The American Brushmaker

Brushtech Celebrates 50 Years of Family, Innovation and American Manufacturing

How one immigrant’s belief in craftsmanship, relationships and doing things the right way quietly built one of America’s great specialty manufacturing companies.

By Zaven Gunjian

There is an old saying that some companies build products, while others build legacies.

For fifty years, Brushtech has quietly done both.

Nestled in Plattsburgh, New York, just south of the Canadian border, Brushtech doesn’t manufacture flashy consumer electronics or fashionable kitchen gadgets destined to be forgotten in the back of a drawer. Instead, the company makes something deceptively simple: twisted-in-wire brushes.

Yet behind those brushes lies a remarkable story of American manufacturing, family, perseverance, innovation, and relationships—a story that began in 1976 with one man who believed there would always be a place for products built with pride.

That man was Armen Garo Gunjian.

An early Keeseville National Bank advertisement pictured Armen Gunjian at Brushtech’s Plattsburgh operation.

Nearly half a century ago, Armen founded Brushtech with a straightforward philosophy that still guides the company today: build the finest specialty brush possible, stand behind every product, treat customers honestly, and never stop improving.

It wasn’t the easiest path.

Over the decades, countless American manufacturers watched competitors move production overseas in pursuit of lower costs. Entire industries changed. Factories closed. Communities that had once thrived on manufacturing struggled to survive.

Brushtech made a different choice.

The company stayed.

It continued manufacturing in America.

It continued investing in American workers.

It continued believing that craftsmanship still mattered.

That decision has defined Brushtech’s identity for fifty years.

Today, every Brushtech brush is still proudly manufactured in Plattsburgh, New York, by American men and women who understand that even the smallest product deserves the same attention to detail as the most sophisticated piece of machinery.

That commitment has never been about nostalgia.

It has been about responsibility.

Responsibility to customers.

Responsibility to employees.

Responsibility to retailers who depend on dependable supply.

And responsibility to proving that American manufacturing can still compete through innovation, quality and service.

Those values have carried Brushtech farther than anyone could have imagined in 1976.

Today, Brushtech products can be found in homes across North America and through some of the industry’s most respected retailers, including Walmart, Sam’s Club, Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table, HomeGoods, Garrett Wade, Chemex, and thousands of independent kitchen stores, hardware dealers and specialty retailers.

The company’s expertise extends well beyond retail shelves. Brushtech also manufactures specialty brushes used to clean beverage dispensing and drink-making equipment for The Coca-Cola Company, where precision, consistency and reliability are essential. One Brushtech brush was even selected for use on a NASA mission, a milestone that reflects the company’s ability to manufacture products that meet exceptionally demanding standards.

Those accomplishments are impressive.

But they are not what defines Brushtech.

Ask anyone inside the company what matters most, and they are likely to tell you about the people.

The employees who have devoted decades of their careers to the factory floor.

The customers who have trusted Brushtech year after year.

The retailers who believed in a small manufacturer with big ideas.

The suppliers who grew alongside the company.

And above all, the family that never lost sight of why Brushtech existed in the first place.

Today, that vision is carried forward by the second generation.

President Nora Gunjian oversees the company with the same steady commitment to quality and customer service that defined its earliest days.

Alongside her is Zaven Gunjian, whose title—Director of BRUSHTECHnology—captures both the company’s sense of humor and its relentless drive to innovate. Equal parts inventor, engineer and storyteller, he represents a new generation determined not simply to preserve the family business, but to expand it for the next fifty years.

Father and son: Armen and Zaven Gunjian together at a International Housewares Show (now the Inspired Home Show) trade show. Restored from a framed family photograph.

Together, they have continued the principles their father instilled decades ago while preparing Brushtech for a future defined by automation, product innovation and national growth.

But if you ask either of them what lesson from their father still echoes through the factory today, the answer comes quickly.

It has nothing to do with machinery.

Nothing to do with patents.

Nothing to do with sales.

Instead, it is a sentence that has become part of Brushtech’s culture.

“I don’t care what trade shows you attend. You do not skip the Housewares Show.”

Founder Armen Garo Gunjian at an earlier trade show, presenting Brushtech products.

