Decades of growth: Bedford Reinforced Plastics marks 50 years in business | News, Sports, Jobs - Altoona Mirror

Oct 14, 2024

Apr 20, 2024

Courtesy photo /A worker for Bedford Reinforced Plastics organizes some of the company’s material in the warehouse.

CESSNA — From its humble beginnings in a small barn in Bedford Township, Bedford Reinforced Plastics has now grown into a global company.

Founded in 1974 by Melvin Stahl, the company is celebrating 50 years in business in 2024.

Stahl started his business with 12 employees and three pultrusion machines, and primarily manufactured products for the agricultural market such as fencing supplies.

BRP started to produce other composite structural shaped products about 1985, and today the company is a full-service supplier offering an extensive line of fiberglass-reinforced polymer products and services. Bedford Reinforced Plastics has 200 employees and an 85,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Cessna and a 105,000-square-foot facility in the Bedford County Industrial Park I (the former Cannondale building), which is used for inventory, fabrication and assembly.

Today, the company has more than $60 million in annual revenues.

For the past five decades, the company has invested in creating new technologies and state-of-the-art fabrication methods to enhance its line of high-performance structural fiberglass products to serve a wide range of applications and markets.

The company produces thousands of different products.

“One of our first structural parts were sludge flight scrapers for water treatment tanks,” said Marketing Director Eric Kidd, who has been with the company since 1987.

Products for wastewater and sewage treatment plants make up a significant part of the business as well as products for power generation.

BRP recently launched its Ready Series modular FRP products which includes ladders, platforms, guardrail and handrail systems, stair towers and span bridges.

Ready Series modular components are made of fiberglass-reinforced polymer so they can handle the harsh conditions that wood and metal can’t, according to a company brochure.

“Osco Safety (BRP’s national distributor) has exclusive rights to market the Ready Series, it is our primary direction moving forward. It’s now our primary product. We are on the cusp of making a full blown launch,” said Business Development Director Thomas S. Wright, who has been with the company since 1991.

BRP has also recently moved into automation and robotics.

“We have grown strategically based on the market we are attempting to enter into and capture. In 2022 our strategic planning included automation and robotics.

“We are now using AI,” Wright said. “We are just starting to scratch the surface on this. Companies need to embrace it, it is not going anywhere.”

“It has been difficult to get people, we need to figure out how to do things with a limited number of people,” Kidd said.

BRP also has a 3D printing shop, a process called additive manufacturing.

“We are on the path to 140 3D printers, we now have 90,” Wright said.

BRP has a highly diversified customer base.

“Our products are not residential, they are more commercial. They are shipped all over the United States and worldwide,” Wright said.

For example, Paccar Inc., a truck company that builds Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks, is a major customer.

“We manufacture battery hold down straps for them,” Kidd said.

Local customers include Structural Fiberglass Inc. and Leister Machine of Bedford.

Both have been doing business with BRP for more than 35 years.

“They are one of our main suppliers, last year they were our number one supplier. The flexibility of BRP over the last 50 years has helped make them the company that it is.The quality of their products is very good. Their customer service team has changed over the years but they have always had the same mindset to do what it takes to make the customer smile,” said Nora Williams, sales purchasing agent for Structural Fiberglass Inc., a designer and fabricator of fiberglass structures and structural systems, as well as a distributor of the fiberglass materials.

“We buy a lot of things from them. They are top notch, some of the best around for their service, I can’t say enough good things about them. We have a close relationship with them and also have been doing outsourcing for them for a long time. Those guys and gals are great,” said Leister’s owner Andy Leister.

In 2023, BRP introduced a transportation division, Reinforced Logistics, that specializes in freight arrangement and managed transportation services throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Bedford Reinforced Plastics has been a pillar of the community over the past 50 years, said President/CEO Bette Slayton of the Bedford County Development Association.

“Its legacy as a major employer is evident with its creation of quality jobs and strong support of community initiatives. The company’s contributions to our local economy have been significant through its annual payroll, property taxes and support of local businesses,” Slayton said. “Equally important to its economic impact, BRP’s commitment to excellence has brought pride and recognition to our county, showcasing its innovative and world-renowned products. Even with its phenomenal growth, the folks at BRP have always valued its deep roots in Bedford County, and we remain very proud of them.”

Company officials cite several reasons for their success.

“We have a refuse to lose mentality. We may not have the answer but we have a good strong team that will brainstorm and move forward,” Wright said. “We have a very robust marketing program and our website. We are heavy into social media. We are the only protrusion company that has an online inventory that is updated constantly.”

“We have had strong and consistent leadership groups, from the Stahls to the management team today,” Kidd said.

The company is owned today by Allen and Brian Stahl, the sons of Melvin and Carin.

Kidd said BRPs is best known for its customer service.

Kidd is excited about the company reaching 50 years.

“It is quite a milestone, from when I started the company has changed in a way I could never imagine,” Kidd said.

Officials are optimistic about the future.

“We are setting the company up for the next 50 years. We are looking to find the next generation of leaders within the company,” Wright said.

The company is planning a special celebration for June 7 for employees, valued customers, vendor partners and state and local dignitaries.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.

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