Warren Design & Build is an Industrial Automation Company
Warren Design & Build, founded in 2014 in Warren, Ohio, started with the goal of becoming a significant industrial automation company and servicing the industrial automation needs in the Warren / Youngstown, Ohio, area. We began by servicing Aptiv and other companies in the region. Along the way, we quickly found our niche with emergency services, automation design, and build projects. We are located in Warren, OH, in the former Warren Coca-Cola building constructed in 1942. Our 40,000-square-foot facility housed a similar business servicing Delphi/Aptiv's Champion Technical Center.
In 2018, Warren Design & Build made its first acquisition, acquiring the machine shop assets of Henkel (formerly WR Grace). The acquisition of assets placed us solidly in the metal packaging industry. Our product line was based on compound application machines for the adhesive manufacturing of steel can ends. These machines, known by the trade names Darex and WR Grace, applied compounds to the perimeter of can ends. You can find our compound application machines running at 800 can ends per minute in food can factories worldwide. We now supply original equipment manufacturer replacement parts to can factories worldwide in 30-plus countries. Additionally, we build new compound application machines and rebuild the old ones for this same can-making customer base. We have an active base of over 2000 Darex and WR Grace compound application machines installed worldwide, which has helped us establish ourselves as a premier industrial automation company.
In 2020, WDB experienced the most significant personnel growth. While the pandemic shut down many sites, Warren Design & Build went on a hiring spree and hired as much talent as we could find, increasing our headcount from 17 to 28 employees. During this period, we not only grew significantly in personnel but also in sales, and the growth has not stopped.
In 2021, we committed ourselves as a premier industrial automation company and expanded into the Pittsburgh market, acquiring A.J. Drgon Associates, Inc. in McKees Rocks. This small machine shop added five experienced machinists and a footprint in the Pittsburgh market. A.J. Drgon serviced a wide range of industries in Pittsburgh. One of the most interesting products we produce services the airline industry as a bearing tester for airplanes. The product line is called ProofMaster. This active line is sold worldwide in 50+ countries and is the standard for all major airlines and the US Air Force in testing airplane bearings.
In 2022, we continued to expand in Pittsburgh and purchased Zia-Tech Gear Manufacturing, located on North Charles Street in Pittsburgh's Northside. This prominent gear manufacturer has been in business for over 30 years and continues to service all heavy industries, making custom gears up to 72 inches in diameter.
In 2024, Warren Design & Build continues to expand with the addition of the A.F. Paul Company in Coraopolis, PA. Since 1957, the A. F. Paul Company has specialized in large vertical machining (VTL Machining) and manufacturing Thrust Rings. We are pleased to continue offering these world-class products and services and welcome the employees to the Warren Design & Build family of companies.
WDB acquired the assets of Horix Manufacturing Company in McKees Rocks in August 2024. Horix Manufacturing has been in business since 1929 and specializes in manufacturing world-class liquid filling systems for almost any liquid. With approximately 200 active liquid filling lines installed around the world, WDB is positioned to service and continue to expand our liquid filling machine manufacturing at our U.S.A.-based operations in Pittsburgh, PA.
Warren Design & Build is here for all jobs, big and small. We service the food packaging industry by manufacturing compound application lining units (formerly WR Grace, Darex, and Henkel) and supplying all the replacement parts for these machines worldwide.
We offer a complete range of design and emergency repairs for all parts of OEM machines. We would love to help you through your next emergency. When your OEM supplier says it will take 16 weeks to get a part to you, please call us. Your production lines should not be down this long. We will make sure they are up and running as quickly as possible. This is why we are becoming a premier industrial automation company in the USA.
