The Monty’s 50 Largest North American Commercial Heat Treats 2021

Since 1999 “The Monty” has been publishing annually a list of the largest commercial heat treaters in North America based upon annual sales, our 2020 list can be found at https://themonty.com/project/largest-north-american-commercial-heat-treats-august-2020/ This year readers will see we became much more ambitious and expanded the list to the 50 largest. Before we get into the list it is disclaimer time;

  • The pandemic has wreaked such havoc on the heat treating industry that it is difficult to know whether to use 2019 sales figures, 2020 or estimated 2021 figures since the past year and a half have been (hopefully) a temporary aberration. In the end we used a combination of sales figures from the past 3 years on the basis that our interest lies more in the relative ranking of each company as opposed to exact sales figures.
  • While the pandemic affected most companies on our list the pain was by no means evenly distributed. Hardest hit were those companies almost exclusively tied to the aerospace industry while firms specalizing in the medical industry saw little change and heat treaters related to the firearms business couldn’t keep up with demand.
  • Automotive heat treating has been a roller coaster for the past 2 years-the largest roller coaster you can imagine. While demand dropped substantially in April of 2020 it came roaring back to life later on in the year, only to be sidetracked by the “chip” shortage for the past 8 months. Our prediction is that when the chip shortage is resolved those doing heat treating of automotive components will witness unprecedented demand.
  • We would estimate that on average most firms saw their sales drop 10% in 2020, most are now slowly recouping these losses.
  • The vast bulk of companies on this list are privately held which means exact sales figures can be difficult to find. So while we are quite proud of our efforts and consider this list to be the most accurate available anywhere we do not for a second claim that it is 100% correct.
  • Over the years some readers have pointed out that our rankings are not always in line with MTI figures (Metal Treating Institute is the largest organization of commercial heat treaters in North America and they rank their members in each geographic region). We would concur with this for two reasons. The first is that not all commercial heat treaters belong to MTI which “skews” the numbers. For instance some of the largest commercial heat treater on the continent do not belong, this includes Bodycote, Woodworth and Advanced Heat Treat Corp. Second MTI tracks members in a particular region. For instance Specialty Steel Treating does not rank as the largest in Michigan which is where they are headquartered but when you factor in their facility in CT (a different region for MTI) the overall picture changes.
  • We are always asked where the information for our rankings comes from, a very fair question. The largest on our list, Bodycote is a publicly traded company and sales figure are freely available. Solar Atmospheres, #6 on our list is very open and said that we could post their sales figures,  Most of the companies on this list did share sales figures with us on the basis that they not be printed, a very reasonable request. Further verification came from knowing the number of locations, the physical size of each, number of employees and the processes each offers.
  • We appreciate the help and guidance everybody provided us with.
  • All figures quoted are in US Funds.

#1 Bodycote 

Without a shadow of a doubt UK based Bodycote is the largest North American commercial heat treater and indeed the largest globally. Want to know exactly what the company’s sales are? As a publicly traded company their financial results are easily found at https://www.bodycote.com/

Bodycote is the world’s leading provider of thermal processing services offering heat treatment, hot isostatic pressing, surface technologies, brazing, and specialist processes with unmatched capacity. Operating an international network of facilities and serving a wide range of industries including aerospace, defense, automotive, power generation, oil and gas, construction, machine building, medical, and transportation. Bodycote’s thermal processing services improve material properties such as strength, durability, and corrosion resistance, enabling manufacturers’ components to work more efficiently with significantly extended operational lifetimes. 

Bodycote is a vital link in the manufacturing supply chain, its facilities can process a wide range of component sizes to exacting standards with reliable and repeatable results. With over 185 facilities globally, Bodycote’s extensive list of accreditations across the network demonstrates the consistent high-quality services provided to its clients.

https://www.bodycote.com/

#2 Aalberts Industries

Aalberts N.V. is a public company with its global HQ in the Netherlands.  For years, Aalberts’ has maintained a significant position in the heat treat industry in Europe with its Hauck heat treatment division.  Aalberts has continued that success here with its group of US heat treaters:  Accurate Brazing, Applied Process and Ionic Technologies.  The US group consists of eight physical locations and offers a wide range of heat treating technologies with the most recent addition of HIPing in its Accurate Brazing facility in Greenville, SC. In July of 2021 Aalberts acquired all the shares of Premier Thermal which operates nine locations across the industrial Midwest in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio, generating an annual revenue of approximately USD 60 million with 250 FTE. Combined with the sales of their other locations we are estimating that Aalberts has catapulted into second position on our list.

