Draft:PIC Design

PIC Design, Inc., is a manufacturer of gears, mechanical parts, fasteners, precision assemblies, and other industrial components. The company is located in Middlebury, Connecticut. It has a 35,000-square-foot production facility with approximately 50 employees.

In 2008, PIC Design became a subsidiary of RBC Bearings, a manufacturing business that produces industrial bearings and engineered components. RBC Bearings has 52 locations worldwide and employs more than 5,000 people.

History
PIC Design Corporation was established in 1954 in East Rockaway, Long Island, New York. In 1956, PIC Design became a subsidiary of Benrus Watch Company.

The company had a reputation for producing precision gears, eventually branching out to create industrial bearings, shafts, and tool components. During this time, its catalogs listed over 25,000 products.

In 1962, the president of PIC Design was Winfred M. Berg. . According to Frank J. Becker, a Republican who served in the U.S. House of Representatives, PIC Design contributed to the success of the Telstar project. This NASA project launched the first communications satellite into orbit on July 10, 1962.

Berg later left PIC Design, partnering with his son to found Winfred M. Berg, Inc., a competing manufacturing business that produced industrial components.

In 1967, Benrus Watch Company was sold to Victor Kiam, and a new entity called the Wells Benrus Corporation was formed in the state of New York.

Following the bankruptcy of Wells Benrus in 1977, The Precision Industrial Components Corporation was formed in Connecticut on April 23, 1981. This new entity had Joachim Herz as president, John P. Queenan as secretary, and Victor K. Kiam II as director.

PIC Design was purchased by RBC Bearings in 2008 for an estimated $6.6 million.

RBC Bearings Incorporated is listed on the New York Stock Exchange as RBC.

Catalog
PIC Design’s first catalog of mechanical parts appeared in 1957. The Smithsonian Libraries collection includes copies of the company’s 1970 and 1982 catalogs.

The 2007 edition of the catalog features a range of linear motion systems, bearings, brakes, gears, and gear trains. Many items have detailed diagrams, pictures, charts, and specifications. The most recent catalog includes over 120,000 items.

Certifications and Memberships
PIC Design, Inc., is a member of the American Gear Manufacturers Association, a trade group for companies that produce gears, couplings, and power transmission components. The company is also ISO 9001:2015 certified. It and its parent company, RBC Bearings, are compliant with RoHS, REACH,DFARS, and registered with DDTC/ITAR standards.