In 1909 when J.R. Hoe, a steel mill superintendent from Pittsburgh, read about a small foundry for sale in the mountains of Kentucky he decided to travel down by train to take a look. He saw opportunity when he walked through the old Pioneer Foundry facility in Middlesboro, KY – so he signed a 3-year lease to operate the company. Thus began, over 100 years ago, J. R. Hoe & Sons, Inc.

J.R. was soon joined in Kentucky by his wife and family including five sons - Walter, Edward, Homer, William, and Harry – each of whom was skilled in a different facet of iron making. Over the next several decades the father and sons built the company into a regional center of metalworking expertise. J.R. Hoe & Sons became established in the burgeoning coal mining industry of the southern mountains, designing and building equipment from their own iron castings, including hundreds of their patented self-dumping mine cars, a labor-saving standard in the industry for decades.

J.R. and his sons grew their young company through hard work and iron-making know how. They soon began to expand. When the Watts Iron Works, a large blast iron smelting operation closed nearby in the 1920’s, the Hoes bought and moved the rivet-constructed main building piece-by-piece and re-erected it beside the foundry. The 16000 S.F. structure still serves today as the main fabrication facility. A decade later, when the adjoining Middlesboro Ice Plant was closed, the Hoes converted the building into a modern machine shop, also still in production.

The company grew – and sacrificed – with the nation. During WWI JR Hoe & Sons served as a regional metals collection center where vital commodities such as brass and copper were recycled for the war effort. Numerous company employees and family members served in WWII including Walter Jr., Homer Jr., and Harry M. – grandsons of J. R. Hoe – all of whom returned from the war to manage the company through the 1980’s. Harry M. Hoe landed in Europe during the D-Day invasion, fought under General Patton, and returned home decorated with a Silver and two Bronze Stars. He remained active in the company until 2011.

By the 1950’s, Hoe & Sons had diversified into engineered steel. Led by Jack T. Mason, P.E. The company designed and built numerous coal handling systems that were installed throughout the southern mining region. During this period also, the HOE foundry began to produce and market its own line of construction castings for the nation’s booming infrastructure system. The first street castings installed in many towns and cities throughout the region bear the ‘HOE OF KY ‘ mark of quality and reliability.

When 4th generation member Harry H. ‘Bo’ joined Harry M. Hoe to manage the company in 1988, the company initiated a period of growth and diversification. Over 15000 S.F. of production space was added to the foundry operations, fabrication and machining were modernized, and in 2000 HOE opened a regional sales and distribution facility in Louisville, KY. Along with its line of construction castings, HOE began to produce a diverse range of gray and ductile iron castings. The company also moved into aluminum and stainless steel fabrication and now offers a diverse range of construction-related metal fabrications for infrastructure projects across the US. A full computer-numerically-controlled (CNC) machining facility was established to offer the customer a ‘single source’ option for precision machined castings and weldments. 

The J.R. Hoe and Sons workforce undergoes continuous training in production technology, quality management, and plant safety. One of the company’s proudest achievements during its long history was recognition in 2009 with the Kentucky Governor Safety and Health Award for Excellence in workplace safety. 

Now, 100 years after J.R. Hoe first walked through the old Pioneer Foundry a modern, versatile, and quality-focused metalworking company continues in operation. Iron is still poured each day but it is melted by state-of- the-art electric induction technology. Casting mold designs are now configured by computerized solidification modeling. And the latest fabrication software generates designs which are programmed directly into CNC machines that cut, drill, and machine parts for highly accurate fabrications.The current Hoe management team is progressive-minded – yet always conscious of the company’s strong past.

Mission Statement

J. R. HOE & Sons is a manufacturer of high-quality iron castings and fabricated metal products for use in highway, industrial and construction-related applications. Quality of cast and fabricated metal products and dedication to customer satisfaction are the measure of success at J. R. HOE & Sons. We are committed to providing our customers with products which meet or exceed their expectations. We succeed by helping our customers succeed.