www.accuratebrazing.com

www.appliedprocess.com

www.ionic-tech.com

www.premierthermal.com

#3 Paulo

Founded in 1943, Paulo is the largest privately held provider of thermal processing and metal finishing solutions in North America. Headquartered in St. Louis, Paulo operates six divisions servicing the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Southeast regions of the United States and northern Mexico. Paulo has been family owned and operated since the beginning, now the fourth generation carry on the business Ben and Pauline Rassieur started 77 years ago. The processes we offer include a wide range with some specialization based on the local markets while retaining redundancy for contingency planning. We provide the traditional heat treat processes via batch IQ’s, vacuums, and continuous belts.  In addition to those core services we provide nitriding, HIP, brazing,  zinc plating, and black oxide at select locations.

www.paulo.com

#4 Woodworth Heat Treating

The fourth largest North American commercial heat treater on our list is a company which operates 4 facility in two countries and specializes in large volume automotive work. “Woodworth Inc. provides a wide range of heat treatment services through our four facilities. We are currently located in Pontiac, Homer, and Flint, Michigan, as well as Puebla, Mexico. The company operates 40 large furnaces in North America. Woodworth Inc. has installed capacity to run 16 million + rotors per year. (2.2 million Lbs / Day).”

http://www.woodworthheattreating.com/index.html

#5 Bluewater Thermal Solutions

Bluewater Thermal Solutions operates 12 different heat treatment and brazing facilities in the United States and Canada and this makes us one of the largest heat treating and brazing companies in North America. Each location has different capabilities and equipment that allows them to offer specialized different types of processing required by their local markets. Bluewater provides thermal processing and metal joining to over 2,000 customers. In addition to specialty heat treatments and brazing, most of Bluewater’s locations offer traditional heat treatments such as annealing, hardening, carburizing, carbonitriding, vacuum heat treatments, nitriding, nitrocarburizing, normalizing, solution treat and age hardening, stress relieve, and many more.

https://bluewaterthermal.com/

#6 Solar Atmospheres

Solar Atmospheres Heat Treating Operations. The Solar Nation heat treating plants includes Souderton PA, Hermitage PA, Fontana CA, and Greenville SC, and have in total 357,000 square feet of plant space. This does not include Solar Manufacturing division which produces vacuum furnaces.  While the down turn in the commercial aircraft business due to Covid effected the company their military business along with their health care business remained strong and the company continues to be profitable. 2019 sales were $61.2 million USD, 2020 sales were $54.3 million and estimated 2021 sales are expected to be $55 million.

https://solaratm.com/

#7 Braddock Metallurgical

Braddock Metallurgical. Family owned Braddock Metallurgical was founded in 1953 by William Braddock. The company has eight production facilities mainly in the US Southeast, however the company also has a location in NJ and Puerto Rico. Braddock is a full service heat treater in that they offer virtually every process available. We are quite confident saying that they are the third largest family owned commercial heat treater in North America.

https://www.braddockmt.com/our-history/

#8 Specialty Steel Treating, Michigan, CT

Specialty Steel Treating, founded 1956, has been performing precision heat treating for more than 60 years. Since our inception, SST has always put quality and customer service at the forefront of our business philosophy. SST services numerous industries, ranging from but not limited to: Aerospace (military, commercial aircraft, space shuttle), Automotive & Truck, Industrial Bearing, Heavy Equipment and Tool & die. Specialty has facilities in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Fraser, Michigan and East Granby, Connecticut.

www.sst.net

#9 Nitrex​

Nitrex is a world leader in heat treating solutions with a unique integrated products portfolio composed of three divisions: Nitrex Turnkey Systems, United Process Controls and Heat Treating Services. Its Heat Treating Services division is an international full-service commercial heat–treatment solutions provider. With over 35 years in heat–treating, 9 locations in the U.S., China, Canada, Mexico and Europe, over 4000 unique processes, 18,000 lab test results and a team of skilled metallurgists, engineers and heat treaters, Nitrex is a solutions provider capable of going beyond traditional heat–treating services. Serving North American customers from its locations in Chicago-IL, Franklin-IN, Mason-MI, Las Vegas-NV, Montreal-Canada, and Queretaro-Mexico, Nitrex has established long term relationships with an array of OEMs, Tier 1s and end-users. While world-renowned for its nitriding expertise, Nitrex also provides a full suite of state-of-the-art vacuum, atmosphere, and LPC solutions to its many customers and will continue to expand its global footprint through 2020 and 2021.

