I AM IRON MAN.
My real name (don't tell anyone) is John Grillo. I'm the creator/owner of Ferrocity Industrial. And no, I did not misspell "ferocity." The additional "r" is intentional, as the prefix ferro- indicates the presence of iron...and many of my lamps are constructed of black iron pipe fittings.
My story begins in the summer of 2017, when a period of unemployment presented me with loads of free time and an itch to try something new.
During that period, fidget spinners were literally everywhere and my son, who was seven at the time, wanted one of every type.
After a brief search on Pinterest, I found a cool how-to video for bicycle chain fidget spinners and made one. My kid loved it. So I made more for his friends. Then even more to sell on eBay. Then...
Then, as quickly as they took the world by storm, fidget spinners were gone and I was left with a surplus of bike chains. Unsure what to do next, I searched online for more ideas. And that's when I discovered them: iron pipe lamps.
My mind was blown. So I immediately went to work—sketching designs, buying supplies, completely submerging myself in this newfound fixation.
Within a few months, I had shown off nearly a dozen lamps on Instagram and friends began asking, "When are you opening a store?" My answer came on October 8, 2017. That afternoon, I opened my Etsy shop and Ferrocity Industrial was born.
Photo unavailable; artist's interpretation