For Armen Garo Gunjian, the annual trip to Chicago was never merely about exhibiting products.

It was about showing up.

About listening more than talking.

About shaking hands.

About introducing one new idea every year.

About earning trust slowly, honestly and consistently.

To him, business was never transactional.

It was personal.

That philosophy became woven into Brushtech’s identity.

Year after year.

Decade after decade.

The company returned to what is now The Inspired Home Show, not simply because it was expected, but because Armen believed the housewares industry was built on relationships.

Those relationships became friendships.

Those friendships became partnerships.

And many of those partnerships still exist today.

As Brushtech celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, the company believes it is among the longest continuously exhibiting manufacturers at The Inspired Home Show—a distinction that reflects not only longevity, but an enduring commitment to the industry that helped shape its success.

Looking back, it is easy to admire the milestones.

The patents.

The national retailers.

The products found in millions of homes.

The brush that traveled into space.

The Golden Ticket earned through Walmart’s Open Call.

The continued investment in American manufacturing.

But none of those achievements happened overnight.

Each one began the same way.

With a conversation.

With a handshake.

With a promise kept.

Armen's first job.

Salesman at a Simpson's Hardware Store in Montreal, Canada.

 To Armen, sales was not about the product, it was about being able to stand behind the product.

And with a belief that doing the right thing—again and again, year after year—would eventually speak louder than any advertisement ever could.

That belief transformed a small family manufacturer into one of the most respected names in specialty brush manufacturing.

It also laid the foundation for everything that was yet to come.

From Backyard Grills to Outer Space: Solving Problems One Brush at a Time

Walk through the Brushtech factory in Plattsburgh and one thing becomes immediately clear.

This is not a company that manufactures “just another brush.”

Every product hanging on the walls, moving through production or sitting on an engineer’s workbench exists because somewhere, someone had a problem that hadn’t yet been solved.

A grill that couldn’t be cleaned safely.

A wine decanter too narrow to reach.

A coffee maker that trapped residue.

A dryer vent collecting dangerous lint.

A hummingbird feeder where mold threatened the tiny birds that depended upon it.

A plumbing drain just beyond the reach of ordinary tools.

An appliance with corners impossible to clean.

Again and again, Brushtech asked the same question:

“How can we make this easier?”

That mindset has transformed what many people think of as an ordinary household item into hundreds of highly specialized cleaning tools designed for one purpose—to solve real problems better than anyone else.

Today, Brushtech’s catalog spans virtually every room in the home.

Its grill brushes help families prepare meals with confidence.

Its kitchen brushes clean everything from blenders and coffee makers to cast iron cookware, air fryers and food processors.

Its wine and glassware brushes carefully protect delicate stemware and decanters.

Its plumbing brushes reach where conventional cleaning tools cannot.

Its laundry brushes help remove lint from dryer systems, contributing to safer homes.

Its appliance brushes extend the life of products people depend on every day.

Even hummingbird enthusiasts know Brushtech for helping keep feeders clean—because clean feeders mean healthier birds.

Each brush may serve a different purpose.

But every one begins with the same philosophy:

Design the right brush—not simply another brush.

Innovation has never been an occasional event at Brushtech.

It has become part of the company’s culture.

Visitors quickly discover that ideas are welcomed everywhere—from the engineering table to the factory floor.

Employees frequently suggest improvements.

Customers inspire new designs.

Retailers identify emerging trends.

Sometimes the smallest observation becomes the next successful product.

A retailer might say a brush needs to reach just a little farther.

A consumer might wish for a more comfortable handle.

A chef might describe a cleaning challenge no one had considered before.

Brushtech listens.

Then it gets to work.

That relentless curiosity has produced numerous patented products and manufacturing innovations over the years, many designed to improve performance, increase durability and, perhaps most importantly, make cleaning safer.

Nowhere has that commitment been more evident than in the grilling category.

As concern grew throughout the industry over loose wire bristles from conventional grill brushes, Brushtech responded not with marketing slogans but with engineering.

The company developed innovative grill-cleaning designs intended to reduce or eliminate the risks associated with loose bristles while still delivering the cleaning performance consumers expected.