www.nitrex.com

#10 Advanced Heat Treat Corp

Established in 1981, Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT) is a recognized global leader in providing heat treat services and metallurgical solutions. Between its locations in Alabama, Iowa and Michigan, AHT offers over 20 surface treatments such as UltraGlow® Ion & Gas Nitriding, UltraOx®, Nitrocarburizing, Induction Hardening, Carburizing, Quench & Temper and more.

AHT had record-breaking sales last year. Approaching its 40th year, the company credits its success to its loyal employees (42% have been at AHT for over 10 years) and a focus on “exceeding customers’ expectations.” Over recent years, AHT has been recognized for numerous industry and employer awards including, but not limited to: Business of the Year, Employer of Choice, Top 25 Most Influential People in North American Heat Treat and more.

www.ahtcorp.com

#11 Thermal Process Holdings

THERMAL PROCESS HOLDINGS is a dynamic growth company providing critical Metallurgical services to virtually every industrial sector. Our strategy is to provide industry leading thermal services throughout North America from our expanding network of facilities. Currently the company operates 5 locations around the US. 

www.thermalprocessholdings.com

#12 ALD Thermal Treatment

ALD Heat Treat Services is considered to be one of the premier heat treat organizations in the world specializing in distortion control through its specialization in Low Pressure Carburizing (LPC) and High Pressure Gas Quenching (HPGQ). ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH., operates two facilities in North America; each ideally located in the manufacturing heartland of the United States and Mexico. ALD Thermal Treatment, Inc., located in Port Huron, MI, opened in 2006 and the sister plant in Ramos Arizpe, Coah. (Mexico), launched in 2008, have both earned the prestigious General Motors Supplier Quality Excellence Award for six consecutive years. ALD is proud to note that they are the only outside heat treat facilities in the GM supply base who can claim this honor. ALD also operates another state of the art facility in Saxony, Germany and are on track for a fourth facility in Suzhou China in early 2021.

We are the solution for superior quality vacuum heat treating services, with a strong international presence and worldwide operation which includes furnace sales and furnace equipment servicing offered by our world-renowned ALD affiliates. Our Quality System, automation controls, Research & Development Team, in-house Laboratory, and other internal processes are robust and second to none. We are IATF 16949, AS9100, and ISO 9001 Certified, and we are also ISO 27001 and ISO 14001 compliant. We are currently seeking NADCAP certification and look forward to servicing the Aerospace Community with the highest degree of quality and precision available in the market today. Our processes minimize the distortion of precision manufactured components, such as the gears and thin walled parts found in major automotive (trucks and off-road vehicles), energy and aerospace applications. Often, our customers can reduce or totally eliminate post heat treat processing resulting in total part cost optimization.

www.ald.com

#13 Rex Heat Treat

Rex Heat Treat is a family owned-and-operated business that began the year of 1938 in Pennsylvania. In its beginning, Rex Heat Treat supported the United States military efforts during World War II. Since then, Rex has also managed heat treating plants in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. Through a combined 190,000 square feet, between the Alabama and Pennsylvania facilities, Rex Heat Treat is able to effectively serve industries, such as Mining and Drilling, Energy, Aerospace and Defense, and Transportation. With the installation of the world’s largest Vertical Vacuum Oil Quenching Furnace, Rex Heat Treat is primed for continued growth.

https://www.rexht.com/

#14 Dowa Thermotech Mexico

Globally Japan based Dowa Thermotech is one of the largest commercial heat treaters in the world so it is no surprise that it also ranks as one of the largest in North America. Their facilities in San Luis Potosi, Mexico and Bowling Green, Kentucky are both dedicated to servicing the Japanese automakers. It is difficult to say exactly what their sales are, however based upon what we know about their capabilities it is quite possible that the company deserves a higher ranking than what we are suggesting today.

https://www.dowa.co.jp/thermo-tech/en/about-tht/global/mexico.html

#15 Heat Treating Services Corporation of America (HTS)

Based in Pontiac, Michigan HTS is a privately owned commercial heat treater founded in 1978. The company has 4 plants in Michigan and serves the ferrous metal industries with thermal process and clean capabilities, which exceed sixty-four (64) million pounds per month. 

