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Titan Metal
Bellefonte Through the Years Staff
"Titan Metal company was born in June 1915 when a group of men organized the Alpha Metal Company located on the site of the rolling mill of the McCoy Linn Iron Company between Bellefonte and Milesburg. A new improved bronze rod to be known as Titan Bronze was to be rolled by use of water-driven and steam-driven rolls.
It was quickly realized that the improved bronze rod was not a practical commercial product. "The 'secret' alloy was found to hold few secrets and it was decided to produce commercial brass rod" which, at the time, was used in tremendous quantities due to World War II.
New capital was needed, and largely obtained from sources outside of Bellefonte. "The operation of the old rolling mill resulted in hugh operational costs and the new extrusion process was decided upon." This process demanded a new plant, so Mr. Funk, from Detroit, Michigan was hired by William P. Sieg to set up a metal forging operation for Titan Metal Co., when the company moved its plant, in 1917, from McCoy's Dam to the site of the former Valentine iron works, along Logan Branch where Cerro Metal Products now is.
Shortly after the United Sates entered the World War, Titan purchased a Detroit brass forging plant and moved to Bellefonte. The manufacture of brass forgings was new, and Titan became one of the pioneers. This addition to the plant was a natural one because brass rod is used in producing brass forgings.
In 1925 the company reorganized and the name was changed from Titan Metal Company to Titan Metal Manufacturing Company. During this period, employment rarely exceeded 150 men and women.
Soon after the boom days of 1928 and 1929, falling prices made it evident that lower manufacturing costs were needed if the company intended to survive. A $300,000 modernization and expansion program carried out at that time placed the company on a more favorable competitive basis.
In the 1940s, Cerro manufactured approximately 2000 various cast and forged items.
Ownership of Titan passed to Consolidated Coppermines Corporation in 1947, then to Cerro Corporation in 1959 and, through merger in 1976, to The Marmon Group, Inc.
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