Excelsior Brass Works

Started in 1896 near the end of the 19th Century, Excelsior Brass Works opened as a small foundry and metalworking business in Reading, Pennsylvania. Originally Excelsior did metal pattern work for other foundries as well as pouring brass castings for the lighting industry, bearings, and custom machine parts.

Early in the 20th Century, the foundry moved to a larger facility in Reading. Our main products during these early times were lamps, lighting fixtures, candlesticks, and church articles. Custom casting was also beginning in earnest to more fully utilize the foundry's capacity.

World War I created a decline in the lamp business, but an increase in custom castings. Through the 1920's and 1930's Excelsior made battery terminals and connectors in high volume as well as continuing ornamental items, but eventually custom castings became our strength and major business as WWII approached.

When the United States entered World War II, Excelsior's work focused mainly on war materials. Our business continued to grow after the war and in 1948 the plant was updated to provide increased capacity and to focus exclusively on custom castings. Business continued to be strong over the next three decades and in 1974 Excelsior moved to a new and larger facility located in the Excelsior Industrial Park in Blandon, Pennsylvania, eight miles north of Reading. Our current facility is one of the more modern brass foundries in the world - energy efficient and environmentally compliant - carrying on our long proud heritage of producing high quality custom sand cast brass and bronze castings into the 21st Century.