Company History

Company History

Modern Industries, Inc. was founded in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1946 by a 26 year old, second generation immigrant, World War II Sailor, and tool and die craftsman named Herbert S. Sweny.  The company started with four employees in a 5,000 square foot rented building where precision component parts were manufactured.

In 1946, Modern’s customers were generally within 50 miles of Erie and limited to about 12 of the larger corporations in the area.  Customers had limited engineering capability with requirements and specifications varying from broad to unsure.  Few customers had formal quality assurance or capability requirements within their operation and many parts were manufactured to fit rather than to a defined tolerance.

Incorporated in Pennsylvania in 1960, Modern is guided by a strong work ethic, a thirst for knowledge, and mutual respect.  Modern Industries is still privately owned with four of Herb Sweny’s sons as managing officers and a team of employees and managers who have grown with the business.  The strong, long-term leadership team allows Modern Industries to make decisions based on long-term benefit rather than short-term gain.

Today, Modern Industries has four divisions (Machining, Hydraulic and Workholding Products, Heat Treat, and Laboratory Testing), 225+ employees, and over 350,000 square feet of manufacturing, engineering, and administrative areas.  We are AS-9100D, IATF 16949, ISO9001:2015, ISO 17025 certified to assure the highest quality product for our customers.  Heat Treating facilities are NADCAP certified and the Commercial Testing Laboratory is A2LA accredited.  Modern’s customer base has expanded to several thousand and its products and services are supplied to customers throughout the United States and the world.

Commitment to its customers and the absolute quality standards Modern live by makes the company a valuable partner in the industry.  Modern Industries provides its customers with the best possible machining solutions, the highest quality standards, and technical laboratory services.