Build your next chapter alongside someone who has spent 51 years mastering the craft – and helping others master it, too.
At Bearon, experience is meant to be shared. And there may be no better example of that than Steve Lewellin.
Steve has spent 51 years in the screw machining business. He has owned his own shop, handled complex setups and troubleshooting, and traveled across the country to help other manufacturers get their machines running.
Today, that experience is on the floor at Bearon.
“If you want to learn from the best person you possibly can on a Davenport, Steve is your guy.”
– Brian Waters, Operations Production Lead
Start Your Next Chapter at Bearon
Steve learned screw machines hands-on. Early in his career, he says it took about six months before everything really clicked. Within nine months, he was doing setups. Decades later, his approach to learning hasn’t changed much. Ask Steve and he’ll tell you, “The classroom is around the machine.” Troubleshooting, requires more than instructions on a page. It takes a real problem, time on the machine, and the opportunity to understand why something happened.
That philosophy shapes how he works with the people around him today. Rather than simply solving a problem, Steve wants operators to understand it well enough to recognize and work through it the next time. According to Steve, “That’s how you teach. Give people the opportunity.”
For someone joining Bearon, that means the opportunity to bring what you already know while continuing to sharpen your craft alongside someone who has spent a lifetime doing the same.
You can see the impact of that approach in people like Brian Waters.
Brian came to Bearon nearly five years ago after spending a decade in the printing industry. He had no previous background working with Davenports.Today, he’s an Operations Production Lead who runs and sets up the machines alongside Steve – and passes what he has learned on to other operators. “[Steve] has taught me everything that I know about Davenports.” Brian said.
And the learning isn’t limited to people new to the machines. Joe Stern, a Bearon supervisor who has spent 33 years working with them, knew Steve as a trusted resource even before they became coworkers. Joe shared, “I’ve been on these machines for 33 years, and Steve is still teaching me.”
The stories his coworkers tell may say more about Steve’s experience than any list of credentials could.
Ask the team what it’s like to work at Bearon, and the conversation quickly moves beyond machining. They talk about people stepping in when someone needs help. Leadership being present and accessible. Coworkers becoming friends. Time spent together outside of work.
Kyle Neville, who has been with Bearon for nearly three years, sees another side of Steve’s experience: how accessible he makes it. Despite decades in the industry, Steve is still right there on the floor with the team, working through challenges, answering questions, and sharing what he knows. “He has a hands-on role out in the shop, you don’t have to go through three people to talk to him. He’s very available.”
Steve has a simple way of describing how he approaches work: “Everybody helps everybody.” It’s a culture Steve has contributed to, but also one he credits with helping him grow.
After a career spent teaching others, he also recognizes that he has learned from the people around him at Bearon and how those relationships have shaped the leader he is today.
For someone considering what comes next in their own career, that matters. The opportunity isn’t only to work around experienced people. It’s to join a team where people are willing to share what they know and want to see each other succeed.
Steve has seen a lot over the course of his career. He’s run his own business, worked on machines across the country, taught generations of operators, and continued learning along the way.
What keeps him at Bearon is much simpler:
“If you want to work for somebody that cares about you and actually wants you to succeed, this is the place to be.”
Steve’s story reflects what a career at Bearon can offer: the opportunity to learn from decades of experience, solve meaningful challenges, and work alongside people who want to see you succeed.
Whether you are an experienced machinist or still developing your craft, you will have the chance to contribute what you know and keep building your skills. And, like Steve, you may find a team and a workplace worth staying for. Maybe you’ll find something worth staying for, too.
