Top of the Chain with Scott Barsotti

CEO, Bergandi

An entrepreneur at heart and impressed by the history of the company, Scott Barsotti acquired Bergandi in 2001 and has since doubled annual sales. Bergandi, a global leader in the wire and metal process industries, holds an exceptional reputation for quality since its founding in 1928. Based in Ontario, California, Bergandi has a 25,000-square-foot facility with 32 employees.

WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PATH PRIOR TO ACQUIRING BERGANDI?

After high school, I became a professional ski patrolman at Mammoth Mountain in California. After three years on the mountain, I decided I better get busy and I founded an industrial painting and coating company that specialized in painting offshore oil rigs, industrial food factories and the spraying of industrial foam in the energy sector.

In the 80s, I moved into the asbestos abatement industry and divested from the coatings business. I was lucky to be one of the first into the industry and to my surprise, it grew rapidly and became the third largest abatement company in the country with 800 employees. I sold that business to a Fortune 500 Company in 1989 and founded a film preservation and restoration business working with all the major studios.

Galvanized security mesh produced by Bergandi

BERGANDI?

After selling the film restoration business to a large post-production company, and after taking some time off, I began looking for a new challenge. I came across Bergandi, a 73-year-old company at the time, and was intrigued by their long history and reputation in the industry.

YOU’VE MENTIONED YOUR BUSINESS PASSIONS ARE CUSTOMER SERVICE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY. WHAT DO THOSE MEAN TO YOU?

Innovation: Bergandi has been one of the main innovators in the chain link industry over its long history, including several patents on weaving equipment.

Customer service: We always want to live up to the reputation Bergandi established in 1928. Bergandi does not exist without its customers.

Technology: We’ve recently introduced the new, fully integrated F6 Drive for our weavers. For the first time, the 7” screen, HMI, PLC,
Motor and new 20-HP Drive are all produced by the same manufacturer, Kebco.

We are four years away from our 100th anniversary and look forward to growing and innovating with the industry and its changing needs.

WHAT IS YOUR VOLUME IN ANNUAL SALES?

Annual sales have doubled since the acquisition.

HOW MUCH HAS YOUR BUSINESS INCREASED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS?

The Covid years were a challenge for everyone but also brought substantial growth. Like everyone else, the supply chain disruptions lead to delays and cost increases, but we are seeing that begin to normalize as we come out of that unprecedented time.

BERGANDI BECAME A GLOBAL LEADER IN MACHINERY DESIGN UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP. WHAT ADJUSTMENTS DID YOU MAKE UPON BECOMING CEO TO IMPROVE THE BUSINESS?

When I took over Bergandi, we were largely a domestic business. We now have machinery in 66 countries around the world. At one point, 70% - 80% of our sales were international. I have been to 56 of those countries, establishing that growth.

We have also introduced pay-offs and take-ups for galvanizing lines, concertina lines and both styles of barbed wire machines (Iowa and reverse twist). We’ve expanded our extruder line offerings which now includes machinery capable of producing from 400 ft/min to over 1000 ft/min (with the 2.5” 800 ft/min being the most popular option). We have also refined our fusebond extruder to allow the option of PVC coating with as little as a 45-minute changeover. More recently, we have begun to produce fusebond and security mesh for some of our existing customers.

WHAT ARE A FEW HABITS THAT YOU’VE IMPLEMENTED TO IMPROVE YOUR OWN PRODUCTIVITY ON THE JOB?

I get up very early each morning to meditate. A habit I have had for most of my life. I find it helps quiet my mind and allows me to focus more clearly. I also like to stay very active.

WHAT IS A CAREER CHALLENGE YOU’VE FACED AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME IT?

The most difficult challenge I have seen was the loss of key employees. The long-time president of Bergandi, Greg Jendreas, sadly passed away a year ago after a long illness. We lost our production supervisor to Covid and our long-time CFO retired. So, in a sense, the entire management team has turned over and we are now in the process of rebuilding that team.

We hired Joe Penrod, formerly with Alta Forest Products, late last year as the vice president of sales and we recently hired Kim Critchfield, formerly with Riverside Cement, as the new head of finance. We’re now looking for an operations manager.

HOW DO YOU PROMOTE A POSITIVE WORK CULTURE?

We have employees who have been with us for almost 40 years as well as a crew of younger employees currently being trained by these veterans. I try to make sure everyone understands their role and how important individual effort is to the overall success of Bergandi as a company. I try to have a personal relationship with each employee.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY WHEN NOT AT WORK?

I enjoy golf, skiing, weightlifting and hiking.

WHICH DO YOU PREFER: MONDAYS OR FRIDAYS?

I enjoy them both for different reasons. Mondays are so busy that they go by quickly and Fridays are generally a little slower and help me ease out of the work week and into the weekend.

To learn more, visit bergandi.com.