It was another example of Brushtech approaching a challenge the only way it knew how:

Identify the problem.

Engineer the solution.

Keep improving.

That spirit of innovation has opened unexpected doors.

Brushtech’s expertise eventually extended beyond homes and retail stores into demanding commercial environments where precision matters just as much as durability.

Among those customers is The Coca-Cola Company, for which Brushtech manufactures specialty brushes used to clean beverage dispensing and drink-making equipment.

Every cup poured from commercial beverage systems depends on equipment that is properly maintained and thoroughly cleaned.

For Brushtech, it is another reminder that even a humble brush can play an important role in delivering quality and consistency to millions of people.

Perhaps the company’s most extraordinary assignment came from an entirely different world.

One of Brushtech’s specialty brushes was selected for use on a NASA mission.

For the employees who manufactured it, it was a proud moment.

The same care that went into making brushes for kitchens and workshops had produced a tool trusted for one of the most demanding environments imaginable.

The destination was different.

The commitment to quality was exactly the same.

Yet despite those remarkable milestones, Brushtech has never lost sight of its roots.

The company’s greatest innovations are often the ones customers use every day without thinking about them.

A brush that fits perfectly into a travel mug.

A tool that reaches deep into a dryer vent.

A design that protects delicate crystal.

A better way to clean cast iron cookware.

A safer grill-cleaning solution for family barbecues.

The products may be modest.

Their impact is not.

“We’ve always believed that no product is too small to deserve great engineering,” says Zaven Gunjian, Director of BRUSHTECHnology.

“People often think innovation has to be complicated. Sometimes innovation is simply making an everyday task safer, easier and more enjoyable. That’s the kind of innovation we love.”

That philosophy has resonated with retailers throughout North America.

Today, Brushtech products are found through many of the industry’s most respected merchants, including Walmart, Sam’s Club, Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table, HomeGoods, Garrett Wade, Chemex, and thousands of independent retailers who value specialty products designed to solve real customer problems.

One of the company’s proudest recent achievements came through Walmart’s Open Call, where Brushtech earned a coveted Golden Ticket for innovative products proudly made in the United States.

Secured 2 Golden Tickets during our 1st OpenCall

For many companies, the Golden Ticket represents an opportunity.

For Brushtech, it represented something more.

It was validation.

Validation that a family-owned manufacturer from Plattsburgh, New York could compete on a national stage without compromising its values or moving production overseas.

Since then, Brushtech has continued expanding its relationship with Walmart while growing its presence with retailers across the country.

The company’s products now reach millions of consumers each year, yet Brushtech still approaches every new customer the same way it approached its very first.

Armen on vacation calling the factory.

Listen carefully.

Solve the problem.

Deliver more than expected.

Then do it again.

Because after fifty years, Brushtech understands something that cannot be patented.

The company doesn’t simply manufacture brushes.

It builds trust—one product, one customer and one relationship at a time.

The Next Fifty Years

There is a saying often heard in manufacturing.

“Good Enough, ship it!”

Building a company that lasts for generations is something entirely different.

Brushtech has now reached that rare milestone.

Fifty years.

Thousands of customers.

Hundreds of products.

Millions of brushes.

And countless relationships built one conversation, one handshake and one promise at a time.

Walk through the factory today and you’ll still hear the familiar sounds of American manufacturing.

The rhythm of machinery.

The shaping of wire.

The turning of wood.

The careful inspection of finished products before they leave the building.

There is nothing glamorous about it.

There never was.

It is honest work.

The kind of work that built countless American communities.

The kind of work that allows people to raise families, buy homes and take pride in what they create with their own hands.

Every Brushtech employee contributes to something larger than a brush.

They contribute to a tradition.

A tradition that has endured through changing markets, shifting technologies, economic recessions, new competitors and an increasingly global marketplace.

Through it all, Brushtech has remained remarkably consistent.

Build quality.

Keep your word.

Treat people fairly.

Never stop improving.

Those values have never appeared in a strategic planning document.

They were passed from one generation to the next.

They were learned by watching Armen Garo Gunjian walk the factory floor.

By seeing how he greeted customers.

How he treated suppliers.

How he respected employees.

