Member Profile: Brinkman International Group Inc.

Precision machining runs in the Brinkman family. Both father and son have had their hand in running precision machining companies. Earl Brinkman was a young mechanic when he began working at Davenport Machine Tool Company Inc. in 1925. In 1966, he became president of the screw machine production and rebuilding company and retired in 1979 as “Mr. Davenport.”

During high school, Robert Brinkman began his career at CJ Winter Machine Technologies, a producer of thread rolling dies and attachments, slides and quick-change tooling. A few years after his father became president at Davenport, Robert acquired and became chief executive officer of CJ Winter in 1970. In 2003, he purchased the assets of Davenport Industries LLC, which had gone bankrupt, and along with CJ Winter, joined both companies under the holding company Brinkman International Group Inc.

Both companies, located in Rochester, New York, have 105 employees with Robert as chairman of Brinkman International. Adding to the many successes that Brinkman has accomplished, the Davenport Machine division became ISO-certified in 2004.

“At Brinkman, we strive for creating quality spare parts and machinery, while keeping prices low. Customer service is our number one priority,” says Robert. “The biggest challenge with Davenport was overcoming the bad reputation that had developed during the declining years after my dad Earl retired.”

To best meet customers’ variety of needs, Brinkman International has the following equipment: a flexible machining line that services most of the machine parts, gantry-loaded mill/turn centers, horizontal and vertical mills, CNC machines, CNC grinders, broaching machines and a heat-treating facility.

Brinkman’s PMPA Membership

“We use the PMPA membership as a source of contacting and staying in touch with the premier screw machine companies in the country,” says Mr. Brinkman.

One way that Mr. Brinkman networks is by attending the Management Update Conference.

“We all have similar goals and experiences. The Management Update Conference gives Brinkman the chance to network and share best practices with others in the industry. The Conference’s programming also provides good ideas for our company,” he says.

Mr. Brinkman attended PMPA’s recent Management Update Conference in Orlando, Florida, and enjoyed speaker Dr. Carlos Rizowy, a political analyst who provided a global perspective of the industry.

A PMPA member since the 1970s, Mr. Brinkman also uses PMPA’s benchmarking reports, training advice and lobbying group to stay informed about relevant legislation on the federal level.

According to Mr. Brinkman, the Technical Conference serves as an excellent source for him and his employees to discuss with others how to handle different jobs. It is also an opportunity to learn about and show new products. In addition to the Technical Conference, he likes attending the Annual Meeting, so he can network and learn about the state of the precision parts industry.

The e-mail Listserves are another method of connecting to the industry. “We use the PMPA Listserves every day. It gives us a chance to answer questions and put a question out there. It’s been very helpful in bettering our business,” Mr. Brinkman says.

One of the main aspects of the membership that employees find beneficial is PMPA’s focus on precision turned parts. The Precision Machining Technology Show (PMTS), which Mr. Brinkman helped launch, concentrates only on precision machined products and suppliers.

“PMPA meets our needs in growing our company and servicing our customers,” he says. “It’s an invaluable resource for technical and business information.”

Brinkman International Group Inc. is located at: 167 Ames St., Rochester, New York 14611
Phone: (800) 288-7655, Fax: (585) 429-5095 Web site: brinkmanig.com