Bruce Barron in a blue suit holds a trophy and a certificate, surrounded by 7 other formally dressed Barron team members standing in front of a blue backdrop with U.S. Small Business Administration logos at the SBA event

Barron Named 2026 Small Business Manufacturer of the Year

Barron Industries is extremely honored to be named the Michigan & Great Lakes Region 2026 Small Business Manufacturer of the Year! We received the award from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) during National Small Business Week which acknowledges the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler spoke during the Michigan Small business awards ceremony. 

“I believe all of us here agree, America’s strength does not come from top-down mandates. It is built from the ground up, through free enterprise,” she said. “It’s built here in Michigan, where there’s nearly 950,000 small businesses making up 99.8% of all your businesses here. You employ 1.9 million employees, making up about 47% of the workforce. And that’s really incredible. Not even to mention the billions of dollars that it means to economic opportunity in this state alone.”

Kelly Loeffler, Administrator of U.S. Small Business Administration, speaking at a podium during a presentation, with U.S. and SBA flags displayed beside her. A large screen shows a welcome slide.

Small Business Manufacturers Driving U.S. Economic Output 

Loeffler credited small businesses, comprising 99% of all private sector firms, for creating the majority of new jobs. She also gave a special shout-out to the small businesses that make up 98% of the U.S.  manufacturing base and generate nearly half of the nation’s economic output.  

“As business leaders, you also drive immeasurable contributions that really can’t be quantified, but they’re so powerful,” said Loeffler. “It’s the innovation that you drive, the job training that you contribute to, and the civic leadership that your community simply could not do without.” 

Over 100 Years of Metalcasting Expertise 

From a 1923 Detroit Foundry to a Turnkey Manufacturer

Barron Industries, a family-owned metalcasting company, traces its roots back to 1923 with the founding of an iron sand foundry in Detroit that supplied castings to Ford Motor Company. More than 100 years later, Barron is a turnkey manufacturer of precision machined castings and assemblies for aerospace, defense, space, energy technology and other commercial industries.   

“With our focus on innovation, we have continuously evolved to remain in the forefront of technological improvements and workforce development,” said President/CEO Bruce Barron. “We will soon open our new Aerospace and Defense Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center (ADAMTeC), as well as a new foundry dedicated to titanium castings.”  

Over the past 43 years, the Oxford, Michigan manufacturer has grown from 9 to 85 employees  and 13-thousand to 80-thousand square feet. At the same time, the company has evolved from a foundry operation to an advanced vertically-integrated metal component manufacturing facility including precision investment casting, additive technologies, rapid prototyping, CNC machining, non-destructive testing and welding.  An AS9100D accredited manufacturer, Barron delivers high quality engineered components using more than 200 ferrous and non-ferrous metal alloys. 

Investing in Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing Capabilities

In response to the award, Barron thanked the company’s government partners for supporting its growth: The State of Michigan provided a $900- thousand grant for the new $10-million ADAMTeC; assistance with workforce development through the Going Pro Talent Fund, and export expansion opportunities through subsidized trade missions. He also acknowledged Oakland County for its business development and workforce initiatives, Oxford Township for assistance with business expansion, and the SBA which offers support through loans, as well as business development assistance. 

Rapid Development with Hybrid Additive Casting  

Barron Industries combines additive manufacturing with investment casting to deliver faster and lower-cost solutions than 3D metal printing. Unlike metal-printed parts—often difficult to certify for defense applications due to material variability and process validation—Barron’s approach offers proven, certifiable quality. The company is AS9100 & Nadcap Certified, CMMC 2.0 Compliant, ITAR registered, and a Certified Small Business.  

Read how Barron Industries met its defense customer’s need for speed in its latest case study. 

Contact Barron today to learn how we can provide your mission-critical metal components!