Our History

Edward Brunner & Severin Lay open small blacksmith shop forging tools used in making sculptures, monuments, and building stones.

Brunner & Lay expands into accessories for pneumatic tools used in construction and stone industries. Polk Street Plant.

Severin Lay retires and sells interest to Edward Brunner.

B&L survives and continues to provide employment by making tools for the WPA.

Fred G. Brunner assumes responsibilities of the company upon the death of his father, Edward.

B&L moves to larger quarters in Chicago (727 South Jefferson) and begins manufacturing of drilling accessories.

1941-1945 – B&L supported the war effort during World War II, manufacturing tools for the Army Corp of Engineers and Navy.

Fred J. Brunner succeeds his father in running operations.

Builds larger facility in Franklin Park, Illinois

Brunner & Lay enters the tungsten carbide percussion drill bit market.

Brunner Canada begins manufacturing products in Mississauga for sale and distribution throughout Canada.

Production begins at new tungsten carbide bit facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Pit carburizing furnaces designed solely for the purpose of carburizing drill steel for construction and mining industries begins operation in Franklin Park.

Factory in Springdale, Ark. begins manufacturing products for sale and distribution throughout the Southwestern and Rocky Mountain States.

Brunner & Lay celebrates its 100-year anniversary.

Purchased Timken Rock Bit plant in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

F. Mike Brunner became president in 1988. He is the fourth generation of the Brunner family to oversee the company’s operations.

Acquired a sister company, Padley & Venables, which is located in Sheffield, UK.1992

Brunner & Lay’s worldwide operations encompass manufacturing plants and warehouses on three different continents. These include seven facilities in the United States, three in Canada, three in Great Britain, one in Germany, and two in Australia,including the warehouse in Kalgoorlie that opened in 2004.

Franklin Park manufacturing is consolidated with the Springdale facility creating a single source for all Mining and Construction Tools.

State-of-the-art corporate office and manufacturing facility is completed in Springdale.

William M. Brunner joins the company.

Constructed new warehouse and distribution facility in Flat Rock, NC.

Celebrates 135-year anniversary and continues to pursue the American dream and build our tools in the USA. It is with great pride that the Brunner & Lay organization can point to the many wonderful highways, dams, airfields, mines and quarries, and national monuments that it has shaped. These include, but are not limited to, Mt. Rushmore, Hoover Dam, the Chunnel connecting England and France, the Eisenhower Tunnel in Colorado, the Crazy Horse Memorial and Olympic venues worldwide.