Growth Report 2: Dearing Begins Its 80th Year in Growth Mode

By Becky Wall
CEO, Dearing Compressor & Pump Co.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – In 2025, Dearing Compressor & Pump celebrates 80 years in business as we follow two consecutive years of strong sales while carrying a committed customer base and a solid backlog of orders.

Dearing recently celebrated with one of its oldest partner suppliers, Ohio CAT. Dearing and Ohio CAT are fourth-generation companies marking 80-year anniversaries this year.

Ohio CAT provides Dearing with the large horsepower, natural gas engines that are integral to Dearing’s engineered package offerings.

Currently, the company is commissioning a CNC pipe profiler at its Midlothian Boulevard production plant. This investment will improve accuracy and quality of pipe and vessel cutting and beveling and will significantly reduce handling while improving safety and efficiency.

In a similar effort to focus on effectiveness, the leadership team is capitalizing on the prior year’s investment in enhanced organizational software.

Using data produced by the new system, department managers and team leaders identify areas of process improvement in supply-chain management, production scheduling and efficiency. This is improving conformance and management of our energy field service force.

Dearing’s expansion into its energy aftermarket services is a significant area of revenue growth. We continuously find creative and reliable ways to support and improve upon the natural gas compressors already installed in the United States.

Refabricating aging compressors to new specifications and converting engine drive units to electric driven units is our largest area of opportunity. Commissioning new units and providing skilled service technicians also supports growth.

Looking beyond 2025, we have secured a significant order for CO₂ blowers and engineered compressor packages for a large U.S.-based energy company.

The CO₂ compressors will move the gas from ethanol plants in the Midwest to the natural gas production fields in Oklahoma. To meet the high-flow requirements, the 3,750-horsepower compressors will use some of the largest cylinders made by our compressor partner Ariel.

Dearing’s distributed products group is also expanding. The demand for industrial air compressors, blowers and pumps remains strong in our northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania territories. To meet the demand, our focus in 2024 was on the expansion of our sales team and field service technicians.

Over the years, Dearing has grown organically by expanding through increased sales and output. But today this team is actively seeking acquisitions to expand territory and add complementary products.

As we look forward to strong market conditions in 2025, Dearing will continue to recruit skilled trade workers and multi-craft mechanics. Bringing young people into the industrial and energy markets is crucial to our continued success.

Dearing remains committed to innovating our workforce and systems as we design, build, install and maintain the equipment used in the energy and industrial sectors.