Blue Ridge Pressure Castings, Inc. of Lehighton is much like the aluminum that it uses to produce die cast parts—light but strong. With 77 percent of the aluminum die-cast production centered on the automobile and truck markets, markets that are truly globalized, this last of the high volume producers in Carbon County struggles to survive as a small fish in a global pond.

Fighting off challenges on multiple fronts—the decline of manufacturing in northeast Pennsylvania, the globalization of parts supply, the exodus of industries such as power tools to offshore production, the declining market share of domestic automobile companies, and the scarcity of an upcoming technically trained workforce, Andy Behler - Blue Ridge’s vice president of operations sees every day as a challenge.

The labor negotiations at the Big Three automobile manufacturers are the latest kinks in this complex net. Although business is currently soft, Behler is slow to cite this as a major factor. “It is difficult for us to measure that,” said Behler. “Right now we are slow. Whether that is strictly a function of the economy, or whether it is a function of the negotiations—I’m sure that they built some reserves before the negotiations. Now, we need to pay the price for that so there are some slow downs.”

Blue Ridge Pressure Castings, Inc. may be the most capital intensive business in Carbon County with a 85,000 sq. ft. facility, including 10,000 sq. ft. added two years ago, and 9 massive pressure casting machines, each in the five to six figure range, plus robots, automatic machining centers and spectrographic and x-ray analysis equipment. Still, this sixty year veteran company is small compared to its offshore competitors. “We are the smallest die-casting supplier to General Motors,” said Behler. “They really want global suppliers.”

In 1946, that two New Jersey Zinc Company researchers rented a Lehighton Fairgrounds cattle barn and set up shop as Blue Ridge Pressure Castings, Inc.  Tom Wilson – an engineer and Allen Behler – a technician had helped develop Zamak, the first die-castable zinc alloy. With Wilson financing the business and Behler as plant manager, they began the die casting operation. Their first product was a brass ornament for a Seth Thomas clock.

In the beginning, Blue Ridge die cast parts in zinc, brass and soon introduced aluminum alloys. In 1954, Blue Ridge moved into a modern plant at their current location at 10th & Bridge Streets in Lehighton. In 1959, following a severe fire, the plant was rebuilt.

Allen Behler’s son, Don Behler, started as an employee when Blue Ridge began operations. He went to college, studied engineering, returned to Blue Ridge, and in 1966, bought the company. He is the sole owner and continues as president at age 81. His son, Andy Behler – a professional engineer, heads day-to-day operations.

In 1990, responding to the exodus of American consumer products manufacturers to overseas production, Blue Ridge recognized that to compete they would have to focus on the domestic automobile and truck market. They discontinued production of zinc and brass in favor of the lighter and stronger aluminum—which automobile manufacturers were turning to for lower production costs and reduced body weight.

Although they are no longer at their 1980 height when they had an employment of over 200, they are working more efficiently with a crew of 145 and a handful of robots that have replaced workers at the hottest, most dangerous and most repetitive jobs. The jobs that remain are largely higher skilled and involve setting-up, operating or servicing the automatic die-casting machines; or maintaining the quality of the products through the application of high-tech analysis equipment.

Die-casting is a global capital-intensive industry. “Quite honestly just seeing what they have over there is scary,” said Behler. “It’s amazing the amount of capital that is being invested there. Not only do they have a ready labor supply at low cost but their plants are better equipped with newer equipment than our plants are in the US.  Their capital is coming from US and Europe, just pouring into those countries to take advantage of the low cost labor.”

How has Blue Ridge fought the good fight? First, they have taken the high ground. Their quality system is certified to T16949—the highest level, and their environmental system exceeds the ISO 14000 hurdle.

Behler calls the aluminum die casting industry a “Green Industry” because all the waste aluminum is recycled. The flash from the castings is returned to the furnace to be melted for a future pour. Dirty aluminum is sent to a reprocessor and is 100 percent recycled, unlike one of its major competitors, plastics.

Blue Ridge’s philosophy is to focus on engineered products where engineering and service provide value to their customer. “We are good at the niches we are in—where we can help with engineering and problem jobs,” said Behler—who recognizes this path is increasingly difficult in an increasingly commodity-based marketplace.

Still, Behler is optimistic. He sees the weak dollar as helping US suppliers and the recent automotive negotiations keeping some production in the U.S., which continues Blue Ridge’s ability to bid competitively on domestic projects. He is hoping that continued efforts to crack into the transplant market, foreign automakers in the U.S. will bear fruit.

“There has never been a time when things were less sure for manufacturing as they are now, said Behler. “On the other hand, there will always be some manufacturing here, with opportunities for those who are the best at what they do, and can maintain those niches. That’s where we hope to work and to have a future.”