SBA Honors Barron Industries as Great Lakes Manufacturer of the Year Amid Aerospace and Defense Expansion

Michigan manufacturer invests $10 million in advanced manufacturing and adds titanium investment casting capabilities

OXFORD, Mich., August 25, 2026--U.S. Small Business Administration Regional Administrator Brad Zaun visited Barron Industries Monday, August 24, to recognize the family-owned advanced manufacturer as the 2026 SBA Great Lakes Region Small Business Manufacturer of the Year and tour its expanding aerospace and defense manufacturing operations.

Zaun presented the award to Barron Industries President and CEO Bruce Barron at the company's Oxford, Michigan, campus. The honor recognizes Barron as the SBA's top small business manufacturer in the six-state Great Lakes Region of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Barron was previously named the 2026 SBA Michigan Small Business Manufacturer of the Year.

The recognition comes as Barron invests in increased domestic aerospace and defense manufacturing capacity, including a new $10 million Aerospace and Defense Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center (ADAMTeC) and vacuum-melt titanium investment casting capabilities.

"We are extremely honored to receive this recognition at both the Michigan and Great Lakes regional levels," Barron said. "This award is really a recognition of our employees. Their skill, innovation and commitment to quality have allowed a small, family-owned Michigan manufacturer to compete successfully on some of the most demanding aerospace and defense programs in the world."

During the visit, Zaun toured Barron's vertically integrated investment casting, additive manufacturing, CNC machining, inspection and non-destructive testing operations.

"The SBA wants to listen and learn from the small businesses that are the backbone of manufacturing in the United States," Zaun said. "They are the heartbeat of America, and Barron Industries is a prime example of that."

Barron's new 20,000-square-foot ADAMTeC facility is expected to add approximately $25 million in production capacity and 50 skilled manufacturing jobs, expanding advanced machining, inspection and testing capabilities for mission-critical aerospace and defense components.

Barron is also establishing vacuum-melt titanium investment casting capabilities following its acquisition earlier this year of assets and process knowledge from TriTech Titanium Parts, addressing growing demand for domestically produced titanium components.

"Our customers are asking their supply chains to move faster, increase capacity and provide more manufacturing capability here in the United States," Barron said. "Our investments in advanced machining, additive manufacturing and titanium casting are all aimed at helping meet that need while creating skilled manufacturing jobs here in Michigan."