Top Shops: Burkard Industries, Top Business Practices

Jay Burkard likes to keep things simple, which is why he promotes his coating company to prospective customers as their “one-stop coating shop.”

The company president markets Burkard Industries as being able to provide manufacturers everything from prototype to production, focusing on meeting their finishing requirements with the advantages of competitive pricing, superior quality and timely delivery.

“We assure customers they will get the highest quality level by using the latest application techniques and equipment,” says Burkard, whose shop is being recognized for its business practices in the Products Finishing Top Shop Benchmarking Survey.

Burkard Industries’ services include electrocoat, powder coat, CARC military coatings, Alodine conversion coating, immersion zinc phosphate, iron phosphate, high-heat-resistant paint, custom masking and assembly.

Those capabilities are applied across a wide spectrum of markets, including military, automotive, industrial, commercial and entertainment, and Burkard Industries has become known as a nationally-recognized leader in cleaning, pretreatment and coating processes for decorative and protective coatings.

“Our employees and management team work very hard to be the best in the industry,” Burkard says. “Our employees are the key to our success, which allows us to provide our customers with quality service and competitive pricing.”

The company was founded in 1934 by Burkard’s great-grandfather, John A. Burkard, who started it to perform die casting of casket, marine, recreational and automotive hardware. It wasn’t until 1967 that the company started chrome plating products, but it ended that specialty when it added powder coating in 1988.

Less than 10 years later, Burkard Industries added a second powder coating line and a batch system a year after that, fully engulfing itself in that industry. It was just after that, in 1997, that Jay Burkard left a management position at Ford Motor Co. to join his father, John E. Burkard, to run Burkard Industries.

One of Burkard’s best marketing initiatives is demonstrating how each generation of his family has enriched the company with a level of education and expertise not commonly found in other coaters.

“Our customers are assured the best policies, procedures and technologies are used every day,” Burkard says.

Burkard Industries’ ecoat system is one of the most advanced in North America, boasting a 14-stage pretreatment process of both immersion and spray stages.

“We have an optional acid bath for laser cut and welded parts,” Burkard says. “We provide excellent quality for all part configurations.”

Burkard Industries | 586-791-6520 | burkardind.com