The woman-owned and minority-owned business has manufactured trusses and other structures for the likes of Road America, Formula 1 in Miami, and Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

Maria Perl is the owner of Spark Ops Metalworks in Fond du Lac.

Manufacturers in Fond du Lac are known to be innovative, and a not-so-hidden jewel in the city is no different.

Spark Ops Metalworks got its start in 2022 as a metal fabrication and manufacturing company in Fond du Lac, and has since built a solid reputation as a partner for several industries, including entertainment, automotive, defense and construction.

“(We’re) diversifying with government contracts and getting into different industries, but also applying the diversity on our team, too, consolidating the company as a woman-owned and minority-owned business,” owner Maria Perl said.

With Perl as owner and her husband Bryan Perl as founder, operations include welding and cutting parts for brands like John Deere and Tesla, and manufacturing trusses and other structures for Road America, Formula 1 in Miami, Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas and more.

Another one of their branches is manufacturing the Infinite Cube, collapsible and modular structures that are customizable for many possible uses, such as events, pop-up stores, humanitarian aid set-ups, and other commercial or government needs.

Infinite Cubes are made in Fond du Lac for countless possibilities

Spark Ops announced in January the company partnered with Infinite Structures as the exclusive manufacturer of the Infinite Cube.

Each “cube” is 10 feet high with 160 square feet of floor space and can be stacked up to three cubes high. When collapsed, eight can fit on a flatbed truck. This makes them easy to transport in addition to being reusable and reconfigurable, Perl said.

Spark Ops Metalworks in Fond du Lac is the exclusive manufacturer of Infinite Cubes, modular metal and glass structures that are stackable and collapsible. They are pictured here at Shaun White Snow League in Aspen.

The cubes were used as the production compound at Super Bowl LIX this year in New Orleans and most recently were set up as a VIP area for the Shaun White-founded Snow League winter sports competition in Aspen.

“All of those cubes, every piece and part, we’re manufacturing here,” Perl said. “That’s something that we’re all very proud of.”

Continued growth is marked by community involvement

Since its inception, Spark Ops has grown in the area and started catching attention in the community for its innovation in the metals industry.

Its impact in Fond du Lac has also gone beyond its products to the company’s basis in the community itself. This includes engaging high school students through Fond du Lac R.O.C.K. and Project G.R.I.L.L. programs by introducing them to possible opportunities for their future.

Spark Ops Metalworks in Fond du Lac specializes in all things metal.

“Knowledge is key,” Perl said. “The mix of knowledge and curiosity, I think is how everything starts.”

Both programs are headed by Envision Greater Fond du Lac, with Fond du Lac R.O.C.K. (Retention, Opportunity, Community, Knowledge) assisting students to explore local careers if they’re unsure what they want to do after graduation and Project G.R.I.L.L. (Growing Readiness in Learning and Leading) giving hands-on learning experience with guidance from local manufacturers.

This is Spark Ops Metalwork’s first year as a “friend” of Project G.R.I.L.L., which started in November by introducing participating student teams to local manufacturers before they head off to design and fabricate their own grills in time for an unveiling event in May.

“We’ve all been 16 and we didn’t know what to do with our lives, so it’s fun to us to bring them here (and say) ‘you could be doing this,’ but also ‘look at the impact of the pieces that we’re using, what we’re manufacturing here. They’re helping somebody at a hurricane or a disaster,'” Perl said. “They can feel that they’re part of this whole project.”

Spark Ops Metalworks manufactured structures used at Road America, including the Corvette Corral.

As Spark Ops continues to grow, especially with the manufacturing of the Infinite Cube, a current challenge is space, Perl said. Since operations are spread out across three areas in Fond du Lac — its main facility on Cedar Street, more manufacturing on Morris Street and a warehouse on Hickory Street — they’re working on solutions as the next step in the business.

For more about Spark Ops Metalworks, its products and projects it has worked on, visit sparkopsmetalworks.com or the Spark Ops Metalworks Facebook page.