Mazzella Celebrates 70th Anniversary

Mazzella Wire Rope & Sling Co. was founded in 1954 by Jim Mazzella, Sr.—specializing in wire rope slings that were braided by hand and used in construction sites, ports, and steel mills across Northeast Ohio. 70 years later, Mazzella Companies has grown from a single location in Cleveland’s Linndale neighborhood, to employing more than 1,200 team members at 50 locations across North America.

Today, the business is run by Jim Mazzella, Sr.’s son, and Mazzella Companies’ CEO, Tony Mazzella. Tony’s two sons, Matt Mazzella and Adam Mazzella, are now the third generation involved and act as Presidents of Mazzella’s Lifting and Metals businesses, respectively.

“Celebrating 70 years of our family business, we honor the legacy of my grandparents, whose vision and hard work laid our foundation. My parents nurtured this dream with dedication, resilience, and love—steering us through challenges and triumphs. My brother Matt, with his innovation and spirit, represents our bright future. Together, we embody the past, present, and future, united by values and aspirations that guide us. Here’s to our family’s journey and the promise of many more successful years ahead,” said Adam Mazzella, President of Sheffield Metals and New Tech Machinery.

Beyond traditional rigging products, Mazzella has evolved into a leader in the design and manufacturing of overhead cranes, engineered lifting devices, electrode handling equipment, and fall protection systems. Additional services include wire rope socketing and spooling, crane upgrades and modernizations, rigging inspections, crane inspections and repair, warehouse rack inspections, and end-user training. Sheffield Metals International and New Tech Machinery round out Mazzella Companies’ diverse portfolio as distributors of coated bare metal products for engineered metal roof and wall systems, and manufacturers of portable roof panel and gutter machines, respectively.

“We believe it’s our responsibility to be invested in the success of our customers. We care deeply about their growth, and we partner with them to provide the best product solutions and services that mitigate risk and improve the safety and efficiency in their business. That’s been our mentality from day one and is something that will never change,” said Matt Mazzella, President of Mazzella.

Mazzella Companies remains privately-owned when many other companies in the industry have moved to private equity ownership. Mazzella’s growth can be attributed to an aggressive strategy to enter new markets through greenfield opportunities and through acquisitions.

Some of the more significant acquisitions include Sheffield Metals in 2004; Progressive Crane in 2005; The Indusco Group in 2011; New Tech Machinery in 2015; FHS, Inc. in 2017; Page Wire Rope in 2022; John Sakach Co. and Midco Companies in 2023; and Piedmont Hoist and Crane earlier this year.

Mazzella Companies has grown from a single location in Cleveland’s Linndale neighborhood, to employing more than 1,200 team members at 50 locations across North America.

While Jim Mazzella, Sr. passed away in 2001, the core values he lived by and passed down to his family are still present as the company’s core values.

“I believe we are here 70 years later because those core values are the foundation of how we think about business regardless of how many changes we have had to make to grow,” said Tony Mazzella, CEO of Mazzella Companies.

“My Dad’s mentality of being a lifelong learner and staying with the times—you’re either moving forward or backward—there’s no such thing as standing still. He was very humble, hungry, and smart. All those things we put on the wall today were directly from him, and that’s what has been engrained in myself and inspired Matt and Adam to make the third generation a success. If we deviated from his values, I don’t think we’re here in business today.”

• Mazzella plans to release additional content to support their 70th anniversary, including videos and podcasts focused on the history, growth, and the future of the business.