What Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co. does

Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co., founded in 1903 in Geneva, Illinois, is the world's largest manufacturer of piston pins and a leading producer of precision powder metal components, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of employee-owned Amsted Industries Incorporated and a core unit of the Amsted Automotive Group formed in March 2021. The company's two product pillars are piston pins (powering over 150 million vehicles globally every day) used across internal combustion and high-performance engines in automotive, medium-duty, and truck markets, and precision powder metal components (notch/pocket plates, sprockets, hydraulic manifolds, cam plates, crankshaft timing wheels, differential gears, fuel/hydraulic pump gears) for transmissions, drivetrains, and industrial applications. Manufacturing is anchored by proprietary capabilities including in-house Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating production — unique in the industry — Soft Magnetic Composites for electric vehicle motors, high-tonnage presses (including a 1,600-ton press, the first installed in the industry), and the PMfirst four-step engineering services program.

The company runs seven facilities across four countries — United States (Geneva, IL headquarters plus Beaver Dam, WI), Mexico (Santa Catarina), Italy (Torino), and China (Shanghai wholly-owned and Xinyang joint venture) — supplemented by two 2021 China joint ventures (BN-HOFO in Anhui for powder metal; MEANS&VT in Wuxi for metal forming and tooling) and the November 2021 acquisition of SMW Manufacturing Company for cold-forming technology. Revenue is generated through B2B quote-based hardware sales to automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers under multi-year contracts, with named customers including Nexteer Automotive and Tenneco. The business is certified to IATF 16949:2016 (quality) and ISO 14001:2015 (environmental), and the Beaver Dam facility holds a 97% average quality scorecard rating with 100% on-time shipping for four fiscal years.

Name

Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co.

Legal name

Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co., Inc.

Website

https://burgessnorton.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co. is the world's largest manufacturer of piston pins and a leading producer of precision powder metal components, serving global automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers from seven facilities across the U.S., Mexico, Italy, and China.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Powertrain Components

NAICS

Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612), Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (336)

SIC

Screw Machine Products (3451)

akta.pro primary industry

Linear Motion & Mechanical Power Transmission (Ball/roller screws, linear guides, bearings, couplings) (IMAHAGAM)

Keywords

• Precision piston pins
• Powder metal components
• Automotive powertrain parts
• Soft magnetic composites
• Metal forming manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Piston Pin Manufacturing: Burgess-Norton is the world's largest manufacturer of piston pins, powering over 150 million vehicles globally every day. Revenue is generated through the sale of precision-engineered piston pins to automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
2. Powder Metal Components: Leading producer of precision powder metal components including notch and pocket plates, sprockets, hydraulic manifolds, cam plates, crankshaft timing wheels, differential gears, and fuel/hydraulic pump gears for automotive and industrial applications.
3. Soft Magnetic Composite Products: Specialized SMC components for electric vehicle applications and advanced machine concepts, offering three-dimensional magnetic flux pattern capabilities as an alternative to lamination stack technology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co. is the world's largest manufacturer of piston pins and a major producer of powder metal components for the global automotive industry. The company supplies precision-engineered components—including piston pins, powder metal parts, and soft magnetic composites (SMC) for EV traction motors—to passenger car, commercial vehicle, and Tier 1 automotive manufacturers. Operations span 7 facilities across 4 countries (USA, Mexico, Italy, and China) with more than 1,000 employees.

Product overview

Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co. is the world's largest manufacturer of piston pins and a leading producer of precision powder metal components. The company operates as part of Amsted Automotive Group and offers two core product lines: Piston Pins (powering over 150 million vehicles daily) and Powder Metal Components (including Soft Magnetic Composites for EV applications). The portfolio is supported by proprietary manufacturing capabilities including in-house DLC coating, tooling design, pressing, sintering, CNC machining, and automation systems. The PMfirst™ engineering services program provides customers with design optimization and testing support before production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PMfirst™: A proven four-step process structured to deliver engineered value and savings into powder metal products before production, including Visit and Concept Discussion, Engineering and Education, Testing, and Reality phases.

