Core 4x4’s 10-Year Anniversary – From a Backyard Garage to an Industry Leader
Ten years ago, Spence Schramm started Core 4x4 in a 200-square-foot shop in his parents’ backyard. One chop saw, one MIG welder, and a desire to build off-road parts for people who shared his enthusiasm for the trails. A decade later, Core 4x4 occupies multiple industrial buildings, runs CNC equipment and robotic welders, and manufactures everything in-house in the USA. This is the story of how it happened.
Where It Started: 200 Square Feet and a Borrowed Welder
The original Core 4x4 shop was in a backyard in Utah — about 200 to 300 square feet of workspace with borrowed tools, a chop saw, and a small MIG welder. Spence wanted to make parts for Jeep owners and off-road enthusiasts. The shop was small enough that there was no room for material storage, no room for machining, and barely enough room to work.
It was also a period of 24-hour workdays and overlapping life milestones. Marissa recalls calling Spence at 10:30 at night, in labor with their first child, while he was still working in the shop. That was normal for those early years — building a business and a family simultaneously, often in the same physical space.
The backyard shop is still there, now used by Spence’s father for projects. Walking through it is like a time capsule: old ear protection on the shelf, a control arm in the corner, and the original welder tucked against the wall.
The First Industrial Space: 1,700 Square Feet
After about two years in the backyard, Core 4x4 outgrew the space and moved into a 1,700-square-foot industrial unit nearby. This move was significant for several reasons:
- It was Core 4x4’s first industrial space outside of a residential property
- The company hired its first non-family employee
- They acquired their first real equipment — a band saw and manual lathes
- The fundamental manufacturing processes that Core 4x4 still uses today were developed here
This is where the team learned the basics of machining. Manual lathes taught precision and process before automation entered the picture. The lessons from those early machines carried forward into every piece of CNC equipment Core 4x4 runs today.
Growing Again: 5,000 Square Feet and CNC Equipment
Two more years, another move. The building next door opened up, and Core 4x4 jumped on the opportunity. At 5,000 square feet, the expanded space allowed three major upgrades:
- CNC machining: The first piece of CNC equipment replaced the manual lathes, dramatically increasing production quality and consistency
- In-house powder coating: Instead of outsourcing, Core 4x4 brought powder coating in-house, giving them complete quality control over every finish
- Robotic welding: One of Spence’s favorite upgrades — a robotic welder that increased both production speed and weld consistency
This is the building where Core 4x4 transitioned from a small fabrication shop to a real manufacturing operation. The processes, equipment, and quality standards that define the company today were all established in this space.
The Latest Expansion: Doubling Capacity
After several years of being crammed into the 5,000-square-foot building, Core 4x4 recently doubled their space again. A building opened up directly behind the existing facility, and the team moved in their growing collection of CNC equipment, welding stations, and material processing infrastructure.
Moving CNC machines is neither easy nor cheap. It is one of the most disruptive things a manufacturing company can do. But the additional capacity means faster production, more efficient workflows, and the ability to bring even more products to market.
The new material processing building handles raw steel intake and preparation, freeing up the main building for machining, welding, coating, assembly, and shipping. It is a layout that reflects the growth from one person with a chop saw to a full team running automated equipment.
10 Years by the Numbers
Here is how Core 4x4 has grown over the past decade:
| Milestone | Details |
|---|---|
| Year 1–2 | 200 sq ft backyard shop, chop saw, MIG welder, family labor |
| Year 2–4 | 1,700 sq ft industrial space, first employee, manual lathes, band saw |
| Year 4–8 | 5,000 sq ft, CNC machining, in-house powder coating, robotic welder |
| Year 8–10 | 10,000+ sq ft across multiple buildings, expanded CNC fleet, dedicated material processing |
Every step was driven by demand outpacing capacity. Core 4x4 never moved because they wanted a bigger building — they moved because they physically could not keep up with orders in the space they had.
What Stays the Same
Despite the growth, certain things about Core 4x4 have not changed:
- Family-owned: Spence and Marissa still run the company. Marissa packed boxes nine months pregnant in the early years — the kids grew up playing in boxes of packing peanuts in the shop
- Made in the USA: Every part is manufactured in-house in Utah. No outsourcing, no contract shops
- Quality over quantity: The same philosophy from the backyard applies at scale
- Customer-driven: Core 4x4’s growth is a direct result of customer support and word of mouth
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