Difficult is easy. Impossible… is a little harder.
Discover our services
Custom Fabrication
Custom fabrication without limits. Metal is our specialty, but our capabilities go far beyond the weld shop. We design, build, repair, and modify everything from precision-machined components to fully realized scenic environments — an art factory where we build beautiful within a thousandth of an inch. Whether it’s functional, decorative, or both, our work blends craftsmanship, engineering, and problem-solving to bring your ideas — or your existing structures — off the page and into the real world.
Staffing
Our team isn’t here by accident. Whether they’re behind a desk or on the shop floor, every person here brings a rare mix of skill, curiosity, and genuine dedication. We hire people who are wired to notice problems, think them through, and see them solved — not just because it’s their job, but because they can’t imagine doing it any other way. From seasoned tradespeople to seasoned professionals, our crew has the brains, hands, and drive to get it right.
Automation and Interactives
Rock Island Metal WORKS! We build safe, beautiful, and cost-effective systems for the real-world demands of both public spaces and professional environments. In museums and other public venues, that means creating interactives that withstand constant, hands-on use from thousands of visitors. In theater and show automation, it means building equipment that can endure tight changeovers, unconventional operating conditions, and the need for absolute dependability — all while meeting the highest safety standards. Whether the users are untrained guests or seasoned professionals, we engineer every piece for reliability, longevity, and performance.
Project Management
From concept to completion, we’re more than just project managers — we’re your partners.
The earlier we’re involved, the more we can help shape solutions that fit your goals, your budget, and your timeline. We navigate the moving parts, deadlines, and details, identifying challenges before they become problems and keeping everything on track. Even the most complicated jobs run smoother, faster, and smarter when we’re on the team.
Design solutions that open new possibilities. We help you uncover opportunities you might not see at first — solutions that save money, reduce complexity, and free up resources to expand your scope. Our designers, detailers, engineers, and consultants work together to balance creativity with practicality, ensuring your vision stays cohesive and achievable. The earlier we’re part of the process, the more we can help shape ideas that fit your goals, budget, and timeline from the start, avoiding compromises later and unlocking the full potential of your project.
Consulting
We’ve worked in Fortune 50 boardrooms, industrial facilities, and creative spaces in the arts and entertainment world — and we’ve learned what makes each succeed, and what holds them back. Big companies chase the agility of the little guys. Small companies chase the resources of the big guys. We help you borrow the best from each. Our team’s professional diversity spans corporate leadership, skilled trades, and artistic production, giving us a rare perspective to spot the habits, structures, and solutions that make organizations stronger, nimbler, and more effective, no matter their size or industry.
We don’t want to be a vendor.
We want to be a Partner.
We’re not here to make a quick sale — we’re here to be the first call you make for the next project. That means leading with trust and transparency, even when it’s not in our short-term interest for this job. Sometimes the right move is connecting you directly with one of our vendors. Sometimes it’s steering you toward a more cost-effective option, even if your budget allows for more. In reality, saving you money now IS in our best interest — the dollars you don’t spend here often fund your next big idea, stretch goal, or unlock scope you thought was out of reach. Our priority is finding the right solution at the right budget, because that’s how lasting partnerships are built.
