HISTORY
QUALITY & SERVICE SINCE 1946
In 1946, Harvey L. Charles begins production with 2 employees in the basement of a casket manufacturer in Kendallville, Indiana. First products included nose housings, pulleys, field cases, and commentator plates for a variety of starter and generator rebuilders.
Operations moved to the old Kendallville Gas Works facility. Production increases required expansion to 80,000 sq. ft.
A second and brand new manufacturing facility was added to accommodate rapid growth of production. Owen Drerup, son-in-law to founder Harvie Charles, joins the family business after graduating from Ball State University.
Wheel hubs and brake drums are added to the line of Reliable products and are sold to R.V., marine, and trailer manufacturers. Production of wheel hubs and brake drums exceeds 500,000 units per year. Additional products are introduced and sold to the starter rebuilder and garden tractor industries.
Reliable expands operations to a third manufacturing facility dedicated to producing axles and trailer supply products. Total manufacturing facilities exceed 250,000 sq. ft. Patented Sure Lube™ products introduced including spindles and hub assemblies.
Expanded operations to a fourth manufacturing facility. Expanded existing plant facilities to increase production space beyond 125,000 sq. ft. in plant 2 and plant 3.
Updated production equipment to include Mazak Veritical CNC Machining Center. <see current equipment> In 2010, Reliable President, Chuck Drerup (left), and CEO, Tom Walterhouse (right), acquire majority ownership of Reliable Tool & Machine and changed the name to Reliable Production Machining & Welding. Vice President, Greg Salway, is shown at…
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Reliable expands to a fifth plant. Plant 5 serves as Reliable’s main office headquarters. The bulk of Reliable’s manufacturing operations have been moved to the new facility.
In the fall of 2017, Reliable Production Machine & Welding installed a 1.2 megawatt solar array. The electric power generated from the solar field produces 75% of Reliable’s needs. The solar system uses net-metering, which allows excess solar power generated during peak sun hours to go back on the grid…
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Great Grandson of founder Harvey Charles, joins the family business after graduating from Trine University with a Bachelor of Science in Design Engineering Technology. Luke completed his Master of Business Administration in the Fall of 2020, also from Trine University.
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