Walt and Janelle Jaeger, the dynamic husband-and-wife team behind Jaeger Technology Group, are no strangers to innovation. With more than 16 years of experience in 3D printing across industries ranging from medical to aerospace, Walt recently made a bold decision: to stop working for others and build a business on his terms. Today, Jaeger Tech Group is not only pushing the boundaries of additive manufacturing but also becoming a key player in reshoring American manufacturing, modernizing legacy practices with automation, and contributing to the national defense supply chain.
Their journey recently took a pivotal turn when the couple joined the METAL bootcamp at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, becoming the first industry professionals to participate in the program. What happened next was transformative.
“Everything they showed us in the class, we went right back to a couple hours later and began applying,” Walt said. “In the last several weeks, we’ve managed to find $20K worth of work since we participated.”
Reimagining What’s Possible with Advanced Manufacturing
Jaeger Technology Group operates out of a compact 1,400-square-foot shop in the Huntsville/Birmingham area—yet their capabilities rival much bigger firms thanks to their large-format 3D printers and relentless creativity.
“We’ve been doing primarily polymer but because of METAL, we’re moving into metals, waxes, patterns,” he said. “And now we’re 3D printing castable parts that we used to source overseas.”
That shift is significant. One example: an appliance manufacturer had been paying $5,000 per unit to machine aluminum-silicon alloy parts in a five-axis setup. The Jaegers had previously outsourced this work to China due to cost. But Walt and Janelle brought the part into the METAL bootcamp, semi-successfully cast it during the session, and found a path forward that keeps the work—and the dollars—here in the U.S.
“That has changed the rules for us,” he said. “We’re probably going to invest in a couple of robots and build a small investment casting shop right here within our four walls.”
Walt’s passion for American manufacturing is deeply personal. He recalls the painful lesson his father—a brilliant engineer—learned when the tides of offshoring shifted the playing field.
“My dad was in semiconductor manufacturing, and he was a tremendously sharp guy but unlucky,” he shared. “He built a semiconductor manufacturing facility in New Boston, Texas, about 40 years ago. It took about a year to get everything rolling and by the time it was ready, Taiwan could make and sell these things for cheaper. It wrecked him.”
That story is more than family history. It’s a driving force behind Jaeger Group’s mission today.
“We’ve been sending out manufacturing all over the world for decades,” he said, “saying we’re just going to be a service economy. The problem is all the service jobs are disappearing too. If we want to be the kind of world that people can raise a family in and be able to provide, we have to turn back to manufacturing.”
A Faster, Smarter Foundry
Jaeger Group’s facility, lean but equipped, illustrates how 3D printing is radically changing traditional manufacturing timelines.
“What used to take several months, we’re going to try to do in a week or two,” Walt explained, describing a ductile iron casting they’re developing for a major industrial client. “It’s one thing to make it, and another to make it right.”
The team now has four large-format printers that can handle parts up to 24x24x24 inches—critical for reshoring efforts that require flexibility, speed, and quality.
Walt speaks with conviction about the need to bring manufacturing back home, and he’s not just talking about it – he’s doing it.
The METAL Difference
Walt is clear that METAL played a key role in this evolution. He emphasized the practical nature of the training—applicable immediately to real-world projects—and praised the program’s impact on inspiring the next generation.
“We were the only business owners at the bootcamp, but what’s exciting is that we have young people looking at this,” he said. “They don’t have to work at large foundries; you can have little casting shops like the one I have that do very small parts and probably be very successful.”
Scaling Smart with Automation
Walt’s forward-thinking mindset doesn’t stop with 3D printing. With a background in automation, he’s already planning to integrate robotics into his shop.
“I got trained on every robot I could,” he said, explaining that he received the training for free at the Alabama Industrial Development Training center. “These four-day courses can do everything you need to hit the ground running. I’m more likely to buy two or three robots and train someone, rather than try to hire someone with experience.”
For Walt, automation is not a job killer—it’s an enabler. A way to scale a lean operation and meet the increasing demand for complex, cast metal parts right here on U.S. soil.
Whether it’s a water reducer, a crisper drawer mold, or small, detailed jewelry parts, Jaeger Group is proving just how fast a business can pivot when given the right tools, training, and inspiration.
Walt and Janelle’s story is a case study in what’s possible when modern technology meets an old-school work ethic. It’s also a powerful endorsement of METAL’s role in transforming not just careers, but industries.
About METAL
Led by IACMI – The Composites Institute® with funding from the Department of Defense’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, METAL strengthens and diversifies the U.S. metal manufacturing workforce, focusing on casting, forging and plate rolling. The program offers bootcamps, workshops, apprenticeships and more.