If you’re researching a new church bell, or comparing options for a restoration project, two names will come up again and again: The Verdin Company and McShane Bell Company. They’re the two largest bell foundries still actively operating in the United States, and both have well over a century of history. But they’re not interchangeable — they differ in scale, product range, and specialization.
Quick Overview
| Verdin | McShane | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1842 (Cincinnati, OH) | 1856 (Baltimore, MD; now Maryland Heights, MO) |
| Ownership | Family-owned, sixth generation | Family-owned (Parker family) |
| Scale | Larger — broader product line, more installations | Smaller, more specialized operation |
| Product range | Bells, electronic carillons, clocks, towers, monuments, organs | Primarily bells, chimes, carillons, and restoration |
| Known for | Broadest overall footprint; expanded via acquisitions (Van Bergen, Schulmerich) | Longest continuously operating American bell foundry; deep restoration focus |
History & Scale
Verdin has grown well beyond bell casting since 1842, expanding into electronic carillons, street clocks, tower clocks, monuments, and even an organ division. The company has also grown through acquisition — most notably absorbing the American operations of Van Bergen Bellfoundries in 1997 and Schulmerich Carillons in 2014 — and today has installations at more than 55,000 sites worldwide.
McShane has stayed closer to its founding focus: bronze bells, chimes, carillons, and bell restoration. Founded in 1856 in Baltimore by Irish immigrant Henry McShane, the company has produced an estimated 300,000+ bells over its history and is generally recognized as the longest continuously operating bell foundry in the United States. It relocated its headquarters to Maryland Heights, Missouri in 2019.
Practical takeaway: if you’re looking for a single vendor to handle a bell and a clock tower, digital carillon system, or broader church campus project, Verdin’s wider product line may be a better fit. If your project is specifically about a bronze bell — new casting, restoration, or tuning — McShane’s narrower focus is worth strong consideration too.
Which Should You Choose?
- Is this a new bell, or a repair/restoration of an existing one?
- Is the bell part of a larger project — a new tower, or a digital carillon system?
- Does your existing bell already carry one company’s markings or installation history?
- What does your budget and timeline look like?
Other Options Worth Knowing About
Verdin and McShane are the two largest active American bell foundries, but they’re not the only ones. Depending on your project, it may also be worth getting a quote from Meeks, Watson & Company (Georgetown, OH), a smaller foundry specializing in tuning and restoring historic American bells, or B.A. Sunderlin Bellfoundry (Ruther Glen, VA), a newer entrant using traditional swept-loam casting methods. For bells from a European foundry, Royal Eijsbouts (Netherlands) is currently the last operating traditional bell foundry in the Netherlands, having absorbed its longtime competitor Petit & Fritsen in 2014.
This page is independent, editorial content and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The Verdin Company or McShane Bell Company. All company and brand names are the property of their respective owners.