https://www.htsmi.com/about

#16 FPM Heat Treating

For over 40+ years FPM Heat Treating has been providing unsurpassed service and quality heat treating to the nation’s manufacturing community. We have assembled a leading team of heat treating practitioners and metallurgists who understand how to control the many process variables to satisfy and meet the challenging OEM and Military/Aerospace specifications. Some of our capabilities include Batch and Continuous processing of Through Hardening, Carburizing, Carbonitriding, FNC, Nitriding, Salt Bath and our Vacuum processing of Age Hardening, Annealing, Bright Hardening, and our patented Nitrotec Process. We are ISO 9001-2015 Certified at all locations and maintain Nadcap accreditation in our Elk Grove facility. Along with our Nadcap approval we have many accreditations and approvals such as CQI-9 certified, Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney, GE Aviation, and Honeywell just to name a few. We proudly are heavily involved in the Metal Treating Institute and local Mid-West trade associations

https://www.fpmht.com/.

#17 ThermTech Inc.

ThermTech in Waukesha, Wisconsin is a privately held commercial heat-treating company that offers a wide range of services to a diverse and discerning set of customers. It was founded in 1982 by Charles Wiberg and remains a family owned business. We are proud to offer exceptional, value-added services to manufacturers in the Forging, Foundry, Heavy Equipment, Machining, Oil & Gas and Tool & Die markets. ThermTech is currently ISO 9001:2000 certified.

https://www.thermtech.net/

#18 Industrial Steel Treating, Jackson, Michigan

Industrial Steel Treating Company (IST) began operations in Jackson, Michigan in 1943, initially servicing the growing tool and die industry in mid-Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Today, IST is one of the largest and most modern production heat treatment companies in North America. Two separate, across-the-street facilities house production, prototype sample and warehouse-inventory management capabilities within 350,000 SF.  Ten truck bays are within a short distance from I-94 and US 127, 24 hour receiving and shipping ensure fast order processing. IST obtained QS-9000 registration in 1996 and today is ISO 9001:2015 registered. We service metal parts manufacturers with clean heat treat processing. Quick and reliable, our goal is to satisfy your requirements; we will not let you down!

https://www.indstl.com/

#19 Stack Metallurgical

Stack Metallurgical Group consists of four sites strategically located throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Stack specializes in advanced heat treating, aluminum anodizing and painting, and hot isostatic press (HIP) services. With a rich history dating back to 1946, Stack has become a trusted partner to demanding clients in industries such as aerospace, power generation, precision cutlery, oil and gas, and general industrial.  Stack has been privately held by the Ederer family since 1974.  Over the last 46 years, the business has grown and expanded into new markets.  The most recent expansion, Stack HIP, was launched earlier last  year in Albany, Oregon.

www.stackmet.com

#20 ETSA, Mexico

ETSA Group, Mexico; Founded in 1979, Especialidades Termicas, S.A (ETSA Group) is one of the two largest commercial heat treaters in Mexico with 350 employees spread over 6 locations,  Guadalajara, Celaya, Aguascalientes, San Juan del Rio and Mexico City. In actual number of furnaces the company has 6 vacuum furnaces, 4 nitrocarburizing units, 20 batch IQ’s, 3 mesh belt lines, 2 large pit carburizers, 4 bell type for annealing and 1 austemper line. ETSA is a family owned business and the current CEO is Mr. Mario Fabian Mendez son of the founder of the company. The company also has an entire division dedicated to rebuilding and installing furnaces.

https://www.especialidadestermicas.com/

#21 Hansen Balk, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Since 1955, Hansen/Balk in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA has built a reputation as a state-of-the-art provider of steel heat-treating services. Our 85,000-square-foot facility features a full cohort of best-in-class batch vacuum and batch atmosphere furnaces, capable of processing orders of all sizes. We offer a variety of services, but are best known for the breadth and depth of our vacuum heat-treating capabilities-including high-pressure quenching up to 15 Bar-as well as unique services such as cryogenic treating, flame hardening and induction heat-treating services. We adhere to the most technologically advanced heat-treating methods with modern equipment to ensure your parts meet the required specifications-from hardness tolerance to surface finishes. We also bring customers a deep well of metallurgical knowledge, formed over six decades of work on millions of parts.

https://hansenbalk.com/ 

#22 East Carolina Metal Treating Inc.

