The Story of ShieldCo

Luke started to wonder if the consulting life was the best fit for him, and after long discussions with a friend of his, he heard something that really stuck: “Things with an expiration must be done first.”

In February 2012 he quit his high-paying job and moved home without a plan. He knew he just wanted to work with his dad. “In the beginning I spent a lot of time on the forge, just swinging the hammer. It felt great. I remember one Friday night asking my dad to teach me some things, and there we were from 7pm until 11pm working side by side. It was one of the best Friday nights I can remember.

Shortly afterwards, he taught himself AutoCad, a design program, and began experimenting with their CNC machine, a machine capable of cutting steel with high precision.

Neil left the military and began his MBA at Columbia University. For the first time in many years, the brothers were finally on the same coast. Neil traveled home often and the brothers experimented together, their father alongside.

They developed a really unique way to make simple two-dimensional logos and images into three dimensions using metal as their medium. Their first prototype was of the Baltimore Oriole. It was crude, weighed nearly 20 pounds, and its jagged lines and assembly were less than pretty. It hangs on their timeline wall as a constant reminder of how far they have come.

This was also the first time, Luke or Neil (they can’t remember who) called the piece a “shield”. The name symbolized a way of showing your allegiance and support of an organization – a way to “protect your team”.

Their first finished pieces were for the Rangers, a 3D representation of the Ranger scroll. The scroll is worn on the right sleeve only by members of the elite unit who have completed a deployment; it’s a powerful piece of art. The scrolls were great practice for them and they donated their profits back to the Pointe du Hoc Foundation.

Neil and Luke continue to give back and are partners with both the Lead the Way Fund and the Pointe du Hoc Foundation, both 501(c)3 charities that support Rangers.

From there they created other pieces, again starting with what was meaningful to them. They recently released a beautiful, brushed stainless steel, three-dimensional version of the beloved Frederick skyline. They drew the inspiration from a similar piece of art created by their father and uncle Richard years ago.

Next, after receiving NCAA licensing approval in July 2014, they created a beautiful piece for the University of Maryland; a representation of the beloved “Terrapin”, the school’s mascot. It also serves as tribute to their great-great grandfather, D. John Markey, a World War Two veteran and the first head football coach for the University of Maryland, originally named Maryland Agricultural College, in 1902.

The brothers also enjoy creating custom pieces and have created high-quality versions of business logos for display in offices and entrances. They sold their first piece to the Director of the Lang Entrepreneurship Center at Columbia Business School. It is proudly displayed at the entrance of his energy consultancy firm in New York City.