In memoriam: Bob Bunting

Robert "Bob" Bunting, board chair and former president and CEO of Newton, Kansas-based Bunting Magnetics, died the week of June 16 at the age of 76.

The company, whose magnetic equipment is used in several recycling sectors, says Bob Bunting was a key figure in the company’s growth into "a global supplier and manufacturer of magnetic solutions."

Bunting is a family-owned company that was founded in 1959 by Bob Bunting's father, Walter Bunting. Bob Bunting subsequently led the company for nearly three decades, overseeing its expansion into international markets and the diversification of its product lines during his tenure as president and CEO.

“My father dedicated his life to this company,” says Robert Bunting Jr., Bob Bunting’s son and current president and CEO of Bunting Magnetics. “He was a tireless worker whose vision and determination shaped Bunting into the company it is today. He held high standards and pushed us to be our best, but those who knew him understood it came from a place of deep care—for the people who worked here and the future he was building for all of us.”

Under Bob Bunting’s leadership, the company expanded its global footprint by establishing operations in the United Kingdom, China and Australia while also adding facilities in other parts of North America beyond Newton.

The company says he preserved Bunting’s identity as a family-owned business while championing innovations that positioned the firm “as a trusted partner to manufacturers and producers across a broad range of industries worldwide.”

Under his guidance, the company established the Walter F. and June A. Bunting Memorial Scholarship Fund to help children of employees pursue higher education.

Beyond his corporate leadership, Bob Bunting volunteered for organizations including United Way, the Newton Public Library Foundation and a regional YMCA. In recognition of their leadership and generosity, Bob Bunting and his wife, Barbara, were honored as 2023 Philanthropists of the Year by the Newton Public Library Foundation and were acknowledged by the Newton-based Central Kansas Community Foundation.

“Bob Bunting’s legacy continues through the company he helped shape, the community he championed and the people whose lives he touched along the way," the company says.