Reduce, reuse, Re-Igloo: Civic Arena roof regifted by Wendell August Forge

What remains of the Civic Arena today is literally a shell of the once-great venue.

But thanks to the work of Wendell August Forge, the country's oldest and largest metal forge, Pittsburghers and Penguins fans are able to preserve their own piece of the local landmark after it's gone. Demolition on the arena began in late September 2011 and is ongoing.

The Wendell August Forge, based in Grove City, Pa., has recently added new products to its line of handmade steel crafts that commemorate the Civic Arena using stainless steel taken from the building's iconic retractable roof, including coffee mugs, pilsner glasses, coasters, wine toppers, money clips and bookmarks.

All new products feature the Penguins' original logo, used from 1967-1968 and the 2011 Winter Classic. Each product is also engraved with a seal certifying it as "authentic Civic Arena roof." Prices range from $18 to $95.

"Everyone wants a piece of The Igloo, and we were able to make things affordable," said Alex DeGroff, marketing and product manager for the forge.

The forge's Civic Arena project started in December 2011, when the forge decided to create and sell handcrafted holiday ornaments made out of steel from the arena's roof, crafted in two designs depicting either the Penguins team logo or the Pittsburgh skyline. The surprising and overwhelming success of the ornaments motivated Wendell August to add more products to the line last week after purchasing additional steel removed from the arena's roof.

"We tried to plan in advance how many ornaments we would produce," DeGroff said. "We estimated that we would make around 6,000 but we ended up producing over 82,000."

Since the ornaments were so popular and because each ornament is handmade, many customers who placed orders for ornaments in December are just now receiving their items. The ornaments are no longer being sold.

"It is a long process because stainless steel is more difficult to hammer," said Karen Anderson, regional retail manager at Wendell August Forge. "When we were making the ornaments, we were only able to make 20 to 26 an hour."

When demolition of the Civic Arena began, Wendell August was inspired to create the line using the stainless steel removed from the roof in order to provide a memento for not only Pittsburghers and Penguins fans, but also architecture lovers and collectors.

"We had already had a relationship with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, so it seemed like a natural fit when we found out the roof was for sale," DeGroff said.

The project is part of a recent ongoing relationship between the forge and the Penguins. According to DeGroff, the Wendell August workshop and retail store completely burned down two years ago. Just two days before the fire, the Penguins had made the largest order in the forge's history for the production of hand-hammered aluminum tickets to give out at the last game at Mellon Arena.

After the fire, the funding from the Penguins allowed Wendell August to rebuild, reopen its doors and produce the tickets in time for the final regular season Civic Arena game, April 8, 2010.

Because of this relationship, Wendell August decided to give a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each item to the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation. The Foundation sponsors programs for children to encourage wellness, teamwork and development.

According to Dave Soltesz, president of the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, the proceeds donated from the Civic Arena line will primarily be used to fund the organization's youth programs.

"In the spring we will be providing free sporting equipment to 290 schools in Allegheny County," Soltesz said. "It was really the perfect storm because here you have the building coming down and a lot of people have memories there and want to preserve them."

Dealing with an aged roof, however, is easier said than done.

"It is not an easy project," Soltesz said. "They have a 60-year old roof that has endured weather damage and everything else and they were able to convert it."

The whole Civic Arena project line has been hugely popular among fans and locals, DeGroff said, because the pieces of the arena can represent a memory from a game, event or even a fan's childhood.

"Pittsburgh is a sports town through and through, so it's no surprise that people wanted the product," DeGroff said. "Even beyond sports, the building itself has a connection for many people."

Due to the high demand for the entire line of products and the limited availability, fans should plan to secure their piece of the roof quickly because eventually the items are limited.

"We have no exact timeline for when production will stop," DeGroff said. "Eventually, we will run out of metal because the roof is only so big."

Items can be purchased at any Wendell august Forge retail store or on the company's website, as well as on the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation website.