East Carolina Metal Treating was founded in 1976 by Charles Ramm with just a salt pot.  When Charles retired in 1998, he passed down his legacy to his son, Jamie Ramm.  Through a commitment to continual improvement and reinvestment, ECMT has garnered a reputation for providing high quality service with great turnaround and the best customer service.  ECMT has a state of the art metallurgical lab and maintains Nadcap, ISO 9001, AS9100, and Appendix B certifications.  Servicing the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions the company has grown into a 45,000 square foot facility located just outside downtown Raleigh, and ECMT’s second location, Virginia Metal Treating, recently completed a 20,000 square foot facility in Lynchburg, VA.  ECMT offers a full range of heat treating services including Vacuum, Batch IQ, Nitriding/FNC, Induction, Cryogenics, as well as Black Oxide and partners with the best equipment manufacturers to provide repeatable quality results for our diversified customer base.  ECMT is proud to focus on treating customers, employees, and all other stakeholders with dignity and respect.

https://www.ecmtinc.com/

#23 Parker Trutec

Parker Trutec is a North American subsidiary of Nihon Parkerizing, a world leader in metal improvement technology. The Parker Trutec Group operates 6 facilities in the United States and Mexico which specialize in metal treatments and products that improve the resistance to wear, corrosion and fatigue of metal components. The company offers heat treating processes such as Gas Carburizing, Carbonitriding, Salt Batch Nitriding and Neutral hardening at two of it’s locations, Springfield, Ohio and Guanajuato, Mexico (note all processes are available at both locations). The Ohio location alone has over 20 furnaces.

www.parkertrutec.com

#24 Continental Heat Treating Santa Fe Springs, CA.

Nadcap approved Continental Heat Treating is an aerospace approved heat treating company located in Santa Fe Springs, California. Established in 1957 in Downey, CA the company moved to their current location in Santa Fe Springs in 1969 where it has grown and prospered under the leadership of Mr. Jim Stull.

https://www.continentalht.com/

#25 Metex Heat Treating, Mississauga, Canada, CA

Metex Heat Treating Ltd. In 1983, Metex Heat Treating Ltd. was founded by Mr. Surjit Bawa to serve the heat treating needs of the manufacturing industry in the Greater Toronto, Canada Area. Since that time Metex has grown into the largest commercial heat treater in Canada and the company services customers as far as Montreal, Cleveland and Michigan. We specialize in Continuous and Batch Neutral Hardening, Carburizing, and Carbonitriding. We also have 10 state of the art induction hardening systems.

https://metexht.com/

#26 Accurate Steel Treating, Southgate, California

Accurate Steel Treating was founded in 1962 on a strong commitment to quality and customer service. In 1989, Accurate Steel Treating was acquired by a new management team and embarked on a carefully planned expansion program. During the next 25 years, new processes and equipment were added to keep pace with growing demand including high-pressure gas quench vacuum heat-treating, precision carburizing, and ion nitriding. In 2012, management decided, along with encouragement from several key customers, to enter the Aerospace market to be better diversified and capitalize on the many opportunities developing in this sector.

Today, Accurate Steel Treating continues to be the fastest growing commercial aerospace heat treat service provider in the western US. We are AQS AC7004 certified and accredited by Nadcap for a wide range of thermal processes and support services, including vacuum & atmosphere hardening, gas carburizing, ion & gas nitriding, stress relieving, annealing, aging, pre & post cleaning, oil, salt, water & polymer quench mediums, titanium processing, straightening and metallurgical evaluations. The transformation to a fullservice Aerospace Heat Treat provider accelerated in 2014 when we achieved our first Nadcap accreditation, we have since accomplished many milestones that we are proud of. 

Accurate Steel Treating | Home

#27 Sun Steel Treating South Lyon, Michigan

Since 1958, Sun Steel Treating has specialized in providing our customers exceptional quality, expertise, and timeliness. Whether it’s hardening alloys, carbon steels, tool steels or high speed specialty steels, our engineers know the precise metallurgical processes to apply. Sun Steel Treating continually strives to be the most environmentally responsible heat treating facility. 

In 1981, Sun Steel Treating pioneered the use of plasma Nitriding as a viable surface hardening treatment.  Sun Steel Treating has Trade-marked and registered this process as Ionitriding®.  Sun Steel Treating has also pioneered combining the benefits of Ionitriding® and Steam Treating to develop IonWear®. Sun Steel Treating continues to make improvements in equipment, technology, and processes to meet the diverse application needs of modern manufacturing. Sun Steel Treating continues to lead the field in both capabilities and quality.

