Herb Sweny, a returning WWII veteran, founded Modern Industries, Inc. in 1946 with this foundational mission: Do the Right Thing and Do the Thing Right. This meant a tough, fair, and honest business practice with a focus on improvement. Today, these characteristics have led the company to become a primary source of heat treating services in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Source: Modern Industries
To do the right thing and do the thing right, the company uses four vertically integrated divisions of manufacturing and industrial support services. The first division, heat treat, is made up of over 40 furnaces of varying type, size, and process capability. These furnaces are capable of various heat treating processes: carburizing, annealing, vacuum processing, and many more. Certifications in Nadcap, AC-7102, IATF 16949, an ITAR registration, and several zero-finding audits over the past five years aid the heat treat division in doing the thing right.
The three other divisions — machining, lab testing, and products — work with heat treat to be a one-stop-shop for certified parts. The machining division provides production manufacturing and sub-assembly. The lab testing department consists of an on-site laboratory which, through the research division, provides the ability to combine process, testing, and certification. The product department creates work and tool holding products. Herb Sweny’s tough, fair, and honest business practices are now applied to the automotive, aerospace, medical, and military industries, as well as others. A second generation family business, Modern is committed to providing certainty of outcome and demonstrating quality turn-around time. These qualities have propelled the business forward, and the company now supports customers in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada with services that were historically “local” at Erie and Kersey, PA facilities.
Source: Modern Industries
For Modern Industries, the final element of doing the right thing is a continued focus on improvement. Over 75 years of business, the company has seen the evolution of heat treating capabilities and changing best practices. In the next five to 10 years, they hope to use this experience to continue to maintain adaptability and meet the evolving market requirements. Their most recent investment in this goal was the addition of the area’s largest 10 bar capable vacuum furnace. A new operating furnace control system is also advancing them towards improvement. With deep roots in the past, Modern Industries is looking steadily toward the future, doing the right thing and doing the thing right.
