The BUR Barbell Company was a privately held American physical fitness equipment manufacturer that was in operation from 1928 until 1966. The company traces its origins to Bradenton, Florida, and Birmingham, Alabama. After the Second World War, operations were relocated to Lyndhurst, New Jersey to take advantage of the rapid economic and population growth in the region. At one time, BUR Barbell was the second largest producer of barbells in the United States. BUR manufactured a limited selection of weight training products that further narrowed over time until, by the early 1950s, it consisted of a single barbell/dumbbell set and the component parts. BUR Barbell produced plates for sale under its own name as well as for companies such as the Jackson International Barbell Company (sold as the Jackson "Economy" standard plates), the Dan Lurie Barbell Company, and Ace Barbell. History and management BUR Barbell Company officially began operations in 1928. The first three years of operation were spent in planning and product design. Product manufacturing started in 1931. From the beginning, all BUR branded products were produced in the company's own foundries. The President and founder of the BUR Barbell Company was David "Dave" Collins Hall. His wife, Kathryn Hall, was Corporate Secretary and Office Manager of the Lyndhurst facility. Dave Hall and the early years of BUR Barbell David C. Hall, was born on May 9, 1907, in Valley Head, Alabama. He died on April 25, 1966, in Passaic, New Jersey. He received an undergraduate degree in mathematics and science from the University of Florida. After graduation, Mr. Hall taught both math and science in Palm Harbor, Florida, and was a high school principal for several years. It was during this time that he laid the groundwork for what was to eventually become the BUR Barbell Company of Bradenton, Florida. From 1931 until 1941, BUR produced various free weight products at its Bradenton facility. These products could be purchased via mail order for shipment throughout the United States. Sometime during this period, additional foundries were established in Alabama and – reportedly – in other southern states as well. Barbell production appears to have stopped during the war but was restarted shortly thereafter. For three years, during the Second World War, Mr. Hall served as an officer on the staff of Admiral Nimitz in the South Pacific. He was decorated in the Philippine Campaign. After the war ended, a