By Shelley Widhalm

The Surveyor

Emmett Culligan needed more space for his metalworking shop, so five months ago he relocated ECD Metalworks from Denver to the Berthoud area.

ECD Metalworks has been in Denver’s River North Art District, or RiNo, since he bought the property in 2000. His shop was located in an industrial-zoned area in LoDo that later became residential and didn’t fit with what he wanted for his business. He provides metal fabrication work and large contemporary sculpture for private and public spaces.

“I wanted to have a situation where my family, home and shop were in the same location,” said Culligan, president of ECD Metalworks. “Thankfully, we were able to find something in beautiful Berthoud.”

Culligan sold the RiNo property in May 2017, and in July found a 20-acre property with a 3,000-square-foot shop, previously used to manufacturer skis and then for woodworking. He built on a 4,000-foot addition to have enough room for his operations and machinery, including a press brake, shear, band saw and spray booth. He also went through Larimer County’s special permit process to be able to operate his business on the property, plus he remodeled his house. He officially moved into the shop and began operations in April.

“Our goal is not to be a super-huge company. Our goal is to be a professional small business,” Culligan said. “We’re focused on quality, not quantity.”

Culligan and his staff of four provide the design and fabrication of custom, high-end metalwork for retail, hospitality and public spaces. They primarily focus on architectural metalwork for the millwork trade; creating an assortment of fixtures, such as vanities, shelving, display units and furniture railings, as well as metal paneling with specialized patina finishes. They work in all types of metal that includes brass, stainless steel, aluminum and milled steel, and create custom, highly-refined decorative pieces.

“What sets us apart is our ability to tackle complex custom fabrication problems and then finish the meal for high-end commercial use in a timely manner,” Culligan said.

Culligan’s clients include architectural millwork companies, construction companies, architects, interior designers, corporate retail and hospitality groups, and individuals.

ECD Metalworks also provides contemporary monumental sculpture in stone and steel, which finds placement as public art in parks and municipalities and at private residences.

Culligan founded his metalwork business in 1997, originally operating under the name of Emmett Culligan Design, to provide artistic metal fabrication for sculpture and commercial projects. He started it after earning a bachelor’s degree in fine-arts sculpture in 1995 from University of Colorado Denver and working as a freelance sculptor from 1995 to 1998.

In 2007 Emmett changed the name of his business to ECD Metalworks, a DBA of Emmett Culligan Design.

“It’s more specific to what we do,” Culligan said. “We focus on design. We’re designers and artists. We create beautiful objects with brass and different metals.”

Emmett likes the artistic side of making the sculptures and the business side of the metal fabrication work.

“The sculpture is pretty important to me,” Culligan said. “That’s where my heart and soul is. I just love the aspect of making something and bringing it to fruition and having the ability to share it with the public and have them interact with it.”

Providing custom metalwork also gives customers pieces no one else will have, he added.

“Custom metalwork is interesting from the standpoint that you can get something really unique for your home or business that no one else has.”

John Grant, owner of Public Art Services, a creative project-management firm in Denver, likes the work Culligan and his staff provide for his company.

“Emmett is a highly-talented artist and a fastidious craftsman,” Grant said. “His shop is filled with talented craftspeople and engineers that work through creative problem-solving without losing sight of the intent of the work. He sweats the details the way a European atelier would and produces high-end results in his own artwork and in the work he delivers to clients like me.”

For more information, visit www.ecd-co.com or contact Culligan at 333-433-1412 or [email protected].