Founded in 1925, MacLean-Fogg began with a lock nut for North America’s railroads. MacLean-Fogg grew through product development and selected acquisitions into a diversified, family-owned American manufacturing company. The milestones below trace the development of its Fastener Solutions, Engineered Solutions, and Plastic Solutions businesses.
Early years: railroad fasteners
1925: John MacLean Sr., former vice president and general manager of the Boss Nut Company, takes advantage of an opportunity to start his own business in locking fasteners. His assets include his own energy and creativity, the Number 1 Lock Nut, his partner, Jack Fogg, a legend in the railroad industry, and his two customers: the Santa Fe Railroad and the Milwaukee Railroad.
1927: John MacLean Junior joins the MacLean-Fogg Company. His philosophy for the company, which lives today, is “Help the industry, and we will help ourselves. Solve the customer’s problems, at a fair price, and on time.”
1929: MacLean-Fogg acquired the Water Tight Bolt, which solved severe problems connected with boxcar walls on angle posts by eliminating seepage of water into boxcars. The company bought the invention, marketed it, and continued to improve upon it.
1938: MacLean invents the Lock Tight Floor Clip and is granted a patent.
Growth in fastener manufacturing
1961: Barry L. MacLean, mechanical engineer, joins the firm.
1964: Expansion of the fastener division continues with the opening of the manufacturing facility in Mundelein, Illinois.
1972: Barry MacLean becomes the new president.
1975: MacLean-Fogg celebrated 50 years of business.
1976: MacLean-Fogg continues to expand and diversify with the founding of its Metform Division producing hot formed products. This was the company’s first manufacturing facility built away from its original site.
Expansion into plastics and engineered components
1980: Opening of the Detroit sales office.
1982: MacLean-Fogg purchases Polymer Technologies in Whitewater, Wisconsin.
1983: The original focus of the company, the railroad business, is sold.
1984: MacLean-Fogg acquires Precision Cold Forge and adds it to Metform in Savanna, Illinois.
1990: MacLean-Fogg celebrated 65 years in business.
1991: Ground is broken for a new Polymer manufacturing facility in Whitewater, Wisconsin.
1995: MacLean-Fogg celebrated its 70th year in business.
Building the component businesses
1997: MacLean Maynard is acquired in Chesterfield, Michigan.
1999: MacLean-Fogg acquires Industrial and Automotive Fasteners of Royal Oak, Michigan, which becomes MacLean Vehicle Systems, Royal Oak (later known as MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions Farmington Hills).
2007: Barry MacLean is inducted into the National Industrial Fastener Show Hall of Fame, recognized for his leadership and contributions both in the fastener industry and to the greater community.
2008: The Board of Directors of the MacLean-Fogg Company elects Duncan MacLean as president of MacLean Vehicle Systems.
2008: The MacLean-Fogg Company announced the purchase of Saegertown Manufacturing Company and Proform Tool Corporation, both located in Saegertown, Pennsylvania. Saegertown Manufacturing Company was a manufacturer of specialized engineered metal components for diverse applications in North America including mining, home construction, and automotive marketplaces. Proform Tool Corporation was a manufacturer of hot and cold metal forged products.
The MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions brand
2010: MacLean-Fogg Company celebrated its 85th anniversary.
2011: Barry MacLean celebrated his 50th anniversary as a MacLean-Fogg employee on August 18th, 2011.
2011: MacLean Vehicle Systems became MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions. The brand shift supported new industries, technology, and team members while retaining the company’s heritage of ingenuity.
2012: MFCS merged its Polymer Technologies Division in Whitewater, WI with Engineered Plastics Corporation in Menomonee Falls, WI to form a new Engineered Plastics Company division of MFCS.
2012: The Metform division of MFCS opened the new M1 machining manufacturing facility in Savanna, IL to produce automatic transmission gear blanks for advanced 8 and 9 speed light vehicle transmissions.
2014: The Buffalo, NY and Cornelius, NC facilities of Curtis Screw, a leader in precision machined parts, join the MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions family of companies.
2015: MacLean-Fogg Company celebrates 90 years in business.
2015: Duncan MacLean becomes president of MacLean-Fogg.
Recent milestones
2021: In January, MFCS announced the merger of Master Automatic into its Engineered Solutions Group. The new division was named MacLean Master LLC, expanding MFCS capabilities in precision machined components and assemblies.
2025: MacLean-Fogg marked its 100th anniversary, a century after its founding in 1925.
Continuing the story
MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions builds on this history through Fastener Solutions, Engineered Solutions, and Plastic Solutions. Visit MacLean-Fogg’s corporate history for the broader company story.