McCall Monument — 40 Years Using the Same Titan Blast Machine
“The Titan blast pot came with the shop when I bought it in 1983,” says Lee Barnett, President of McCall Monument. “I bought the shop from the original owner, who had fallen ill.”
When Barnett took over the operation, the company made 35 – 40 gravestones a year. The Titan blast pot was in near mint condition, having been purchased by the previous owner in 1979.
Over the years, Barnett and his team grew the company to five locations in Iowa – and now produce over 1,000 gravestones a year.
“We still use that Titan blast pot,” says Barnett. “It’s our main tool for carving the names, dates, etc. We run it pretty much all day, every single day. All we’ve done to maintain it is replace a valve here or there.”
Barnett called the Titan office recently as he needed a replacement part for the machine. He sent us a photo of the part number / ID plate, as well as the wonderful photo above showing the name tag and serial number.
Before my uncle (who founded Titan in 1953) changed the name of the company to Titan Abrasive, it was known as Quaker State Machine & Supply Company, located in Rushland, PA.
Rushland was Titan’s very first location and is actually just down the street from where we are today. Amazing.
We’re thrilled that McCall Monument has been using a Titan blast machine every day for the last 40 years. It speaks to the longevity and reliability of our equipment.
Thank you, Lee Barnett, for sharing your story with us!
Brandon Acker: President
Brandon purchased Titan Abrasive from his uncle and founder in 2013. Titan has since redesigned its entire product line to solve dozens of industry challenges.
Brandon purchased Titan Abrasive from his uncle and Titan founder, Bruce Maurer, in 2013 after spending five years learning the ins and outs of the business. He and VP of Engineering Brian Fox have completely redesigned the entire product line to solve the dozens of challenges that have plagued the blasting industry for decades.
Brandon is passionate about American manufacturing, the jobs it creates, the quality produced, and the bright future that lies ahead. He’s a frequent guest on manufacturing podcasts where he shares his deep industry expertise. Brandon holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University.
