Engineering
Since 1980, our process engineers have designed hundreds of innovative, efficient, and sustainable process solutions.
Project Management
Our project management services begin with conceptualization and continue through formal turnover and system acceptance.
Installation
Whether the job is small or
large, BMI has the resources to quickly mobilize superior installation crews.
Contact Barnum Today
Since 1980, our team of chemical, mechanical and electrical process engineers have designed hundreds of innovative, efficient and sustainable process and utility support solutions for food, beverage and other sanitary applications. Our experienced team of engineers, project managers, and installation crews provide turnkey solutions and exceptional craftsmanship.
Our efficient process systems allow you to maximize yields and ensure product consistency. Our collaborative design-build process allows the project team to work on different parts of the process in parallel, providing cost-effective engineering and construction, while bringing your process online faster and at a lower cost.
Our work begins with conceptualization and continues through formal turnover and system acceptance. We partner with our customers to maximize process performance and deliver measurable improvements in yields, quality, efficiency, resource conservation, product safety, and plant sustainability.

Since 1980, our team of chemical, mechanical and electrical process engineers have designed hundreds of innovative, efficient and sustainable process and utility support solutions for food, beverage and other sanitary applications. Our experienced team of engineers, project managers, and installation crews provide turnkey solutions and exceptional craftsmanship.
Our efficient process systems allow you to maximize yields and ensure product consistency. Our collaborative design-build process allows the project team to work on different parts of the process in parallel, providing cost-effective engineering and construction, while bringing your process online faster and at a lower cost.
Our work begins with conceptualization and continues through formal turnover and system acceptance. We partner with our customers to maximize process performance and deliver measurable improvements in yields, quality, efficiency, resource conservation, product safety, and plant sustainability.

Our design-build services include:
- Conceptual design and process development
- Process plant design / greenfield /brownfield / upgrades / expansions
- Process and utilities design engineering
- Fluid dynamic calculations
- Thermodynamic calculations
- Mass balances
- Utility load calculations
- Automated control systems, controls engineering, programming, installation, and validation
- SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition implementation
- Process electrical design and electrical installation management
- Network and server specification, design, and integration
- Project management and field management
- Process electrical design and installation management
- Complete 3D CAD, BIM, P&IDs, block diagrams, process flow diagrams and layout drawings
- Sanitary process piping design and installation
- Utility support system design and installation
- Process integration into legacy systems
- Equipment sizing, specification and procurement
- Modular, portable, skidded systems
- System validation and startup support services
Our areas of expertise include:
- Sanitary process systems
- Process utility support systems
- Automated control systems
- Process electrical design and installation management
- PLC programming
- SCADA development
- Network implementation
- Sanitary piping and welding
- Energy and water conservation, and energy recovery systems
- Raw, wet, dry and powder bulk ingredient handling, storage, and distribution
- Batching and blending systems
- Blend manifolds
- Transfer piping with flow panels
- Finished product storage and transfer to filling
- Complex valve manifolds
- Mixproof valve assemblies
- Bioreactors
- Fermenters
- Thermal process and pasteurization systems
- Hydration systems
- Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems
- Clean-out-of-place (COP) systems
- Sanitization/foam/rinse systems
- Hot water support systems
- Sanitary air systems
- Steam/condensate distribution systems
- Compressed air systems
- N₂, Co₂, Glycol and chemical systems
- Water treatment systems
- Facility and process layout, coordination with Architects/GC/other MEPs
- Custom skids
- Custom fabrication
Resource recovery and reuse
Water and energy are precious resources and a major expense for processors. BMI teams up with equipment manufacturers to treat and reuse water for chilling, steam production and CIP. We install innovative solutions for recovering and reusing energy such as creating biogas for heat production and using waste heat to create steam-generated electricity. These, and other sustainable solutions will positively impact your bottom line.
Read more about our sustainable solutions in our Processing Food and Beverage While Saving the Planet whitepaper.
Doing something new?
Trying something which has never been done? We will do more than cheer you on. We will help design, fabricate, test, and install your first of its kind solution. It takes real commitment to turn a new idea into a commercially viable product and it is even more difficult to do it while conserving natural resources. We can help bring your ideas to fruition with our innovative and sustainable solutions.
Read what the founder of the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has to say about BMI
“Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has had the privilege of working with Tom Barnum and the talented crew at Barnum Mechanical for over 25 years. They were a valuable partner during several major expansions at our Chico, CA brewery, and have worked on a wide range of other projects over the years. Barnum Mechanical also played a significant role in the design and construction of our North Carolina greenfield brewery, from CAD and engineering help during the design phase to mobilizing a large field crew to assist in equipment installation and process piping.
They bring a high level of knowledge and understanding of food and beverage processing equipment, sanitary process design, and are competent in complex matrix piping and valve technology. Their attention to detail, stellar workmanship and artesian approach to design and installation continues to deliver value long after they have left the jobsite.”
Ken Grossman
Founder
Safety is at the core of everything we do
At BMI we know putting safety first protects our employees and customers, while improving our productivity, competitiveness, and profitability. We incorporate food safety into our process designs and worker safety is a continuous effort overseen by our safety management team. In addition to the financial benefits and increased productivity, the minimization of on-the-job injuries results in a bigger payoff – our employees’ ingrained commitment to food and jobsite safety.
We have an extensive safety program and an outstanding safety record
Our systems adhere to 3-A sanitary design, FDA, FSMA, USDA, ASME, OSHA and UL regulations. Our project managers and foremen are OSHA 30 certified and conduct daily job hazard analysis (JHA), job safety analysis (JSA) meetings, and weekly team safety meetings. Our skilled journeymen are OSHA 10 certified and trained to adhere to our high safety standards.
Our proactive approach is reflected in our outstanding safety record. In our more than 40 years of operation, our .66 experience modification rate (EMR) has consistently surpassed the industry average of 1.0.
You know your products. We know process
BMI is an industry leading full-service design-build company specializing in next generation solutions for the food, beverage, specialty process, and other sanitary industries. Since 1980, our team of design engineers, automation and controls engineers, project managers and expert installers provide unsurpassed value and results. Regardless of the scale or complexity of the project, we deliver the right technology and automation solutions for high-performance sanitary processing and production. BMI is headquartered in Northern California and operates throughout the United States. BMI is an American-owned and privately held company.