There was the ringing of metal striking metal, and the red-orange glow of steel turned pliable by intense heat. These are the images of American manufacturing, and they're becoming things of the past - to the detriment of the nation's future, according to Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., who visited the 161-year-old business Wednesday.

Every product that leaves the North 19th Street factory is touched by a human hand and forged using American-made steel. As the company website proclaims, "You could certainly find a cheaper tool, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a better one."

"If we don't have businesses like this, that means we're going to be importing," McKinley said. "The hand forging is unique, and the quality of the work they do is special."

The stated purpose of McKinley's visit was to gather information on the ripple effect of what he and other critics of the Obama administration's regulatory policy call a "war on coal," just two days after the Environmental Protection Agency finalized historic new carbon emissions limits on the nation's power plants.

"What about the guy who makes the equipment for the coal industry?" McKinley said. "It's having an impact on the railroads and the businesses like Warwood Tool."

During the tour, McKinley watched workers forge claw bars, which are used to remove railroad spikes. The factory produces hundreds of products, including picks, mattocks, adzes and sledgehammers.

Leading the congressman on the tour were Warwood Tool's new owners, 20-somethings Logan Hartle and Phillip Carl, who purchased the factory in late January and recently marked six months at the helm. Their enthusiasm for the new venture was apparent as they described the toolmaking process to McKinley.

Hartle acknowledged he and Carl, who dreamed of owning their own business since they were young children, jumped into the fray in an uncertain time for manufacturing.

"It is a risk, but it's a risk that we were willing to take," he said. "The company had a great reputation going in."

For Carl, whose background is in sales, the focus has been on finding new markets for the company's signature blue paint-dipped tools. They've found new customers in the crane and rigging industry - a sector Warwood Tool had never dealt with before - and are seeking ways to sell more products both internationally and right here in West Virginia.

"I think we've found more opportunities than anything," Carl said. "The growth potential is huge."

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