Varney Manufacturing Purchases Darex

CNC job shop Varney Manufacturing has purchased the machine tool manufacturer Darex, in a deal first developed in September 2020.

Varney Manufacturing Inc. is an AS9100-certified machine shop that specializes in manufacturing and assembly of precision parts for commercial and aerospace customers.

Darex is best known for its industrial drill sharpeners, starting with the original M1 drill sharpener and continuing on through current options like the XPS-16+ Automatic Four-Axis CNC Drill Sharpener and Grinder. The company’s previous owner, Matthew Bernard, was the fourth-generation family owner since Darex’s foundation in 1973. Bernard will continue to own Darex spin-offs Drill Doctor and Work Sharp.

New owner Gary Varney was a long-time employee of Darex, working there from 1985 to 2003 and serving as its president from 1998 to 2003. Varney founded his job shop using CNC milling and turning equipment sold to him by Matthew Bernard’s father, and Varney Manufacturing has maintained a close customer-supplier relationship with Darex ever since.

“With the team at Darex and Varney Manufacturing, we have the best of both worlds,” Varney says. “We know the machine tool industry and the job shop industry. We will be using that experience to bring new and exciting products to the machining world.”