By Sharon Verbeten
Ninety-four years after Leo Muza founded Muza Sheet Metal in Oshkosh, the company continues to make a name for itself — albeit in a bit of a different direction.
Founded with its roots in HVAC installations, today the company — owned by Sam Blanck and his brother, Carven, since 2011 — focuses on metal fabrication and architectural sheet metal design. The business won a 2021 Small Business of the Year Award from the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce and was a finalist for a 2022 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year honor through Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.
“Oshkosh and Northeast Wisconsin are very fortunate to have a company like Muza Sheet Metal located here. We understand their commitment to providing high-quality, affordable products with exceptional customer service and are proud to have them as a member of our business community,” says Rob Kleman, senior vice president of economic development for the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce.
With its focus on architectural sheet metal, Muza is a proud union sheet metal shop that has put its distinctive stamp on buildings including the Bohemian Park development at Titletown Park in Green Bay, Secura Insurance in the Fox Cities, the Saco office building in Sheboygan and other commercial and industrial projects.
“The nice thing is our installers, our team can all drive by and say, ‘I had a part in it.’ That’s been part of our success; everyone has such pride in the building,” Sam Blanck says, adding that while most of Muza’s projects are in Wisconsin, the company takes on regional and even national work.
“It depends on where our customers want to go,” he says.
To meet demand, Muza recently moved into a new 80,000-square-foot warehouse, which includes a 30,000-square-foot material storage building. “The overall business environment has been conducive to more projects going on,” Blanck says.
Still, like many other businesses in a post-pandemic world, Muza has faced supply chain issues.
“It tremendously has [affected us],” he says. “Prices started going up on steel, and we saw things kind of backing up a bit; then [we] just became unable to get product.”
With its additional storage space, however, the company can bring in flat stock and raw materials. Blanck says this has increased efficiency.
“Once we get a contract from a contractor, we can purchase the material right away. When the project is ready, we can pull [the metal] out and manufacture. That’s kind of our angle,” Blanck says, noting that not all metal companies manufacture their own architectural panels; doing so helps Muza save time and better serve the customer.
Muza maintains a strong commitment to its 120 employees. “We have people that have been working here for more than 30 years,” Blanck says.
That dedication is important to a company rooted in family ties. “I really take pride in coming to work every day,” Blanck says. “It’s about family, and it’s about teamwork.”
