Bearon Manufacturing: Machining Titan’s Cast Iron Valves since 2013

John Rush is one of those old-school people who make you want to pull up a chair and a good cup of coffee so that you can listen to their stories.

A sales rep for Bearon Manufacturing, John has been with the company for thirty-three years – in fact, he was their first employee. He knows just about everyone in the PA manufacturing space, including the wonderful folks at Keystone Koating, the company that does the powder coating for Titan’s blast cabinets and dust collectors.

John is also the connection between my uncle, Bruce Maurer, who founded Titan in 1953, and myself (I took over in 2013). He made his first sale with my uncle in 1991. His first order: a small cast iron handle.

Bearon made that part for years, until my uncle made a series of moves and redesigned the part. Business with Bearon stopped – and resumed when I took over Titan and needed a new supplier for our cast iron valves. I remembered John Rush and gave him a call.

Today, Bearon oversees the production of all of Titan’s cast iron valves by providing a turnkey solution: they contract with the foundry who does the casting, then machine the parts and powder coat them.

Bearon Manufacturing: Huge growth; still customer-focused

Charlie Beard started the company in 1980 as Keystone Enterprises, a supplier of machined components used in shipbuilding and commercial applications. The company also included New Holland Brass, Bronze, and Aluminum, which provided castings.

Says John, “Charlie invited me to lunch one day and asked if I wanted to be a sales guy for a new company he was starting; I said ‘yes’ and have been here ever since.”

The “new” company was Bearon Corporation; an ambitious businessman, Charlie made several strategic acquisitions over the years. Today, in addition to machining and fabrication capabilities, Bearon Manufacturing includes Bearon Aquatics, Yardley Inserts and Penn El, and delivers multiple services including, machining, casting, prototyping, and pattern making.

To house their equipment and growing workforce, the company recently completed construction of its new 80,000 sq/ft, climate-controlled facility in Landisville, PA.

While the company has grown and changed considerably, John says the company’s values haven’t changed. “’Honesty and integrity’ have always been Charlie’s watch words,” he says. “Our top value, however, is our dedication to customer service and quality.”

The company, says John, meets its promised delivery times. “If we say parts will be ready in four weeks, then we meet that deadline. If we can’t due to an unforeseen problem, we let you know as soon as possible.”

“No customer is too small”

Sums up John, “Charlie’s stance on Made in USA is very strong, as is working with small companies. It’s why he’s been so successful. He believes no customer is too small because you never know what that ‘small’ company will become. Titan Abrasive is an excellent example. Brandon has taken Titan to a whole other level.”

Having worked with Bearon for nine years, I can attest that yes, the company meets its promised ship dates and that all our valves are machined and powder coated to the highest quality standards.

Over the years, my uncle built the Titan name on our cast iron abrasive regulator valves, which don’t clog. It’s Bearon’s attention to detail that keeps us coming back year after year with our orders. Most important, the entire manufacturing process is performed in the USA.

To top it off, John Rush still makes sales calls to Titan – and, being on a first name basis with Charlie Beard, I know I can pick up the phone anytime and talk to him. Recently, Charlie hired Keegan O’Bannon as the new President of Bearon Manufacturing; he and John paid us a visit a few weeks ago to learn more about what we’re doing.

It’s people like Charlie and John that have made USA manufacturing great – and why Titan is proud of our decades-long relationship with them.

To learn more about Bearon Manufacturing and their capabilities, visit: www.bearonmfg.com