The game changer: How one brake shaped this company’s future

By Anna Lockhart.  

Offering a high-quality, durable portable bending brake set the scene for this Michigan company back in the 1960s. Now, their products are used worldwide, breaking the mold. 

In a recent episode of the Roofing Road Trips® podcast, host Megan Ellsworth sat down with Gary Weinert, director of sales and marketing at Van Mark Products, to discuss the game-changing tool innovations their brand has brought to the table and how they can make a difference for contractors everywhere.  

For over sixty years, Van Mark has manufactured portable bending brakes and other products designed to offer users affordable, but durable additions to their toolbox. Gary shared, “We’re a small business, but that has its advantages. Being a privately owned company, we still have parts available from older products. So, if someone has one of our brakes from the 1960s, we most likely have a solution to help fix them.”  

That family owned, customer-oriented mindset has made Van Mark a trusted partner for contractors across the country. As they continue to find ways to show their customers their appreciation for the loyalty and long-time business, Van Mark continues to work towards finding ways to innovate and restore any legacy tools people might bring in. 

Proudly American made, the Van Mark product line sources most of their materials from local sources. Gary shared, “Based out of Michigan, many of our core extrusions and casting components are all from the Great Lakes region. Mostly Michigan, but a lot of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania, too.” As their product offerings shifted from primarily bending brakes to a vast system of tools, Gary emphasized that that’s just the beginning.  

“We’ve recently branched into metal roofing,” he shared. “We go to the METALCON trade show and the International Roofing Expo (IRE). So, what started out as just a simple machine to make 90-degree bends on a piece of metal has now morphed into many other tools that make our end user’s job easier and more efficient.” 

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about the legacy of Van Mark Products and what’s in store for the near future!