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Each month, we recognize one of the region’s top
manufacturers with the aid of nepirc, the Northeastern
Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center. Since 1988,
nepirc has been working with manufacturers to improve
their productivity, profitability, competitiveness and
long-term viability through consultative services.
Weiler Corp. global innovator of industrial surface conditioning solutions
From its start in the basement
of Karl E. Weiler’s home
on Long Island, this thirdgeneration firm in Cresco,
PA, is now one of the largest
manufacturers of brushes,
abrasives and maintenance
products.
“Having grown from a brush
manufacturer to a global surface
conditioning problem-solver, Weiler’s
mission is to help our customers
remain competitive in a global market
by providing complete solutions to their
surface conditioning problems,” said
Jim Teeple, Vice President of Global
Operations. “We continue to focus on
exports. Today, 10 percent of our sales
are exported outside North America
to countries and regions like Brazil
and other parts of South America,
the Middle East, Singapore, Thailand,
In 1944, Karl E. Weiler and his wife,
China, Australia and many other parts
Helmi, started manufacturing brushes
of the globe,” Teeple said.
in their home in Franklin Square, New
Teeple said Weiler continues to
York. They would make the brushes
expand, and one industry that has
at night and sell them during the day.
increased demand over the past few
Their first machine was a foot press
years is the petrochemical industry.
that Karl purchased for $35 and used
“With gas exploration around the
to make two miniature brushes that
globe and especially right here in
Weiler still manufactures and sells
Pennsylvania, the demand for our
today. That machine now sits in the
products is increasing. Pipeline
Weiler lobby as a symbol of how
manufacturing and installation requires
far Weiler has come. The business
the use of several of our products,” he
continued to grow through 1957 when
said.
they decided to move their company
Weiler is always looking for ways to
to Cresco, Pennsylvania, near Mount
improve and expand its product line
Pocono. That original Cresco building,
and to make its manufacturing process
which was 8,000 square feet., houses
more efficient.
one department in
“Weiler started
the now 240,000-plus
its continuous
square foot facility.
improvement
In the early 1990s,
program by
Weiler Corporation
implementing a total
employed about
quality management
250 people. Today,
system. That
under the direction of
happened in the early
Chris Weiler, third1990s and right after
generation company
we went for the ISO
President and Chief
9001 certification.
Executive Officer,
We partnered with
and his father, Karl
the Northeastern
M. Weiler, Chairman
Products like these nylon abrasive brushes Pennsylvania
of the Board, Weiler
were designed and developed by Weiler Industrial Resource
employs more than
Center in their
Corp. in Cresco.
400.
Weiler Corp. in Cresco, PA, employs more than 400 people in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
ISOnet program and from that point
on, we have continued to work with
NEPIRC with programs such as TWI
training and marketing. Today, we are
partnering on a value stream mapping
program that continues to improve our
processes inside the manufacturing
facility, but more importantly, as an
entire enterprise to do better things for
our customers and distributors,” Teeple
said.
In addition to the workers who
manufacture the products, Weiler
also employs engineers, marketing
professionals and people across many
other occupations.
“We make nylon abrasive products
here that were developed by our
engineers. Those same professionals
are designing state-of-the-art
equipment. We have found a great
workforce in the Northeast and it’s
really quite advantageous to the state of
Pennsylvania and the U.S. economy to
have manufacturers who are employing
so many professionals,” he said.
View a video about Weiler Corporation at www.nepirc.com/video
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