AMECO USA Creates Presidential Backdrop for Reagan National Airport

The custom metal fabricator manufactures the crescent-shaped backdrop for the prestigious Ronald Reagan Memorial Statue installation in Washington, DC.

AMECO USA (Cleveland, OH), a custom metal fabrication company, produced the crescent-shaped backdrop for the prestigious Ronald Reagan Memorial Statue installation at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. Adorned with an eagle head motif and the words Ronald Reagan, the 40 ft long, 10 in thick stainless steel arched wall weighs 8,000 lb (4 tons) and curves inward towards a 9 ft tall bronze sculpture of President Reagan.

The backdrop took eight weeks and 500 man hours to complete at the fabricator’s 50,000 sq ft plant. Made of polished stainless steel plate, the piece has superior corrosion, rust and stain resistance and will remain looking beautiful and untarnished for many decades.

According to company president Michael Perkins, the vision for this project began when the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation commissioned Chas Fagan, an acclaimed American sculptor, to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of President Reagan’s birth with an outdoor piece. The manufacturer was selected by a member of the project’s artistic design team for their ability to take on high profile projects of this magnitude, in addition to their engineering and metalworking expertise.

“The entire company family is honored to be a part of this landmark installation,” stated Perkins. “In addition to our company, there were many other people and suppliers involved with this successful and meaningful project.” The fabricator’s participation began with receipt of architectural drawings, which they then converted to solid-model fabrication drawings. Engineers also determined the precise location and spacing of the letters, and calculated the curvature of the heavy stainless plates.

“AMECO USA did the cutting, forming, plate rolling, and welding at its Cleveland plant. We then shipped the entire backdrop to the National Airport in Washington, DC, by way of a drop-deck flatbed truck where it was joined with the sculpture and high-tech lighting to create a lasting tribute to our 40th American president,” added Perkins. The dedication ceremony was held on November 1, 2011 at the monument’s permanent location: the exterior entrance of Reagan National Airport’s Historic Terminal A. The airport serves about 18 million travelers per year.

The entire installation, including the statue and backdrop, was funded by money raised through private donations to the Reagan Foundation.

Founded in 1992, AMECO USA is a full-service custom manufacturer that specializes in innovative methods to design and build metal products. Capabilities include high-definition CNC plasma cutting, plate forming, punching and robotic or manually welded steel, stainless, high carbon (HSLA), nickel alloy and molybdenum.

The company’s expert welders, fabricators and machinists hold a variety of industry certifications, issued by the American Welding Society (AWS; Miami, FL), and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME; New York, NY). In addition, AMECO USA offers engineering services, material testing and inspection, and process consulting. Notable projects include stay cable bridge suspension systems as seen at the new Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge, located in San Diego, CA, as well as the I-280 Maumee River Bridge, located in Toledo, OH. www.ameco-usa.com