Laciny Bros., Inc.

This is your sign to interview the senior members of your company!  Laciny Bros. sat down with some of our longest employees to capture their stories and to see what's kept them in the business for so long. Spoiler alert: they gave us some great insight! Check out what Steve had to say about being a part of Laciny Bros. Inc. for the last 20 years! Catch the full length videos right here on our LinkedIn page, or subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @lacinybros.inc.78 We will be releasing one per month.

Check out how we made this 70-Gallon Hopper.

To kickoff "Women's History Month" we want to celebrate the life and career of Arleen (Laciny) Ulz. Arleen was a pioneer in many ways, namely being a female business owner in an era when women weren't allowed or welcomed to be. Especially in a male dominated industry like metal fabrication!  As the only daughter of Leopold Laciny, one of the company's founders, Arleen grew up in the family business, much like her two brothers, Don and Lloyd. Arleen often said that she "wishes she were a man, so she could work out in the shop" but as history would show us, her keen business acumen proved to be most valuable at the front of the house. Known for her kindness and hospitality towards her employees and customers, Arleen worked relentlessly for the company for nearly fifty years.  When the opportunity to own the majority stake in the company presented itself, Arleen believed in her abilities and wanted to take the task head on. However, every bank in town turned their back to her, citing the improbability that a female could (or should) own a small metal fabricating business. Through sheer will and determination, Arleen secured a private loan from an angel investor to finance the buy-out, and thus setting a course for the company that still exists today. She owned the company from 1991 to 1997, eventually selling her stake to our third-generation owner and nephew, Bob Laciny, for whom would never have been given the opportunity to work at the family business without Arleen's kindness, strong sense of pride and business intuition.  Without these crucial decisions and pivotal results, Laciny Bros. would not be celebrating its 109th year in business as we are today. Arleen showed the character, leadership, grace and strength that paved the way for future generations of women in the workforce. It's an honor to recognize her life's work this March. Thank you, Arleen!

Happy Birthday to our third-generation owner/president, Bob Laciny.  Known for his warm demeanor yet stern and steady presence, Bob was instrumental in changing the course of Laciny Bros.' future when he assumed control of the operations back in 1991. It was Bob who spearheaded the move to our current location in University City, which proved to be pivotal not only strategically, but also professionally. He also initiated the growth and development of our engineering department, which improved efficiencies and opened up new design/build opportunities for the business.  His contributions went well beyond the X's and O's however, as his kind, honest and tireless approach to business relationships were well known in the St. Louis area and became a staple of the business. Reputations take decades to build, and seconds to lose, and Bob set the tone for the company's future every day he opened its doors, which tragically came to an end in 2009. We are all indebted to you and your hard work, Bob.  So, cheers and happy birthday to the big guy!   

In the age of AI and computers, the concept of being a "machinist" needs redefining. However, nothing will be able to replace the experience and craftsmanship of a true manual machinist. Being a "machinist" requires all of your innately human senses. You can feel the depth of cut. You can smell your speeds. You can determine if the proper chips are being removed simply from their color, and listening to your machine sing. It's a truly human experience that we hope lives to fight another day, because nothing can replace the feeling of making high tolerance parts with your own two hands........ That's the true definition of a "Machinist".

We recently had the pleasure of fabricating a custom Wash Drum for a long-time local client of ours. This cylinder passes parts through a chemical rinse bath using a helical screw and stainless bumpers to agitate parts inside of the drum. Motorized rollers spin the drum while chemicals enter the cylinder through perforated screens, thoroughly cleaning the contents. Managing consistent concentricity, and an overall length tolerance of +/- .125" over a 20' length, can be a challenge with the amount of welding on this unit, but our talented fabricators relied on their experience and speed to mitigate those issues.

