Blog

Bel Air Origins: Belt Buckles

Bel Air’s story began in 1966 in a Providence mill, where Ralph Alviti developed a better way to manufacture buckle tongues. This small component helped transform Bel Air Tool and drive one of the company’s earliest periods of growth.

Bel Air Employee Spotlight: Meet Dan Murray

Meet Dan Murray, Bel Air Finishing’s Consumables Specialist. A Rhode Island native and former teacher and coach in the Providence school system, Dan now supports customers with media, compounds, and related finishing products while learning the ins and outs of manufacturing.

The Secret to Success Since 1966

A simple lesson from Bel Air founder Ralph Alviti has guided the company since 1966. Learn how that philosophy continues to shape Bel Air today.

Ralph Alviti Inducted into NCGA Hall of Fame

Bel Air Finishing Supply founder Ralph Alviti was recently inducted into the National Church Goods Association Hall of Fame, honoring his legacy of craftsmanship, hard work, and family.

Bel Air Employee Spotlight: Meet Brittany Scuncio

Meet Brittany Scuncio, Accounts Specialist at Bel Air Finishing. Learn about her background in manufacturing and textiles, what she enjoys most about the industry, and a little about life outside of work.

Dry Deburring Without the Wastewater? WOWWWWW!

Bel Air Finishing takes a humorous look at dry deburring while showcasing real-world finishing solutions using centrifugal disc finishers, vibratory finishing machines, and ECO-FLEX™ dry deburring media. Learn how manufacturers are reducing wastewater and simplifying surface finishing operations with cleaner dry deburring processes.

Welcoming AMT and URI to Bel Air Finishing

Bel Air Finishing welcomed AMT and the University of Rhode Island for a recent visit focused on internships, workforce development, and long-standing industry collaboration.

Artemis II Launch: Historic Step Forward

Artemis II launches from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking a major milestone in spaceflight. A look at the mission—and Bel Air Finishing’s connection to aerospace manufacturing.

Clash of the Titans: Centrifugal Disc vs. Centrifugal Barrel Finishers

Two finishing giants go head-to-head: Centrifugal Disc vs. Centrifugal Barrel. Which delivers the knockout punch for your parts and production goals? Bel Air’s expert comparison breaks down speed, finish quality, cost, and ideal applications so you can crown the winner for your shop.

Bel Air Employee Spotlight: Meet John Ferris

Since joining Bel Air Finishing in April 2024, Technical Sales Rep John Ferris has become a trusted partner to manufacturers of all sizes—building lasting relationships and helping customers find the right finishing solutions for their needs.

Customer Spotlight: Motor Parts S.A.

From Argentina to Rhode Island, Motor Parts S.A. teamed up with Bel Air Finishing to push surface performance further. Discover how we helped them achieve an ultra-smooth superpolish on titanium racing valves — ready for the demands of motorsport and beyond.

Cutting Through Obstacles in Manufacturing

When a fallen tree blocked a road, Bel Air president Steve Alviti Sr. grabbed a chainsaw and cleared the way. We don’t offer tree removal, but we do solve tough manufacturing challenges — from bottlenecks to surface finishing. Send us your parts for a free evaluation.

Mass Finishing Seminar Recap – August 2025

Bel Air’s August 2025 Mass Finishing Seminar brought together manufacturers and engineers for a full day of presentations, live demos, and hands-on lab work. Attendees from Apple, Collins Aerospace, CCAT, and more explored advanced finishing techniques to improve efficiency, consistency, and surface quality.

Customer Spotlight: Collins, LLC

Collins, LLC partnered with Bel Air Finishing to replace their outsourced stripping and in-house cleaning process with a streamlined, one-step vibratory solution.

Just Playing Around? Not Exactly.

We’re always experimenting in the Bel Air lab—especially with powerful tools like our Reverse Drag Finisher. Whether we’re testing edge prep for cutting tools [...]

Phillips Federal Visits Bel Air

Bel Air Finishing was pleased to welcome our partners from Phillips Federal to our facility today! Phillips Corporation is a General Services Administration (GSA) approved entity [...]

IMTS 2024 Presentation Recap

At IMTS 2024, Bel Air Finishing Supply’s President, Steve Alviti Sr., took the stage to discuss the future of finishing technology, highlighting [...]

Buyer Beware!

When it comes to purchasing products, the old saying holds true: you get what you pay for. In recent years, the market has been [...]

Client Spotlight: Karl Storz

Karl Storz SE & Co. Kg is a German medical device company that manufactures and sells endoscopes and surgical instruments. It was founded in Tuttlingen by Dr. Karl Storz [...]

TechSHIFT Podcast

Bel Air's own Steven Alviti JR and Jim Jennings were recently featured on the Techshift podcast hosted by Dillan Drake from Phillips Federal [...]

Steady. Aim. Shot Show!

A burr free bolt carrier is crucial for the operation of every firearm. Shown is a layout of equipment for production of this product. [...]