History

Performance Forged Products was founded in 1996 by Jim Gilliland. After spending 30+ years in the Forging Division of Alcoa, Jim bought the necessary equipment and set up operations in Montebello, California. His objective was to provide the automotive aftermarket with the highest quality forged pistons and connecting rods available. Along the way he not only established a reputation for high quality parts, but he also became known for excellent customer service and exceptional prices. 

In 2001, Jim pioneered the manufacturing of forged side-relief pistons on a mechanical press, which has helped the company greatly increase its share of the forged piston market. Over the years, Jim worked tirelessly to vertically integrate the company by bringing necessary services in-house, and in 2008, he took the big step of adding in-house heat treat and age capability.

Over the years, Jim has expanded the business to include focus on other market segments, including motorcycle components (examples: drive wheels and clutch baskets), and the hot rod dress-up market (examples: steering wheels, drive pulleys and wheel centers).

After spending all 45 years of his working career in the forging industry, Jim elected to step back from the day-to-day rigors of running a forge plant. In late 2011, he decided to sell the company to Wayne Ramay. Jim and Wayne worked together at Alcoa, and Jim identified Wayne as the ideal candidate to continue his legacy.

Out of this business transaction, Performance Forge, Inc. was formed and plans were created to build on the foundation that Jim created.