100 Years of Manufacturing Innovation
Bead Chain has been a proven pioneer in the manufacturing industry. From the innovation of a process called swaging (the production of metal bead chains using all the metal that goes into the machine), to producing over 22 million dog-tag chains for armed forces in World War II.
Since then, Bead Chain has continued to innovate. In 2014, Bead Chain hired its first female CEO, Jill Mayer, who then went on to appear in Connecticut Magazine’s “40 Under 40” in 2019.
Serving Loyal Customers Across the Globe
Bead has supplied authentic Bead Chain since 1914. Bead Chain is used on vertical blinds, as a ceiling fan light cord, securing gas tank and other marine parts, as window blinds, attaching commercial shower curtains, inside toilets and other plumbing fixtures, key chains for dog tags, and many other products. We offer the highest level of service available, demonstrated by over a hundred years of customer loyalty.
Leadership Team
Jill Mayer, CEO
Jill Mayer started at Bead in 2007 as Financial Controller where she managed HR, financial planning, budget management and financial reporting of both Bead Chain and Bead Electronics divisions. In 2014, she took on the role of Corporate President, responsible for strategic planning and executive leadership. In 2018, she was promoted to CEO to lead the company into the future through growth and innovation. She holds a BS in Business from the University of Vermont and an MS from Champlain College.
Lou Guerci, President
Lou Guerci joined Bead in 2015 to lead electronic sales and marketing efforts. In 2020, he was promoted to President to lead the company to be more innovative and profitable through growth and acquisition. He has more than 25 years of experience in the electronics and technology sector, working at Winchester Electronics, Amphenol and Teradyne. Lou holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Industrial Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Kristen Moreira, CFO
Kristen Moreira joined Bead Industries as Corporate Controller in 2015 and was promoted to CFO in 2018. As CFO, she directs the accounting, treasury, and control functions at both Bead Industries and McGuire Manufacturing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bead. Prior to joining Bead, Kristen worked as an Audit Manager at CohnReznick. She has more than 10 years experience in public accounting. Kristen holds a BS in Accounting and an MS in Accounting from UConn. She is a Certified Public Accountant.
History of Bead Chain
- 1 Jan, 1970
1970’s
1970’s
January 1, 1970Bead acquires McGuire Manufacturing Company in 1972. McGuire distributes the “trim line” of commercial plumbing products, which include grid drains, P-traps, supplies, etc. A wholly owned subsidiary of Bead, McGuire moved to its modern facility in Cheshire, CT in 1991.
Bead forms a joint venture with Sturge & Company Ltd. of Birmingham, England to form the Sturge Associated Chain Company Ltd. Sturge manufactures brass beaded chain for the window treatment and plumbing markets in Europe. The company moves to a new building in Dudley in the West Midlands.
- 1 Jan, 1980
1980’s
1980’s
January 1, 1980| Bead changes its name to Bead Industries in 1987. As Bead pushed further into the electronics industry, the change was seen as a way to modernize its image.
1990’sBead purchases 50% of the stock of the Intricate Metal Forming Company (IMF) of Roanoke, VA in 1994. Both IMF and Bead were producing electronic pins on carrier strips called bandoleers. Bead sold its interest in 1997.
Bead winds up operations at Bridgeport Silverware, and sells Bead Tackle.
- 1 Jan, 2000
2000’s
2000’s
January 1, 2000| Bead consolidates all chain manufacturing at Sturge in the UK. It also ceases in-house plating and slitting of raw materials, instead outsourcing those operations to one of several quality companies in Connecticut.
The Mountain Grove building is put up for sale, and Bead moves into a single story, modern facility in Milford, CT incorporating the latest Lean Manufacturing techniques.
The joint venture with Sturge is dissolved and Bead sells its interest. A partnership with Samwon Petra in South Korea develops, and Samwon now manufactures Bead Chain® on Bead’s equipment to Bead’s specifications.
- 1 Jan, 2010
2010’s
2010’s
January 1, 2010Invested in toolroom technology by upgrading to a GF Vertical Milling Center, expanding our capabilities and reducing lead time for our production tooling by half.
- 1 Jan, 2020
2020’s
2020’s
January 1, 2020Achieved our IATF certification to support our automotive customer needs with world class systems.
Invested in factory automation.
Developed a prototype of our Next Generation Swaging machines to improve efficiencies, build capacity, and modernize our factory to keep up with Industry 4.0.
