The AEM Manufacturing Express arrived at a true cornerstone of American infrastructure right on the shores of beautiful Lake Erie, Erie Strayer Company. Founded in 1912 by G.H. Strayer and a nine-man crew, Erie Strayer Company brings four generations of family leadership to the shop floor, backed by a 94-year legacy as one of AEM’s longest-standing members.
Inside their 175,000-square-foot facility, 30-foot bay heights and heavy overhead cranes set the stage for building the nation’s concrete batch plants. These massive, highly customized systems mix and pour the concrete used in airport runways, interstate highways, and landmarks like the Freedom Tower.
Known across the business as the “Cadillac of the industry,” Erie Strayer builds every machine around a clear promise: Rugged, Reliable, Respected. Their team writes the proprietary software for their own control systems and custom-engineers equipment for complex environments, including barge-mounted setups for major bridge construction.
That kind of respect in this industry is not possible without the dedicated team of smart and hardworking people at Erie Strayer who build this equipment. “Four generations of my family have been fortunate enough to be a part of this story, but the Strayer family did not build this company alone. It’s been built by the people in this building and in the field by our suppliers, our dealers, and partners who have trusted us along the way,” said Kyle Strayer, Company CEO. “I also want to recognize the people who came before us. We inherited a great company because previous generations of employees, customers, and leaders worked extremely hard to build it. Our responsibly now it to take what they built, continue improving it, and make sure the next generation has an even stronger Erie Strayer to be a part of. I truly believe our best days are ahead of us.”
The timing of the Manufacturing Express’s event was fortuitous, since Erie Strayer had recently hit a major milestone: its 10,000th contract. To celebrate this major accomplishment, the event featured a performance of the National anthem from local high school student Zoey Keith, and appearances from both Pennsylvania State Senator Dan Lauhglin and State Representative Patrick Harkins.
“Erie Strayer represents a very special and beautiful part of Erie, Pennsylvania but has tentacles that reach out worldwide,” said Representative Harkins. “We have always stood for hard work, innovation, craftsmanship, family, and a commitment to building things better in Erie. Manufacturing is not simply about machines, buildings, or products. It is about people like all of you here today.”
The focus on excellence in their engineering goes hand in hand with a deep commitment to customer relationships. Handing over a plant is never treated as a simple transaction, but rather the start of a multi-decade partnership. “Selling a batch plant doesn’t mean you sell the equipment, shake their hand, and say thanks for the business. It’s a 24/7/365 relationship over the lifetime of the equipment,” said Strayer.
That aftermarket commitment proved vital during the crisis at California’s Oroville Spillway, where Erie Strayer plants ran non-stop for months to help repair the dam and protect tens of thousands of people who lived nearby.
That same dedication carries over into the local community, where the company and its workforce support roughly 100 charitable organizations each year. Through the United Way, Erie Strayer serves as a corporate sponsor for McKinley Elementary School, while also backing the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, local youth sports, and regional health foundations. “We think that business owners and companies have an obligation to give back to their communities, but more so, it’s just something that our team is passionate about,” said Strayer.
Even as the company continues to expand, doubling the size of its business in recent years, its vision remains tied to its hometown. The roads, bridges, and runways that keep the country moving forward begin with the hard work happening every day at the Erie Strayer Company.
