Michigan Works! Names Barron Industries its Business of the Year
Oxford, MI – Oakland County Michigan Works! has selected Barron Industries, a manufacturer of engineered metal components for applications across the globe, as its first-ever Business of the Year. The company engaged Oakland County Michigan Works! to help it fill critical skilled trades openings. With assistance from OCMW and the state’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program, Barron has hired and trained 40 people for a variety of positions including foundry and mold technicians, finishing specialists, quality control and other roles.
Barron was chosen from among the 3,000 companies OCMW engaged with to assist with their workforce needs in the current program year. OCMW works with companies of all sizes, from small businesses to global corporations, in a variety of industries. Barron currently employs 75 people and plans to increase its workforce by adding a 2nd and 3rd shift at its manufacturing facilities in Oxford, Michigan.
“The entire team at Barron Industries embodies the true definition of partnership,” said Barron’s OCMW Business Service Representative Sarah Hug. “From the moment they reached out to workforce development, Barron’s staff worked tirelessly to gather resources and enroll in incentive programs to support the company’s growth. To date, their partnership has resulted in over $90,000 in hiring and training support.”
Barron received its first grant from the state’s Going Pro Fund which provided approximately 45 percent of the cost of employee training resulting in industry-recognized certifications. Current employees also received leadership skills training allowing them to advance to supervisory positions in which they direct and onboard new employees.
“As a small business, we couldn’t have done this without the support from Michigan Works!,” said President and CEO Bruce Barron. “In addition to providing new opportunities for our employees, the training also allows Barron to acquire new quality certifications to support continued growth.”
The company has received certification from the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP) for its nondestructive testing and welding processes, which has allowed it to attract new aerospace business. Barron Industries is growing rapidly due to an increase in orders for its precision machined castings and assemblies. In June 2019, the company purchased a 10,000-square-foot, $650,000 manufacturing center to accommodate new contracts from its aerospace and defense customers which have boosted revenues from $10M in 2018 to $15M in 2019 with a backlog that supports continued growth in 2020 and beyond.
A complete turnkey manufacturer, Barron Industries uses the investment casting process to produce safety-critical metal components for the Aerospace, Defense, Automotive, Oil and Gas, and other commercial industries. For more information go to Barron-Industries.com