right in front of me, I also try to be patient. I am not trying to grow my business at an uncomfortable rate. Producing a quality product takes attention to detail and that can’t be rushed.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1248 N Central Park Ave.
Chicago, IL 60651 - Website: www.chicagocrucible.com
- Phone: 6179219055
- Email: chicagocrucible@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/chicagocrucible/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chicago-Crucible-171805969515679/?timeline_context_item_type=intro_card_work&timeline_context_item_source=584005775&pnref=lhc
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