Nothing embodies Laciny Bros.' skillset like this particular project does. A large, longtime customer of ours reached out to us regarding a very challenging, high-end project that demanded creativity, elite metal working capabilities and a willingness to overcome challenges. Drawing on over a century of experience and determination, we were able to create a unique, yet absolutely essential, one of a kind Infeed for their manufacturing process. What makes this so unique? Here are some of the features that separates us from our competitors..... -The angle of this hopper not only required a high level of engineering to pull off, but rolling and forming such an oddly pitched chute made fixturing is almost impossible. No machine could do what we were able to achieve -The material is C-276 Hastelloy, which is a corrosion resistant material that isn't as malleable as other types of metal. Its high nickel and chromium content make it difficult to shape and can only be beat into submission by true craftsman  -With this being a "sanitary" application, all welds needed to be TIG welded, and free of pits, cracks and crevices. No porosity in our welds or surface blemishes would be acceptable -To ensure proper flow and cleaning ability, all product contact surfaces required a mirror finish. Our expert craftsman were able to hand polish the interior of the hopper to a #8 finish (0-3 Ra microinches). Only years of experience and determination can achieve such results.   -While the hopper needed to hold 20PSI of pressure, with no deflection, there were ergonomic concerns for operators who were in constant need of opening and closing this lid. Our engineers were able to design a custom bearing so that the operators could easily swing the lid out of the way (missing corresponding tank features) and not worry about closing the lid on their fingers or damaging the interior surfaces. While the majority of the population simply enjoys the products that hit their shelves, we remain proud to produce the equipment that makes this possible. Chances are you've been in contact with our craftsmanship, you just never knew it! And that is custom metal fabrication at its finest!

Hi there..... We are pleased to announce that in 2024, Laciny Bros. Inc. relaunched all of our social media channels! Why should you give us a follow? Well…… 1. Laciny Bros Inc. is so much more than a metal fabrication company. We are a custom job shop that offers full design/build services for a wide variety of industries and applications.  With over 108 years in business, you can say that we have pretty much “done it all”. That being said, it’s easier to show people what we’ve done than try to explain it! 2. We have a story to tell!  Only 3% of family businesses make it to a 4th generation and we are extremely proud to be in that minority. Laciny Bros. has stayed family owned throughout its entire century of business, and we are proud of the hard-working craftsman who helped us endure the test of time. It’s the knowledge, experience and character of our owners and employees that have contributed to our long-term success. It’s takes decades to build reputations and seconds to lose them, so we take great pride in letting our hard work tell our story. 3. With being a custom job shop, versatility is paramount to our success. Executing at a high level is challenging in itself, but providing expert level goods and services on never before seen or done projects is almost unheard of. Drawing from our past experiences, we are able to apply designs and techniques to new applications that prove to be priceless when working with us. We employ the best engineers, welders, polishers, machinists and mechanics you can find, and their work needs to be shared with the world! 4. We are proud of the work we do, and who we do it for. Laciny Bros. has made its mark on the City of St. Louis over the past century, and odds are you’ve been in contact with our work in more ways than one.  You just may not have realized it! So, there’s no better way to tell you than to show you! Follow us on all of our platforms: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook to follow our story and watch our projects come to life. Instagram: @lacinybrosinc TikTok: @lacinybros YouTube: @lacinybros.inc.78 Facebook: @lacinybrosinc LinkedIn: Laciny Bros., Inc

Do you like solving puzzles? Do you like being creative? Do you ever find yourself daydreaming about how things were made? One of the luxuries of being a Laciny Bros. engineer is that you get to combine elite problem-solving skills with being mechanically creative. While serving multiple industries in a wide variety of applications, the experience and knowledge gained on a daily basis is priceless. Consider us a roller coaster ride for creative minds! #engineering #mechanicalengineers #creativeproblemsolving

We specialize in creating highly customized parts in a wide variety of industries. At Laciny Bros., you will have the opportunity to expand your skillset by programming and machining unique parts from a wide variety of materials, such as stainless steel, aluminum, plastic, and other hard alloys. As a custom job shop, you will never be watching the clock while running high volume parts; and as a small, family business, you will never just be a number, but rather a valued, long-term team member! Message us directly, or check out the full job posting on our website. We can’t wait to hear from you!!