resurrection

schatz Federal bearings was one of poughkeepsie’s largest employers, with 1,150 workers as late as 1956. crippled by a 15-month strike, it went bust in 1980. it lives on, via some assets sold at the bankruptcy auction.

housed in a building a few hundred yards from the abandoned factory of the old company is a new entity, debt-free and profitable. the 83 employees of schatz bearing corp. eschew mass production in favor of custom orders, quick turnarounds and high-end products for aerospace. some of their ball bearings are made to specs measured in microns and cost thousands of dollars apiece.

Wouldn’t texas be a lower-cost location? yes, says president stephen pomeroy, who has an engineering ph.d. from Mit. but moving would entail an arduous process of getting recertified for airplane contracts. he’s going to stay put.