Bryant Grinder, a division of Vermont Machine Tool Corporation, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2009, making it one of the oldest surviving machine tool companies in the United States. The company's history includes grind cylinders, connecting rods and other parts manufactured in 1927 for the Wright brothers' Whirlwind engine, which powered Charles Lindbergh's historic flight across the Atlantic. The Bryant motorized spindle, designed in the 1930s, continues to be the blueprint for other spindle manufacturers around the world. Bryant unveiled the world's first CNC multi-surface grinding machine in 1979-the Lectraline LL3. The first Bryant grinder to use linear drive motors and optical encoders came on the market in 2003. Today, the company manufactures a complete line of internal, external, universal and center-hole grinders.
"The exciting thing about Bryant is we have been continuing to develop our own proprietary grinding and software technology all along and selling it to niche markets," says Craig Barrett, president of Bryant Grinder. "We have been perhaps too quiet about our success over the years. A milestone anniversary such as this one is a perfect time to shine the light on our tremendous innovations and leadership in the grinding field."