Ion Nitriding, Plasma Nitriding, Salt Bath Heat Treating, & Steam Treating by Sun Steel Treating – Detroit Area, Michigan – Sun Steel Treating – Detroit Area, Michigan

#28 Flame Metals

Flame Metals was founded in 1985 and operates a 100,000 square foot facility 7 days a week in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. With eleven integral quench furnaces (9000 lb max capacity) and two pit furnaces (25,000 lb capacity), the company is best known for its ability to process large critical components. Additional capabilities include continuous processing, vacuum, salt bath nitriding, neutral salt, induction, aluminum and car bottom.

https://www.flamemetals.com/

#29 Specialty Heat Treating, Houston

Specialty Heat Treat, Inc. is a family owned business and was founded in 1993 by Tom Moore in Houston, TX. SHT operates a 100,000 square foot facility on 9 acres and has grown to 42 furnaces up to 25’ in length. Customers include small machine shops, steel warehouses, OEM’s, and forgers almost exclusively servicing the oil and gas markets. Since 1994, furnaces have been in operation 24/7 with the exception of a few hurricanes.

www.specialtyheattreat.com

#30 Texas Heat Treating

Texas Heat Treating offers a wide range of heat treatments, testing and support services, operating 24 hours a day and seven days a week. CEO C.H. “Buddy” Crossley started Texas Heat Treating in 1977 as a small company in a 6,000 square foot shop. Today, the company has expanded to two large facilities, the first in Round Rock, Texas, and the newest plant in Fort Worth, Texas. We serve customers in the southwestern region of the United States and Mexico. With over 40 years of experience, we’re committed to professionalism, quality and on-time deliveries. We continually invest in modern equipment to ensure we can provide our customers with the highest-quality service. For more information about Texas Heat Treating, visit our website. 

www.texasheattreating.com.

#31 Century Sun Metal Treating, Traverse City, Michigan

You would not expect to find one of the largest commercial heat treaters in North America in Northern Michigan, however such is the case with Century Sun Metal Treating which for over 30 years have been offering heat treating services in Traverse City, Michigan. Century Sun (which is part of a larger group) has a great deal of vacuum and plasma nitriding capacity which they use to service a wide variety of industries.

#32 Thermetco, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Thermetco is a second generation heat treater founded by Mr. Andre Houle. The firm has over 100 employees and offers Carburizing, Vacuum Hardening, Austempering, Plasma Nitridng and Carbonitriding. In the past several years the company has moved to a new location, acquired two competitors and added a number of new furnaces. It is ranked as the second largest in Canada.

#33 Lake City Heat Treating, Warsaw, Indiana

Lake City Heat Treating in Warsaw, Indiana is part of a very small select group in that for years the company has offered Hot Isostatic Pressing which only a handful of companies can say. With roughly 13 vacuum furnaces and 3 “Hip” Vessels the company focuses on the medical and aerospace industries. Major shareholder is Mr. Bill Davis. Lake City has made our news section several times over the years, each time when the company was making a new equipment investment.

https://lakecityheattreating.com/

#34 Byron Products, Fairfield, Ohio

Founded in 1982 by Mark Byron in a 1 car garage, Mark has grown Byron into a very significant player in the Thermal Processing Industry in North America. The NADCAP approved company offers brazing, heat treating, welding and coatings all with a strong emphasis on the aerospace industry. The company operates out of 2 facilities in Ohio.
 

#35 Voestalpine AG

Voestalpine AG is an Austrian steel-based technology and capital goods group based in Linz, Austria. With over 30 locations around the world offering heat treating the company would rank as one of the larger commercial heat treaters in the world. While their heat treating operations in North America are relatively modest compared with their global footprint they do operate two very impressive facilities in North America, one in Canada and one in Mexico. We have no doubt but they deserve to be on this list. This photo shows their Canadian facility.