Products and services

• Piston Pins Precision-engineered piston pins for automotive engines; the company is the world's largest producer of this component, supplying global passenger car and commercial vehicle OEMs.
• Powder Metal Components Custom powder metal (PM) components produced for automotive and industrial applications; designed for high-volume, near-net-shape manufacturing of complex geometries.
• Soft Magnetic Composites (SMC) Soft magnetic composite materials used in traction motors for electric vehicles (EVs), supporting electrification and high-efficiency motor designs.
• PMfirst Engineering Program A structured engineering service program designed to deliver engineered value and cost savings into powder metal products before production begins, offered to OEM and Tier 1 customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Powering over 150 million vehicles globally every day
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SMW Manufacturing CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2021Amsted Automotive Group acquired SMW Manufacturing Company, adding cold-forming technology and engineering capabilities. Expands reach in commercial vehicle and industrial markets. SMW has five facilities in the U.S. and more than 250 employees, including vertically integrated manufacturing with some of the largest cold-forming equipment in the world.
• Anhui HOFO Mechanical and Electrical Co. Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 September 2021Joint venture BN-HOFO Material Technology (Anhui) Ltd. combines Burgess-Norton's 60+ years of powder metal expertise with HOFO's in-country manufacturing base. Joint venture has the largest powder metal press in China and will address domestic Chinese powder metal market for large complex components and growing EV component needs. Ready to manufacture production components in 2022.
• VT Industrial TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2021Joint venture MEANS&VT (Wuxi) Power Technology Co., LTD combines Amsted Automotive's metal forming and joining expertise with VT Industrial's sophisticated tool making capabilities. Expands presence in rapidly expanding Chinese automotive market and serves metal forming and tooling needs for European and Japanese markets. Will go into production with Chinese domestic OEM in 2023.
• TennecocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2020Supply agreement for Burgess Norton to provide full range of piston pin technology and bearing surface finish solutions for Tenneco Powertrain Business Group. Tenneco is a world leader in gasoline and diesel engine piston technologies. Combining 100+ years of manufacturing and technical experience to deliver improved engineered powertrain solutions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stackpole International: Direct competitor in precision powder metal components for automotive powertrain and drivetrain applications. Stackpole produces similar camshaft timing components, gears, and pump parts using powder metallurgy — directly comparable to BN's powder metal portfolio.
• GKN Powder Metallurgy (now part of Dana Incorporated): One of the world's largest powder metal component manufacturers, serving automotive drivetrain and engine applications. Directly comparable to BN's powder metal business and overlaps in gear, sprocket, and synchronizer component production.
• Mahle GmbH: Major global engine and powertrain components manufacturer that produces piston pins as part of its engine components portfolio. Most direct large-scale competitor to BN's piston pin business across automotive and commercial vehicle markets.
• Federal-Mogul (now Tenneco): Engine components and powertrain supplier that historically competed in bearings, pistons, and related components. Notably also a BN customer (Tenneco Powertrain) — making this both a peer and customer relationship.
• Metaldyne Performance Group (now Linamar): Powertrain and drivetrain components manufacturer with overlapping product portfolio in powdered metal gears, shaft assemblies, and precision components for global automotive OEMs.
• Porite Corporation: Japanese powder metal component manufacturer with global operations producing similar automotive drivetrain and powertrain PM components. Directly comparable in product mix and customer base.
• Fine Sinter Co., Ltd. Japanese powder metal components manufacturer supplying automotive and industrial markets. Comparable in technology approach (powder metallurgy for precision components) and customer segments (automotive OEMs).
• Capstan Atlantic: Powder metal components manufacturer serving automotive, industrial, and consumer markets. Comparable in production capabilities for precision PM parts and serves overlapping automotive OEM customer base.

Others

• Höganäs AB: World's largest producer of metal powder for powder metallurgy. While not a direct competitor, Höganäs supplies the raw materials BN uses and represents the upstream value chain in the same PM ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Wyman-Gordon (Precision Castparts): Manufacturer of forged and powder metal components for aerospace and industrial markets. Less direct overlap in automotive piston pins but competes in high-tonnage precision metal components for similar demanding applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/burgessnorton
• Facebookfacebook.com/burgessnortonmfgco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/140428

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co.