Berea is a historic suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, nicknamed the grindstone city. A sandstone quarrying industry once thrived on the banks of the Rocky River in Cuyahoga County. One of the city’s founding fathers, John Baldwin, revolutionized the production of grindstones with the invention of a water powered lathe. Those grindstones became a valuable tool used to sharpen equipment for farms, homes, and industry. 

Fast forward to 2026, and new technologies and tools, such as polyurethane, are expanding the lifespan of equipment. That’s what is produced at Carlisle TyrFil’s Berea, Ohio facility.

Polyurethane is a synthetic material that can replace the air inside of a tire. This prevents heavy equipment operators from having to shut down a worksite due to a flat. 

The Berea location is the headquarters of the Carlisle TyrFil polyurethane product group, producing exclusively polyurethane products that are sent to countries across the world. Millions of pounds of product are produced each year at this facility that keeps the world rolling. 

Once Carlisle TyrFil’s liquid polyurethane is applied to the tire, it is protected for life. It can get cut, punctured, even lose the tread, and the machine can keep going. This allows machine operators to choose when they want to change the tire, instead of being forced to change it because of a puncture. Carlisle TyrFil provides an essential durability to machines that allows operators of all kinds to get more done, without worrying about a puncture while they are onsite. 

Carlisle TyrFil pioneered the polyurethane tire fill industry in 1971, and it continues to lead it to this day. The company started as a solution for flat wheelbarrow tires, and over the years it has evolved into a global brand with a presence in over 50 countries. 

Keeping the world rolling is key to the company philosophy at Carlisle TyrFil. The company’s products are focused on “flatproofing,”, which allows heavy equipment to run constantly for longer, allowing operators to get more done. That level of efficiency makes a real difference for operators in the field, who need to know they can rely on their equipment to keep running constantly without the tires going flat. 

“None of this is possible without the support of our people,” said Matt Pearson, Vice President of Global Sales at Carlisle TyrFil. “Everybody here today is the ‘engine room’ for our business. They make the products, without this team nothing happens.”  

There is a lot of continuity within the TyrFil team. Multiple workers were celebrated for over 20 years of service, including Jim Hoskins, with 29 years of service, and Daniel Szojka, with 25 years of service.

Over a hundred years ago, this town’s most recognizable export was sandstone. That sandstone went all over the world, being used in grindstones, architecture, and more. Today, Berea is producing the polyurethane being used on off-highway equipment tires in countries worldwide. 

Whether it’s a tractor in a field, a haul truck on a mining site, or a skid steer on a construction site, Carlisle TyrFil makes sure the people who use equipment to build, power, and feed the world can rely on their equipment to keep working no matter the terrain.