https://www.voestalpine.com/group/en/

#36 Thermal Vac, Orange, California

Founded in 1985 by Steve Driscol and based in Orange, CA, Thermal-Vac Technology is southern California’s premier brazing, heat-treating, and finishing facility offering first-class services to a wide customer base, including some of the most demanding in the industry. For over three decades we have been sought out by customers who require the most innovative solutions for challenging project needs, effectively helping to secure a position as a leader in the industry. With an original facility of 5,500 square feet and 11 active customers, Thermal-Vas transformed into a multiple location company with over 60,000 square feet of campus footprint. We have 80 team members, with 50 in production. Thermal-Vac is a family-owned business with second generation family leaders heading the business since 2012. Our team is comprised of many family-oriented relationships with over 25% of our employees being related to each other in some way.

https://www.thermalvac.com/

#37 Hi TechMetal Group (HTG)

Since 1943 Hi TechMetal Group (HTG) has been one of the largest commercial heat treaters in the Ohio, USA area. The firm has 4 locations in Ohio which offer Induction Hardening, Brazing, Vacuum Hardening and Brazing amongst other processes. President is Mr. Cole Coe, son in law of the founder Mr. Terry Profugi.

#38 Southwest Metal Treating Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Southwest Metal Treating Corp., (SWMT) Heat Treating Texas – Southwest Metal Treating is a family owned commercial heat treater in business for over 40 years run by Mr. Ryan Fussell. The company is full service in that it offers most heat treating processes including but not limited to; vacuum heat treating, carburizing, nitro carburizing, flame hardening, normalizing, stress relieving and Plasma Nitriding. Plasma Nitriding is a relatively new addition to the company in that it was added just a few months ago-a picture of which is included. The company operates out of a 50,000 square foot facility located on 7 acres. We feel quite comfortable including the firm on our list of the 50 largest in North America.

#39 Applied Thermal Technologies, Warsaw, Indiana

Applied Thermal is our second company based in Warsaw, Indiana to make our list of the 50 largest commercial heat treaters in North America. Like many of the companies on this list it is a family owned and run business started by Mickey Bradican-this is how the company describes themselves;  “Applied Thermal Technologies Inc. is a metal processing company specializing in bright vacuum heat treating and brazing of stainless steel and exotic alloys. Founded in 1992 to service the medical and specialty products industries in Northern Indiana and has grown to over 30,000ft² with international sales. Our specialty furnaces feature temperatures to 2800°F, levels to 10-6 Torr, all metal hot zones and extremely rapid cooling.” Applied Thermal is NADCAP approved and works very closely with with the aerospace and medical industries.
 

#40 American Steel Treating

Founded in 1989 by three Surface Combustion employees including the current owner and CEO, Mr. Roy Waits, American Steel Treating is located in Perrysburg, Ohio. While the company offers most types of heat treating covering a variety of industries we tend to think of them for high volume automotive work processed through a number of pusher furnaces. The company operates out of a 300,000 square foot facility close to Toledo, Ohio.

#41 Metal Finishing Company, Wichita, Kansas

Making our list of the “Largest Commercial Heat Treaters in North America” for the first time is “Metal Finishing Company” based in Wichita, Kansas, USD who bill themselves as the largest family-owned aerospace processing company in North America. This third generation company, formed in 1940 has a total of 9 locations in the US and Mexico, two of which are dedicated to heat treating, one for aluminum parts and the second for “hard metals”. Processes offered include Hot Forming, Straightening, Tempering, Normalizing, Annealing, Carburizing, and Carbo-Nitriding as well as Aluminum Solution Furnaces and aging ovens. This is in addition to the company’s plating, coating and NDT offerings.

#42 Zion Industries

Zion Industries based in Ohio is rather unique in that it is part of a very select group of commercial heat treaters, a group which focuses on Induction Heat Treating. “Zion Industries is an induction heat treating company that has been an industry leader since its founding in 1977. We provide high quality both in heat treating services and handling equipment for induction heating applications. Zion, like so many others, strives for excellence in service and quality. What distinguishes us is our primary motivation: Excellence that brings glory to God. We care about our customers, and are committed to the services we provide. Our goal is to meet the outsourcing needs of the manufacturing industry by delivering unmatched customer service and enhancing value for all stakeholders. Today Zion’s 100+ employees serve customers nationwide with facilities in Ohio, North Carolina and Michigan. We also serve clients from Pennsylvania (PA), Indiana (IN), Tennessee (TN), and Kentucky (KY).”

