On the About Us page, learn about Forge’s mission, vision, and values.

At Forge, we believe that the future of our built world — of the places where we live, work, rest, and play — depends on the future of the trades.

Because without the trades, the world would be forced to stop building. There’d be no new homes. No more skyscrapers. No swing sets, apartments, or porches. Nothing would be fixed, improved, rethought, or remade. That’s where we come in.

We are a team of makers and doers. A community of tradespeople, engineers, designers, and creatives. We are learners and leaders, students and teachers.

We’re builders. And we’re building the future of the trades industry.

Forge. Human built.

Illustration of exposed framing

Illustration of a pro hammering a board

Decorative illustration of floating steps

Who we are and
what we do

Forge is a whole new kind of construction company. We’re solving the challenge of the disappearing trades workforce by building our own school to train the trades workers of tomorrow. After they graduate, we give them full-time jobs with competitive wages, full benefits, and a 401(k) — and we equip them with new technology that helps them work more efficiently.

The Forge way works better for them. Which means it’s better for the rest of us who depend on their skills and expertise.

Is the trades workforce
really disappearing?

You be the judge. Consider a few facts:

2.2 million dollars

additional trades workers needed over the next two years to meet the housing demands of the rising US population

7.5%

decrease in the total population of carpenters since 2011

50%

of all trades workers will retire in this decade

60 years

is the average age of an electrician or plumber

Decorative illustration of floating steps

Decorative illustration of floating steps

Meet the founder

Photo of Forge CEO, Mark Kasdorf

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The trades have built the world as we know it and will be what rebuilds it for centuries to come.

I'm interested in building a company that blends the best people with the best technology to create a new kind of workforce.

Mark Kasdorf

Founder & CEO

Meet the Leadership Team

Illustration of pro installing a window

What makes
Forge unique?

It starts with training: the Forge Apprentice Program.

It starts with our apprentice program. We’re training tomorrow’s workers with a powerfully effective 12-week curriculum that we designed to build skills fast for anyone who wants a rewarding career working in construction. Our program is engaging, welcoming, and inclusive — and like its graduates, it works.

Apprentice program

Then we hire graduates full time on specialized crews.

Once our apprentices graduate from our program, they get to work. They now have a fulfilling career at Forge with a clear growth path and competitive pay and benefits. They’re assigned to a crew led by one of our seasoned pros, where they continue to add to their skills and experience through specialized training on actual jobs.

Work at Forge

We surround them with technology.

Technology is at the forefront of everything that we do, because we believe tech has the ability to transform the trades. We are powering our next-generation trades workforce, building everything from the Forge Operating System, to a career experience app, to AR remote assistance. This foundation of tools will allow us to create the future of technology that will continue to power the next generations of trades workers.

Technology

The Forge
timeline

November

Forge was founded to meet the challenge of the disappearing trades workforce.

February

We hired our first senior carpenter and completed our first customer job.

April – June

Our first apprentice class started and graduated.

October

We signed on with our first two partners.

December

We closed our Series A round and raised $17M.

April

We moved from a 2,000-sq.-ft. space into our current ~12,000-sq.-ft. location at 66 Rowe Street in Auburndale, Massachusetts, increasing our space by 500% to support our growth.

August

We launched our first proprietary mobile app.

April

A former apprentice was promoted to crew leader for the first time.

May

We hit 50 pros in the field.

We released our proprietary Service Hub mobile and desktop solution, which combines all the tools and features necessary for our team to manage day-to-day business operations.

We closed our Series A1 round and raised an additional $12.5M.

Making
news

Training for the trades: Local company aiming to prepare next generation of workers

Boston Local 25 News

Boston Local 25 News

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[Forge's] novel program is being designed to meet the growing job demands in the residential construction industry through small cohort-based learning versus the traditional one-on-one model.

MCJ Collective

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This local startup is running a new kind of trade school — and hiring its graduates

The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe

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The Forge Story

WBZ Boston News Radio

WBZ Boston News Radio

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