How he believed that every shipment leaving the building represented the family’s name.

For Armen, success was never measured only in sales.

It was measured in reputation.

If a customer called with a problem, you solved it.

If a retailer needed help, you found a way.

If a better brush could be made, you made it.

That philosophy still lives inside Brushtech today.

We had a lot to talk about.

It explains why the company has always invested in long-term relationships instead of short-term transactions.

It explains why customers who first discovered Brushtech decades ago continue to do business with the company today.

And it explains why so many of Brushtech’s employees have spent much of their working lives helping build the business.

Because people stay where they feel respected.

That respect extends beyond the factory walls.

Brushtech has always believed that manufacturing carries a responsibility to the community around it.

Every brush built in Plattsburgh represents jobs that remain in America.

Every investment in machinery represents confidence in the future.

Every new customer creates opportunities for continued growth.

As Brushtech celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, that future has never looked brighter.

The company is making significant investments in new manufacturing equipment, automation and expanded production capacity to meet increasing demand while maintaining the craftsmanship that has always defined the Brushtech name.

The goal is not simply to become larger.

It is to become better.

Better engineering.

Better service.

Better products.

Better support for retailers.

Better opportunities for employees.

Better manufacturing for America.

The next generation of Brushtech will continue introducing innovative specialty brushes across grilling, kitchens, beverage care, plumbing, laundry, appliances, industrial cleaning and categories that have yet to be imagined.

Some ideas will begin with retailers.

Others will come from consumers.

Many will come from the people working inside the factory every day.

Innovation has never belonged to one person at Brushtech.

It belongs to the culture.

“We’re celebrating fifty years,” says Zaven Gunjian, Director of BRUSHTECHnology.

“But anniversaries aren’t finish lines.

They’re reminders.

They remind us that somebody before us sacrificed, worked long hours, took risks and believed enough to build something worth passing on.

Our responsibility isn’t simply to protect what they built.

Our responsibility is to leave Brushtech stronger than we found it—for our employees, our customers, our community and the next generation.”

That next generation is already taking shape.

New equipment is arriving.

New ideas are becoming products.

New partnerships continue to grow.

Retailers are looking for dependable American manufacturers who can innovate, deliver and stand behind their products.

Brushtech intends to be ready.

Just as it has been for the past fifty years.

Yet perhaps the company’s greatest achievement cannot be measured in production numbers, patents or retail distribution.

It can be measured in trust.

The trust of a retailer placing its first order.

The trust of a family choosing a Brushtech product.

The trust of commercial customers who depend on precision every single day.

The trust of employees who have devoted their careers to building something meaningful.

Trust cannot be automated.

It cannot be imported.

It cannot be patented.

It is earned.

Slowly.

Patiently.

Over fifty years.

That may be Brushtech’s greatest innovation of all.

As the company begins its next chapter, one thing remains unchanged.

Inside the factory, the mission is still remarkably simple.

Build the finest specialty brush possible.

Treat people honestly.

Keep your promises.

Never stop improving.

Those were Armen Garo Gunjian’s principles in 1976.

Though he passed away in 2012, his ethos is at the core of Brushtech’s principles today.

And somewhere, if you listen closely enough, you can almost hear his familiar voice echoing through another summer as preparations begin for Chicago.

“I don’t care what trade shows you attend…”

“You do not skip the Housewares Show.”

For nearly fifty years, Brushtech never has.

And if the company’s history is any indication…

It never will.

Today’s Brother and Sister family leadership: Brushtech President Nora Gunjian and Director of BRUSHTECHnology Zaven Gunjian at the Inspired Home Show in Chicago.

About Brushtech

Founded in 1976, Brushtech Inc. is a second-generation, family-owned American manufacturer headquartered in Plattsburgh, New York. The company designs and manufactures hundreds of specialty twisted-in-wire brushes for grilling, kitchens, plumbing, laundry, wine and beverage care, coffee equipment, hummingbird feeders, appliances, industrial applications and more. Every Brushtech brush is proudly manufactured in the United States. Through continuous innovation, patented designs and a steadfast commitment to American manufacturing, Brushtech serves leading retailers, distributors, commercial customers and specialty merchants throughout North America.