Bernard is excited to announce that the company is celebrating its 75th anniversary. This milestone marks a history rich in welding product innovation that started with humble beginnings in a storefront on the southeast side of Chicago.
“Bernard was built upon a strong engineering foundation, which remains prominent in our culture today,” said Nathan Miller, VP and general manager at Bernard. “As the welding industry has evolved, Bernard has evolved with it and continues to build upon the history of innovative solutions designed to meet the needs of the global welding industry.”
Over the course of its 75 years in business, research and development efforts have led to multiple cutting-edge technologies, including perfecting the Dual Shield welding process in 1954 — now known as flux-cored arc welding (FCAW). During the 1960s, the company introduced its Bernard® MIG welding gun and wire feeder, which served as the basis for continued gun and consumable innovation.
Today, Bernard offers its customizable BTB semi-automatic air-cooled MIG guns and other MIG gun lines that can be configured online to meet a customer’s specific needs. Bernard introduced its AccuLock™ S consumables in 2019 to address liner trim length errors and erratic wire feeding, leading to less troubleshooting, downtime and rework. This consumables system is in addition to its longstanding Centerfire™ consumables line.
Bernard was family-owned and operated until 1970 when Dover Corporation purchased it. In 2001, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) purchased Bernard, which is currently a division of Miller Electric Mfg. LLC in Appleton, Wisconsin. Miller is wholly owned by ITW.
Watch to learn more about the Bernard 75th anniversary.
About Bernard
Bernard, located in Beecher, Illinois, manufactures premium semi-automatic GMAW (MIG) and FCAW (flux-cored) welding guns, consumables, accessories and manual arc products. For more than 75 years, Bernard has been an innovator in heavy-duty MIG welding and a contributor to improved welding productivity. Bernard is a division of Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, a leading worldwide manufacturer of Miller® brand arc welding products headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin.
For more information about Bernard’s welding products, visit BernardWelds.com; call 1-855-MIGWELD (1-855-644-9353); fax 1-888-946-6726; email info@bernardwelds.com; or write to Bernard, 449 West Corning Road, Beecher, IL 60401. Outside North America, call +1-519-737-3000 or fax +1-708-946-6726.
