Bear Automotive Equipment · About
Engineering that earns trust.
A century of automotive equipment heritage meets modern American manufacturing, precision engineering, and practical shop-first innovation.
Our Story
Precision built on a legacy of American craftsmanship.
Bear Automotive Equipment is a fully integrated manufacturer of premium automotive service equipment, specializing in advanced wheel alignment technology and professional workshop solutions.
Founded in 1917 by brothers Will and Henry Damman, the Bear name has been connected to automotive service equipment for more than a century.
Today, our alignment equipment is engineered, machined, assembled, and tested in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with the same focus that matters inside a working shop: repeatability, durability, and confidence.
Kalamazoo, Michigan · Integrated manufacturing
American Manufacturing
Built close to the work.
Our team connects engineering, machining, assembly, and testing in one integrated manufacturing environment. That proximity helps us focus on the details that matter in professional facilities.
Every decision is shaped by real shop expectations: repeatable results, durable construction, serviceability, and operator confidence.
What Drives Us
Made for the demands behind the bay door.
We design around the people who use the equipment every day and the businesses that depend on their performance.
Precision
Measurement and manufacturing discipline that supports consistent results in real shop environments.
Durability
Materials, assemblies, and workflow decisions selected for demanding professional service facilities.
Practical innovation
Technology that reduces friction in the workflow instead of adding unnecessary complexity.
Our History
A legacy still moving forward.
The Bear story connects early automotive service equipment innovation with the modern needs of productive, precise, professional facilities.
Bear begins its automotive equipment story.
Founded by brothers Will and Henry Damman, Bear was established to design and manufacture equipment for a growing automotive industry.
Wheel alignment becomes part of the Bear name.
The company’s reputation grew around durable automotive service equipment and alignment-focused innovation for professional shops.
Integrated manufacturing in Kalamazoo.
Bear continues to engineer, machine, assemble, and test alignment equipment in the United States.
Technology for the next generation of shops.
Robotic alignment and workshop solutions connect manufacturing heritage with modern productivity demands.
