Barron Industries, a global, full-service manufacturer of precision metal components, is celebrating its 100th year as a family-owned Michigan based manufacturing company.
Founded as Motor and Machinery Castings in 1923 by Joseph H. Barron, the company has flourished through three industrial revolutions. What began as a Detroit iron sand foundry producing castings up to 60 tons, has evolved into a global manufacturer of precision investment castings and machined components for aerospace, defense, space, automotive, energy technology and other commercial industries.
"Like the first century, innovation will continue to be our focus in our next hundred years," said third-generation President/CEO Bruce Barron. "It is exciting because of all the technology that is available to increase the speed of production while reducing cost, and we will remain in the forefront of technology in our industry."
Another constant throughout the company's history is the family culture among employees, suppliers and customers. Employees who have worked at Barron for decades recruit their family members to join the company, which offers fully paid training and health insurance premiums for individuals and families of any size. In recognition of its commitment to workforce development, Barron has received the 2023 Michigan Works! Impact Award and was named the Business of the Year by Oakland County Michigan Works!
"It is a testament to the family culture of the company and the people that we have who are genuinely interested in not only seeing the company be successful but in satisfying the customer," Barron said. "We also try to treat the customers like family, which means they are very important, and when they have a need, we try to respond to it. If there is a problem, we do not sweep it under the rug-we address it, we work together and we resolve it."
Barron Industries can be traced to casting components for Henry Ford out of Detroit in the 1920s. Born in the second industrial revolution with the assembly line, the manufacturer witnessed and employed the third industrial revolution with automation, and now is an active player in Industry 4.0.
Barron integrated additive manufacturing (AM) into its investment casting process more than 30 years ago, and is continuously incorporating Industry 4.0 to augment traditional processes and attract new talent. Some examples are the addition of cobots and partnering with Oakland County and Automation Alley in the Project DIAMOnD network.
In the beginning, the company mostly serviced the automotive industry and developed a process to make large tool and die castings. Then, during World War II, it shifted process to produce aircraft tool and die castings to support the building of B-24 Bombers at Willow Run. Later, when heavy industry boomed across the U.S., the company became one of the few foundries in the country able to produce high-strength ductile iron castings up to 40 tons.
The foundry was ahead of the curve again in 1961 when it met the demand of its automotive customers looking for faster and less expensive ways to produce tool and die castings. Motor and Machinery became the first licensee of the "Full Mold Process" to produce automotive tool and die castings from Styrofoam patterns.
Located in Oxford MI, Barron manufactures precision cast components for the GDLS Stryker and Abrams tank programs, the Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), as well as BAE's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) and Bradley programs. Barron also produces high-strength, lightweight aerospace components for companies like Boeing, Ball Aerospace, Curtiss Wright, General Dynamics, General Electric, Triumph Group and more.
"This is a company that is also active in the trade mission arena, taking their products to different states and overseas," said Barron. "This company also has historical success in the federal contracting arena, which is something we try to help other companies in the county understand."
Congresswoman Lisa McClain (R-Michigan) congratulated Barron on its success. "A hundred years of keeping their business alive, keeping it flourishing and growing. In this day and age, over a hundred years is really a remarkable task," she said.
The investment casting foundry pours more than 200 ferrous and nonferrous alloys that pass strict nondestructive testing requirements for thin-walled, lightweight designs. Using the most advanced casting and CNC machining technology, Barron's start-to-finish manufacturing process includes everything from design for manufacturing to in-house Nadcap certified NDT and welding, as well as off-shore production and complete supply chain management.
For more information contact:
Barron Industries
949 E Mandoline Ave.
Madison Heights, MI 48071
248-585-0444
admin@baronindustries.com
www.baronindustries.com