Our Story: German Craftsmanship, American Entrepreneurship
from humble beginnings
Wiemann Metalcraft was founded in 1940 by Ernest Wiemann (1910-2010) in Tulsa, Oklahoma Born in 1910 in Bramsche, Germany. In 1928, Wiemann was sent to live with family in Chicago. Wiemann arrived as a fully licensed journeyman machinist—trained in the rigorous German apprenticeship system that had produced generations of master craftsmen. He quickly found work at Finkel’s Machine Shop in Chicago, where his precision and skill were immediately evident.
In 1930, Wiemann married an Oklahoma native and relocated to Tulsa. What began as a shop creating custom gates, furniture, and garden ornaments gradually evolved into a full-fledged business. In 1940, Wiemann opened Wiemann Ornamental Ironworks, bringing the German tradition of master metalworking to a growing city.
Growing with a growing city
The post-war boom was perfect for a man with ambition. Wiemann’s work soon caught national attention. A gate Wiemann crafted was featured on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens. Articles nicknamed him “Tulsa’s Man of Iron.” Orders arrived from around the country—but Wiemann took special pride in his Tulsa accomplishments: the signature gates at
Philbrook Museum of Art and the ornate gazebo and rose garden fence at
Gilcrease Museum.
Wiemann opened a showroom for ornamental decor at 2033 E. 11th Street, along the famed Route 66 in Tulsa. Its tower featured bright neon signage and an animated blacksmith hammering away, neon sparks flying, at its top.
A Tulsa institution with worlDwide impact
From Tulsa, Wiemann Metalcraft’s work has reached nearly every state in the country, as well as locations in the Caribbean, Mexico, and as far as the South Pacific. Our projects span residential estates, commercial and hospitality spaces, houses of worship, municipal installations, and government facilities. No two project are ever alike, and it is our ability to apply our expertise to any project that most benefits our clients.
A Family Business, Then and Now
In 1996, the company was purchased by the Bracken family, Douglas and David Bracken along with their father Gary, a retired business leader and pipeline engineer. Douglas, a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Architecture graduate, had worked alongside Ernest Wiemann as a draftsman starting in 1992.
The Bracken family brought fresh energy and business acumen while keeping the hands-on, relationship-driven approach that had defined the firm for over 50 years.
Today, Douglas and David continue to lead the company with the same pride of ownership that has always been at its core.
Industry Recognition
An Award That Bears His Name
Ernest Wiemann’s influence on the metalworking industry extended far beyond his own shop. He became one of the most vocal advocates for quality standards at the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA). Upon his retirement in 1997, the association renamed their prestigious annual Top Job Awards in his honor a distinction unmatched in the industry’s history.
NOMMA Honor
The Ernest Wiemann Top Job Awards
Renamed in his honor upon retirement, 1997 — a distinction unmatched in ornamental metalwork.