Corbett-Steeves Pattern Works is a foundry and pattern-making company located in downtown Rochester. They are celebrating their 100th anniversary this September.
While “foundry” may sound like century-old technology, the company, now run by Kevin J. Steeves, great-grandson of its founder, has evolved from creating industrial patterns by hand, and making molds for metal castings — predominately for local businesses, to a high-tech company delivering the same products, using contemporary processes, along with wood work still done on the bench. They now serve a global customer base.
In 1973 Corbett-Steeves, then operated by third- generation, John K. Steeves, Jr., used its evolving technology to launch a new division, Tele-Lite, to manufacture portable flood lights designed for fire departments. At that point three generations of Steeves were serving in the Chili Volunteer Fire Department and recognized a market need for such a device.
In the subsequent 41 years Tele-Lite has expanded its portable lighting product line to serve not only emergency response, but marine and agricultural markets as well, and has an international customer base. This includes sales to Honda as well as an OEM partnership with Honda, who provides the generators for the lights.
Today Corbett-Steeves and Tele-Lite each account for approximately half of the enterprise’s business, and there are now fifth-generation Steeves involved with both divisions.
For example, twenty-nine-year-old John Steeves wears several hats at his job. One day it might be behind-the-scenes, rolling up his sleeves and doing assembly work – portable emergency lighting. The next, getting out and meeting customers and prospective customers at trade shows – fire departments, farmers, marina owners. The product line is a far cry from what he went to school for – quarter horse training. And the company he works for, located in the heart of the City of Rochester, is a long way from the rolling hills of Kentucky, where he spent several years as a trainer. John works for Corbett-Steeves, a foundry and pattern-making company his great-great-grandfather started in 1914, and for Tele-Lite, a division of that company launched in 1973. He, and his brother, Chris, and sisters, Alecia and Ashley (the three work part-time or on a project basis) are the fifth generation of Steeves to work here.
