What's New

Carlisle Brake & Friction exhibited as VelveTouch at the IDA (Independent Distributors Association) Trade Show and Conference in San Francisco, California on September 30, 2011. Our VelveTouch brand was successfully represented by Mike Melaragno, Bill James, Ken Vaught, and Tom Sovich.

This annual international convention includes manufacturers and distributors from all over the world who take advantage of seminars, networking, and to obtain current industry information. There were representatives and decision makers from over 50 domestic and international companies. We look forward to growing the relationships we’ve made with individuals and companies from past and present IDA shows.  

Be on the lookout for Carlisle Brake & Friction representatives and the VelveTouch brand at HDAW (Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week) in January 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Booth number coming soon!

Carlisle Brake & Friction (CBF) is a leading solutions provider of high performance and severe duty brake, clutch and transmission applications to OEM and aftermarket customers in the mining, construction, military, agricultural, motorsports, industrial and aerospace markets. The strength of CBF’s brands, including Wellman Products Group, Carlisle Industrial Brake & Friction, Hawk Performance, Japan Power Brake, VelveTouch, and Field Pro, gives our customers access to a diverse range of the most highly engineered braking, friction, clutch and transmission products available to the market today. With nine manufacturing facilities globally located in the U.S., U.K., Italy, China, and Japan, and with over 2,000 employees, CBF serves over 100 leading original equipment manufacturers in 55 countries, making CBF the right choice for your new brake or friction design, no matter where you are in the world or what you want to be.

New Headquarters for Carlisle Brake & Friction

In conjunction with the Carlisle Companies’ launch of a new segment named Carlisle Brake & Friction, we are pleased to announce that effective January 1, 2011, the new global headquarters for Carlisle Brake & Friction will be located in Solon, Ohio, former headquarters to the Hawk Corporation’s Wellman Products Group. On December 2, 2010, Carlisle completed its acquisition of the Hawk Corporation, which, in addition to Carlisle Industrial Brake and Friction, will accentuate Carlisle’s position as the global leader in high performance braking solutions. As a result of the acquisition, Hawk Corporation headquarters in downtown Cleveland will be closed with personnel relocated to Solon.

Chris Koch, President of the newly formed Carlisle Brake & Friction commented, “We are very excited about the move to our new headquarters in Solon, and the integration of the two businesses. As we drive to create the number one global supplier in high performance braking solutions, our customers will continue to enjoy the same level of service and commitment they have experienced for the past fifty years. The strength of Carlisle Brake & Friction’s brands, including Wellman Products, Carlisle, Hawk Performance, Japan Power Brake, VelveTouch, and Field Pro, give our customers access to a diverse range of the most highly engineered braking and friction products available to the market today.”

With ten manufacturing facilities globally located in the US, UK, Italy, China, Japan, and India, and with over 1,800 employees, Carlisle Brake & Friction is the leading provider of high performance braking solutions to the off-highway, high performance racing, aerospace, and alternative energy markets, serving over 100 leading original equipment manufacturers in 55 countries. Carlisle Brake and Friction designs and manufactures a full solution set of braking products. These include: dry disc caliper brakes, drum brakes and mechanical brakes for both service and park applications. Additionally, we manufacture both wet and dry friction materials used for wet brakes, brake linings, clutches, fuel cells, and transmissions. We also design and deliver hydraulic actuation, including hydraulic valves, master cylinders, adjustors, and boosted master cylinders. Our proven experience and commitment to the global marketplace makes Carlisle Brake & Friction the right choice for your new brake or friction design, no matter where you are in the world or what you want to be.