The Joseph Kavanagh Co., a Baltimore business that has been shaping copper and bending steel into various products for over 160 years, will be closing its doors later this year. The company, which has been family-owned and operated since its inception, has been struggling to stay afloat due to declining sales and the rise of technological advancements in the industry.

A Legacy of Resilience

Despite facing numerous challenges throughout its history, including recessions, financial panics, floods, and fires, the Joseph Kavanagh Co. has managed to persevere and adapt to changing times. The company’s founder, Joseph Kavanagh, an Irish immigrant, started the business in 1866 and worked on notable projects such as the assembly of the copper-clad Statue of Liberty.

Over the years, the company has produced a wide range of products, including pots and pans, huge tanks for brewers and distillers, handlebars for motorcycles, pipes for industry, and even the giant rims of Ferris wheels. However, with the advancement of technology, the company has found it difficult to compete with larger, more automated businesses.

A Family’s Legacy

The current owner of the company, Joe Kavanagh, is the great-great-grandnephew of the founder and has been running the business with his sister, Ann. The company’s decline has been a difficult reality for the family to accept, but they are grateful for the opportunity to have worked together and to have been a part of Baltimore’s history.

The closing of the Joseph Kavanagh Co. is a significant loss for the city of Baltimore, as it marks the end of an era and the decline of a traditional industry. However, the company’s legacy will live on through the many products it has produced and the families it has employed over the years.

Original reporting: Baltimore Fishbowl — read the source article.