“The Monty” Talks Heating Elements With “Mr. Steve Bennett” of “Industrial Furnace Interiors & US Element”
We are very excited today to be talking heating elements with “Mr. Steve Bennett”, of “Industrial Furnace Interiors” of Sterling Heights, Michigan, USA. Steve, I understand that you are a family-owned business-as part of a family-owned business myself I have to say that I have a real affinity for other family firms. I get ahead of myself though, let me ask about your history. Perhaps you could tell us about when the company was formed when you started and what significant changes have happened over the years.“My dad, Clyde Bennett, started IFI in 1982. As a metallurgist who spent his early years in molybdenum and tungsten materials before diving into heating elements, he was convinced he could outperform the competition. I joined full time in 2009, practically born for it. I’ve been making heating elements in the plant since I was a young teenager. With my electrical engineering degree, I brought a fresh angle to his expertise after a decade of experience in semiconductors and automotive electronics.
Back then, we were small: a handful of employees, no real systems, just tackling one job at a time. It worked perfect for low volume. Since joining, I’ve added structure—ERP systems, quality checks at every step—without losing what made us special. All our growth has been by word of mouth, no advertising. I’m sure many companies still don’t know us, but I’m proud we’ve built a solid foundation, and we’re ready to expand.”
During previous conversations you mentioned a new “brand” by the name of “US Element”. How does this brand differ from others you have and where do you intend to go with “US Element”?
“I’ve been dreaming up US Element for 5-6 years, and it’s finally here—starting April 1, all our heating element work will operate under this new brand. It’s a division of IFI, laser-focused on elements. IFI has tackled many heat treating related projects over the years, but we lacked focus. US Element lets us zero in and grow as a dedicated heating element company. We’ve set some new goals: cutting bayonet element lead times to 3-4 weeks, adding expedited options, and expanding our lineup to include some standard options. Check out https://www.uselement.com for more!”
Does everything you do revolve around heating elements? Do you have standard product offerings or are you more “custom”? What I am looking for is a very good summary about what “US Element” has to offer.“Pretty much everything we do at US Element ties to heating elements, and historically, it’s all been custom—designed and built to order. We design & build products like bayonet elements and radiant tubes, even full furnace layouts with mounting hardware, all in 3D. But we’re shifting gears a bit. Take our plug heaters: designing them used to take 1-2 weeks. Now, by standardizing sizes, we’re slashing that time and speeding up the process. You can see some of our horizontal plug heaters in the image I shared—and these can be tweaked as needed. We also repair open-coil heaters, saving customers 25-50% compared to new ones. For furnace OEMs, our new semi-standard options mean faster turnarounds right from their design phase.”
I have some technical questions I would like to ask you but before we get into the details there is another question I have to ask; with all this talk about an “energy revolution” and “decarbonization” are you seeing an increase in inquiries? Several furnace builders have suggested to me that they are seeing more inquires about electrically heated equipment as opposed to gas-is this translating into more orders for you?
“Yes, we’re seeing more inquiries, and they’re coming from two angles. First, companies with gas furnace designs are getting pushed by customers to go electric, and we’re guiding them through the switch. Second, folks with existing gas furnaces want to convert to electric, and we’ve successfully completed several of those projects already. Electric can be more efficient—no exhaust means less heat loss—but cramming the same power into tight spaces can be tricky compared to gas. It’s all tied to this decarbonization wave, and it has definitely kept us busy.”
The last question leads into this one-how much of your business is outside of North America? I ask because the percentage of electrically heated furnaces is much higher outside of North America.
“Most of our business is right here in the U.S. We have customers across North America—including Mexico and Canada—thanks to furnace designs that started stateside. We don’t sell directly beyond that, but I’d bet our elements are heating furnaces worldwide through our OEM partners. With electric furnaces being big overseas, it’s cool to think we’re part of that shift indirectly. Who knows, maybe we’ll chase those markets ourselves someday.”
You’re probably not going to like this question because there are so many variables but I will ask it anyway; how long should heating elements last?
“I’d love to provide a number on that, but it’s not realistic. Every process is different – atmosphere, temperature profile, runtime, byproducts, etc. – they all affect lifespan. And modeling each specific case would be cost prohibitive.Instead, we design on the conservative side, with the goal of balancing initial investment and long-term maintenance costs.”
Is most of your business directly with the furnace builders or more the end users?
“We have great relationships with several furnace OEMs and stick to working through them as our main channel. We are committed to them. But we’ve also picked up many end users over the years, especially ones with rival furnaces we’ve won over. Right now, it’s about a 50/50 split between OEMs and direct end users.”
Is a heating element a heating element no matter who builds it? “IFI” has obviously been very successful over the years, what do you do that has made you successful? Quality? Price? Delivery?
“No, a heating element is not just a heating elemenet – it’s about who’s behind it. Relationships, reliability, and solid process. Our core value, “Customers for Life” isn’t just a slogan, it’s why we’re here. Strong relationships mean faster work, fewer mix-ups, and quick fixes.
Our designs lean conservative – our design rules, developed and refined over the last 40 plus years, mean longer-lasting elements, and no risky shortcuts. We’re upfront when we hit our limits too. It all comes down to our process: relentless from quote to delivery, with customers as our partners. No design hits production without customer sign-off.”
Steve I am going to ask you to look into a crystal ball for this question-what does the future hold for you, your company, your products and industrial furnaces in general? I realize this is an unfair question to ask, however obviously you know your products and your customers very well and I (and our readers) I am sure are interested in any insights you can share.
“I’m really excited about our future. Similar to my dad, retirement is not part of my plan. I’ve built a team with almost 100 years of combined experience in the field. While others may chase products or prices, we invest in people.
We are more about evolving rather than overhauling. For example, modifications to existing element alloys that extend bayonet life inside a radiant tube.
We’re also eyeing other areas, like load banks for example. These are essentially heating elements using similar materials, just designed for a different purpose.
Small steps towards vertical integration are in the works as possible new divisions and include areas that won’t step on the toes of our OEM customers.
Electrical infrastructure is expected to grow significantly in the coming years to meet rising demand, and I expect electric furnace development (and as a result, heating elements) to benefit.”