Manufacturer Brings Heat Treat in House-A Case Study

“B&D Cold Headed Products” “In 1969, Albert Doyle saw an opportunity to provide better value for businesses requiring high quality fasteners. So he began rolling parts in his garage in Detroit, MI. Soon his hard work and customer focus started paying off. Over the years the Doyle family business grew into one of the most respected cold heading manufacturers in the Midwest.

Over the decades, B & D has built long-lasting strategic partnerships with suppliers and processors and assembled a dedicated team of professionals. We continuously invest in our business systems and processes in search of value for ourselves and our customers.”

Truer words were never spoken than the last sentence from the statement above -the company does indeed continuously invest in their business systems and “The Monty Heat Treat News” saw the proof today (Monday August 12th, 2025) in the form of their brand new in-house heat treatment department.

While the firm had long considered bringing heat treating in house the “spark” that ignited this decision was the rapidly dwindling number of local commercial heat treaters who could handle their very substantial heat treatment volumes.

The past year has seen the closure or upcoming closure of several commercial heat treaters in the area with continuous lines which can handle this type of fastener work, “AMAC Industries” of Cleveland, “Elm Plating” of Jackson, Michigan, “Commercial Steel Treating” of Madison Heights, Michigan and shortly to be announced two facilities in the Chicago area are all on this list.

The timing of “B&D” investing in their own heat treating capabilities at such a fortunate time smacks either of incredible foresight or incredible luck-having met the management team we with go with the former.

Currently the heat treat department consists of a single 4,000 pound/hour, gas fired, mesh belt furnace line built in 2003, completely rebuilt with automated loading, oil quenching with an SBS air to oil heat exchanger. The line entered production Friday August 8/2025.

September of this year the company will be starting installation of a second line very similar to this one with the same capacity and again completely rebuilt-it is expected that this second line with be in operation May of 2026.

Total capacity of the department will be 60 million pounds/year of which 15 million will be dedicated to B&D’s own products with the excess capacity dedicated to commercial heat treating. With the looming shortage of commercial fastener heat treat capacity in the region we expect the company to do well.

Total investment for the department will be upwards of $3 million USD and we understand that while this was certainly a group effort a great deal of credit needs to go to “Mr. Gary Harrison” who orchestrated the entire project.

It bares repeating that the company made this substantial investment to be able to offer their customers timely deliveries while controlling quality and their supply chain. In the experience of “The Monty” this is far and away the #1 reason why manufacturers bring heat treating in house.

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