Joe Michaels
Diamond
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2004
- Location
- Shandaken, NY, USA
Bernzomatic is pretty nearly a household word for propane torches. It is used generically by some people to describe any hand-held propane torch, whether it was made by Bernzomatic or someone else. In any event, I got word from a friend via email that Bernzomatic is closing its US manufacturing operations and shifting production to a plant in China.
Bernzomatic was founded by Otto Bernz in the 1890's in Newark, NJ to make plumber's tools. In those days, plumbers did a lot of lead work, so they needed some means to heat soldering coppers and melt lead on jobsites. Plumbers used charcoal fired stoves to melt lead and heat the soldering coppers. Otto Bernz introduced a blowtorch fired on "white gas" or naptha. The plumbers started using Bernz's blowtorches. I have an old brass blowtorch that was used by my uncle- an old time plumber who did lead work. He started with a charcaol stove about 1918, and got a Bernz Blowtorch in the 20's. It was a quality product with a lot of machine work that was a "lifetime" type of tool.
At some point, Bernz shifted production to a plant in Rochester, NY. They developed and marketed propane torches with disposable cylinders. These torches came into widespread use by not only plumbers but other trades as well as homeowners and hobbyists. My dad bought a Bernzomatic torch int he 1950's- it still says "Otto Bernz" on the valve & is still a good little torch.
In the 1970's, Bernz built a new plant in Medina, NY and shifted production there. They got into torches that burned MAPP gas as well as propane and some other applications for propane burners. As near as I can tell, they were a profitable company with production goign on at the Medina, NY plant.
Bernzomatic announced they would be laying off something like 320 people and shifting torch production to China. About 30-40 people would remain employed in the NY plant to handle distribution of Chinese made Bernzomatic products.
I, for one, will not be buying or specifying any Bernzomatic products that are made in China. I will check and see if their competitors (Goss, amongst others) are still making propane torches and MAPP torches in the USA. New York State is hard-hit with the loss of manufacturing jobs. Despite various incentives such as "Power for Jobs" (low cost electric power) and various tax incentives, manufacturing jobs keep migrating. It is bad enough if they migrate out of NY State, but at least stay in the USA.
It was generations of US plumbers as well as other trades, US consumers and hobbyists who put Bernzomatic on the map and made their name a part of the language. It is a fine "thank-you" on the part of Bernzomatic to drag up and shift production to China.
Bernzomatic was founded by Otto Bernz in the 1890's in Newark, NJ to make plumber's tools. In those days, plumbers did a lot of lead work, so they needed some means to heat soldering coppers and melt lead on jobsites. Plumbers used charcoal fired stoves to melt lead and heat the soldering coppers. Otto Bernz introduced a blowtorch fired on "white gas" or naptha. The plumbers started using Bernz's blowtorches. I have an old brass blowtorch that was used by my uncle- an old time plumber who did lead work. He started with a charcaol stove about 1918, and got a Bernz Blowtorch in the 20's. It was a quality product with a lot of machine work that was a "lifetime" type of tool.
At some point, Bernz shifted production to a plant in Rochester, NY. They developed and marketed propane torches with disposable cylinders. These torches came into widespread use by not only plumbers but other trades as well as homeowners and hobbyists. My dad bought a Bernzomatic torch int he 1950's- it still says "Otto Bernz" on the valve & is still a good little torch.
In the 1970's, Bernz built a new plant in Medina, NY and shifted production there. They got into torches that burned MAPP gas as well as propane and some other applications for propane burners. As near as I can tell, they were a profitable company with production goign on at the Medina, NY plant.
Bernzomatic announced they would be laying off something like 320 people and shifting torch production to China. About 30-40 people would remain employed in the NY plant to handle distribution of Chinese made Bernzomatic products.
I, for one, will not be buying or specifying any Bernzomatic products that are made in China. I will check and see if their competitors (Goss, amongst others) are still making propane torches and MAPP torches in the USA. New York State is hard-hit with the loss of manufacturing jobs. Despite various incentives such as "Power for Jobs" (low cost electric power) and various tax incentives, manufacturing jobs keep migrating. It is bad enough if they migrate out of NY State, but at least stay in the USA.
It was generations of US plumbers as well as other trades, US consumers and hobbyists who put Bernzomatic on the map and made their name a part of the language. It is a fine "thank-you" on the part of Bernzomatic to drag up and shift production to China.