Induction Heat Treating (zioninduction.com)

#43 Contour Hardening, Indianapolis, Indiana

Contour Hardening, Indianapolis, Indiana. Contour was established in 1986 with the goal of providing a cost-effective solution to difficult heat treatment applications-specifically induction hardening systems. However the company is also known as a substantial commercial heat treater. Contour is located in Indianapolis, Indiana with a second location in Sialo, Mexico. While primarily known for their Induction hardening expertise Contour also offers gas nitriding and Nitrocarburizing.

https://contourhardening.com/

#44 Vac Aero, Canada

VAC AERO International provides heat treating and brazing of advanced materials for the aerospace and other high technology industries.  Specializing in vacuum processing, VAC AERO holds numerous heat treating and quality system approvals from prime manufacturers, with AS9100 and NADCAP accredited plants strategically located within the Toronto to Montreal aerospace manufacturing corridor of Canada.  The Oakville, Ontario operation is one of North America’s largest subcontract heat treaters of aircraft landing gear components while the St Laurent, Quebec operation is focused primarily on gas turbine engine and airframe components.

https://vacaero.com/www.vac-aero.com

#45 Winston Heat Treating, Dayton, Ohio

In 1959 Winston Heat Treating was formed to service the local tool & die market. Since then the company has always focused on moving forward with new technologies and in the 1970’s the firm became a real pioneer in vacuum hear treating which resulted in Winston becoming one of the first to achieve both ISO and NADCAP status. Like so many on this list this is a family owned business with David Reger acting as President and his father John remaining very active. We have watched Winston grow and more importantly invest and it is a fine example of a modern commercial heat treater.

Dayton, Ohio Heat Treating | Winston Heat Treating (winstonht.com)

#46 Metallurgical Processing Company, Warren, Michigan

Metallurgical Processing Company, Warren, Michigan.  Located in Warren, Michigan, USA Metallurgical Processing in Warren, Michigan, USA has been in business since 1954. Being located next door to Detroit it is absolutely no surprise that the company is almost exclusively dedicated to the auto industry. To take it one step further the company almost exclusively runs batch IQ furnaces offering processes such at carburizing, nitrocarburizing, carbonitriding and Ferritic Nitrocarburizing. Under the direction of long time heat treaters Jeff Pyne and Kevin Brown the company has been thriving over the past number of years.

MPC, Metallurgical Proccessing Company, Engineered Heat Treating (metallurgicalprocessing.com)

#47 Pinson Valley Heat Treat, Pinson, Alabama

Pinson Valley is owned and run by the Hendry family and is now in its third generation. Founded in 1970 the company has a very unique mix of capabilities including vacuum heat treating, atmosphere and some very interesting and unique tip up style furnaces.

Services | Pinson Valley Heat Treating (pvht.com)

#48 Akron Steel Treating, Akron, Ohio

The history of Akron Steel Treating in Akron, Ohio makes for fascinating reading. In 1943, the U.S. army helped Prosper P. Powell convert his garage at 654 Glenwood Avenue in the North Hill area of Akron into a mini-heat treating facility for firing pins. Operating in the secrecy of soaped windows and late-night deliveries, with overflow work conducted in the family’s kitchen oven, Powell launched a successful company. When World War Two was over Prosper asked the US government when they wanted the furnaces back. The answer was “they are yours now” and thus one of the oldest commercial heat treaters in the USA was born. Akron is still a family owned business and offers a very wide variety of heat treating.

Home (akronsteeltreating.com)

#49 Euclid Heat Treating, Euclid, Ohio

As are so many commercial heat treaters in North America, Euclid Heat Treat is another family owned business in this case the Vanas family. “The Monty Team” has had the opportunity to visit this facility a number of times over the years and have always been impressed with the variety of processes the company offers. “The Euclid Heat Treating Company was established in 1946 in a garage building at 1408 E. 222nd St. with salt furnaces and open fired furnaces. Since our inception we have expanded to include endothermic atmosphere furnaces, an entire building devoted to induction hardening, an array of vacuum furnaces including a vacuum oil quench and two 10 bar vacuum furnaces, pit furnaces, nitriding equipment and much more.”

#50 CRIO, Mexico

Commercial heat treater Crio is the third commercial heat treater in Mexico to make our list. The company founded their first location in Queretaro, Mexico in 2004 and since that time it has never looked back. CRIO now has 3 locations in Mexico which feature batch IQ furnaces, car bottoms, rotary hearth furnaces and press quenching systems. While the company does do a reasonable amount of aerospace work the backbone of the company is automotive work which means that the company achieved CQI-9 certification a number of years back.

Crio (criomx.com)