Barber-Nichols

Barber-Nichols

Designs and manufactures turbomachinery components

Overview

Barber-Nichols designs and builds turbomachinery components and systems for demanding industries. Its products include custom compressors, fans, pumps, turbines, generators, motors, and controllers, tailored for aerospace, cryogenic, defense, and energy applications. BN combines engineering design, fabrication, testing, and contract manufacturing with specialized consulting to deliver turnkey solutions. The company differentiates itself by focusing on customized turbomachinery and related engineering services, backed by decades of experience since 1966 and a broad in-house capability to design, produce, and test complex hardware. BN’s goal is to provide reliable, customized machinery and engineering support that meets stringent industrial requirements.

Significant Headcount Growth

About Barber-Nichols

Simplify's Rating
Why Barber-Nichols is rated
B-
Rated A on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated D+ on Differentiation

Industries

Industrial & Manufacturing

Energy

Aerospace

Defense

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Arvada, Colorado

Founded

1966

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • August 2026 contract awarded BN $136.5 million for Virginia-class submarine systems.
  • Graham's Q1 2027 defense revenue rose 40% to $41.3 million on submarine work.
  • September 2026 AEDA named BN an Outstanding Large Employer, supporting Arvada recruiting.

What critics are saying

  • Defense sales reached 60% in fiscal 2026; Navy funding delays hit revenue quickly.
  • Graham admits fixed-price Navy contracts run three to seven years, amplifying cost overruns.
  • A single program cancellation or lapse in Navy appropriations threatens BN's existence.

What makes Barber-Nichols unique

  • BN designs AS9100 turbomachinery for Navy submarines, space, and cryogenic propulsion.
  • October 2025 Xdot added patented foil bearings to BN's rotating-machinery stack.
  • BN's 2026 cryogenic test facility pairs high-speed data acquisition with thermal imaging.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Disability Insurance

Life Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Parental Leave

Bereavement Leave

Tuition Reimbursement

Performance Bonus

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

↑ 26%

1 year growth

↑ 26%

2 year growth

↑ 26%
Business Wire
Feb 3rd, 2023
Barber-Nichols, A Graham Corporation Company, Ranked Among The Top 10 Of Glassdoors Best Small Medium Places To Work In 2023

BATAVIA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM) (“GHM” or “the Company”), a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy and process industries, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Barber-Nichols, has made Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work in 2023, ranking 10 out of 50 in the U.S. small and medium company category. Glassdoor’s analysis is based solely on the input of employees who complete an anonymous review about their job, work environment and employer.Matt Malone, Vice President and General Manager - Barber-Nichols, commented, “We are honored to be recognized by our workforce as a great place to work. Years of attention to every comment on employee engagement surveys and taking appropriate actions to improve our business and culture is validated by this ranking. But it doesn’t stop here. We expect to further improve by providing our highly engaged workforce with the resources, professional development and culture needed to enable them to overcome the challenges posed by the complex world in which we operate

Barber-Nichols
Nov 28th, 2022
Barber-Nichols Receives Blue Origin Partnerships in Space Award | Barber-Nichols

Barber Nichols Inc. were selected for the Community Service Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the community through impactful works of service.

Business Wire
Sep 19th, 2022
Barber-Nichols, A Graham Corporation Company, Recognized By Virgin Orbit As A Critical Supplier

BATAVIA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM), a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission-critical fluid, power, heat transfer, and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries, announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Barber-Nichols, was named by Virgin Orbit as a critical supplier. “ We are honored to be recognized by Virgin Orbit for the value our solutions and engineering services add to their air-launch liquid rocket engines,” commented Matthew Malone, VP and General Manager of Barber-Nichols. “ For more than 25 years, we have been developing and providing leading technology for the space industry, which includes nearly 10 years in support of Virgin Orbit. I want to thank our employees for making this recognition possible. We look forward to growing our relationship and collaborating on driving innovative solutions well into the future.”

Oil and Gas Press
Mar 24th, 2022
Building Energy Holdings US LLC acquires Barber Nichols Inc.

Mr. Painter, Chair of the Board, commented, “With the acquisition of Barber-Nichols last summer, Building Energy Holdings US LLC expanded its experience requirements to include deeper defense industry knowledge within its mix.

Barber-Nichols
Mar 17th, 2022
Barber Nichols Inc. received award 2020 Aerospace Manufacturer of the Year Award on Mar 17th 22'.

Barber-Nichols won the prestigious and competitive 2020 Aerospace Manufacturer of the Year Award and now is vying to defend the title.

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