Philip S. Keeler founds APP to meet the aircraft industry’s growing demand for precision forgings, as only one company was producing them at the time. Operations began in an 8,000 square foot facility with two presses (300 and 1,000 ton). The innovative tooling systems allowed for aluminum forgings with no draft and close tolerances, significantly reducing machining requirements and costs for airframe manufacturers. Hughes Helicopters became APP’s first customer, using the forgings in their LOH program. When the C-5A aircraft was developed, APP supplied over 400 different precision forged configurations, with more than 3,000 forgings per aircraft.

Wide body aircraft go into production starting with the 747, followed by the DC-10 and L1011. Each of these airframes required thousands of precision forgings. To meet growing customer demand, APP installed additional equipment: a 400 ton, a 1,300 ton, and a 3,300 ton press. These new presses gave APP the capacity to produce parts up to 150 square inches in plan view area. APP produces among the first titanium forgings to replace steel for lightweight parts for the aerospace industry. To enhance production control and quality assurance, APP added heat treat and age facilities, penetrant inspection, and die manufacturing capabilities. These expansions increased the company’s facility from 8,000 to 50,000 square feet.

APP makes its first acquisition, Catalina Cylinders, which would soon become a world leader in high and low pressure aluminum compressed gas cylinders for scuba, beverage, medical and industrial applications. In 1992, APP adds Aluminum Forge Company to its portfolio, expanding production capabilities and capacity to serve the growing aerospace and automotive markets. During this decade, APP achieves several significant production milestones, forging its first window frames for Boeing’s 757 and the Gulfstream aircraft in 1993, followed by launching its first aftermarket automotive wheel forgings in 1994. In 1995, APP expands further by acquiring Cliff Impacts, a leader in aluminum impact extrusions and cylinders for industrial and commercial markets, which later becomes a subdivision of Catalina Cylinders. The decade closes with APP forging its first window frame for Boeing’s 737 in 1999.

APP enters a new era in 2010 by announcing an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), transferring ownership to the employees who contributed to the company’s success over the decades. This strategic transition reinforces APP’s commitment to its workforce while ensuring continuity of its expertise and culture. In 2012, APP achieves a remarkable milestone in aerospace history when the Mars Rover successfully lands on the Martian surface, lowered by the Sky Crane that featured a critical base component produced from an APP hand forging. This extraordinary achievement demonstrates the company’s capabilities in producing mission-critical components for the most demanding applications in space exploration. The decade brings another significant moment in 2015 when APP celebrates its 50th anniversary, marking half a century of innovation, growth, and leadership in precision aluminum forgings since Philip Keeler founded the company in 1965.