How My 80-Year-Old Business Started
Yesterday, March 5, was my father Leonard’s birthday. He was born in 1917, the youngest of four–a younger brother had died at four years old.
From everything he told me, it was a malfunctioning household. His dad, Louis, who I never met, told him often that his wedding day was the worst day of his life.
Today we’re running a podcast that I guested on in September of 2024 called “Networking and Marketing Made Simple.” The show focuses on how LinkedIn can be used to grow your business. It’s hosted by Scott Aaron, who for the last seven months was my LinkedIn coach, an experience that is already paying dividends in our businesses.
Do you know what President Trump’s basket of tariffs is supposed to accomplish? Do you think they will work for the country? Will they be good for you? How about for me?
Well I have my doubts. So yesterday I tried to find out by talking to a few of Graff-Pinkert’s most successful customers, who happen to be some of the brightest folks in the machining world. The following is what I learned.
Dave Polito is my Star CNC guru.
He’s always been there when I’ve had questions, whether I was asking about a 1999 Star SA12, or a sweet SV38R located in Asia, or the ever flummoxing Siemens control on an ECAS-20.
My guest on today’s podcast, Anthony Davis, told me that since age 10 he and his brother knew they wanted to join their family business, Global CNC, a tooling manufacturer for CNC lathes and mills.
Today at age 23, Anthony runs the company alongside his 25-year-old brother, Alexander, and their 84-year-old grandfather who founded the company 40 years ago.
Once I flew to Germany for an INDEX multi-spindle deal that was stolen out from under us the morning after I arrived. I laid in my hotel bed swearing at the ceiling for a few minutes and then called a friend who happened to be our best European INDEX customer. Hours later, I was on a plane to Spain to inspect two different INDEX machines that we ended up making more money on than if we had sold the one I had come to Germany for.
It takes tremendous balls to start a machining company from scratch. And, maybe a little extra chutzpa to start a shop that primarily runs cam screw machines making millions of parts for automotive.
After 23 years working in job shops and running a small farm, Karl Drasgow cashed out his 401K to found Drasgow Inc., a Wickman job shop in Gainesville, New York, in 2003.
Damn. It’s already 2025? I was just getting used to the idea that it was 2024.
Today, Lloyd and I are reflecting on what worked and didn’t work in our used machinery business and our personal lives over the last year. We’re also discussing our intentions and predictions for the new year.
Will we sell more old multi-spindles in 2025 like we did this year? Will our incoming president be good for precision machining?
And how does it feel to turn 80?
Question: What are your greatest hopes and fears in 2025?
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We had an inquiry last Monday on an expensive CNC turning center from a machinery broker based in Chicago but representing a Chinese firm.
Thinking of a potential profit if we sold it, I asked Noah to quote the machine. His response was, “Dad, we can’t sell it to them. We are at war.”
I immediately knew he was correct. The parts made on this rare machine could be used in a missile or a drone that would threaten the United States or an ally like Taiwan.
We had an inquiry last Monday on an expensive CNC turning center from a machinery broker based in Chicago but representing a Chinese firm.
Thinking of a potential profit if we sold it, I asked Noah to quote the machine. His response was, “Dad, we can’t sell it to them. We are at war.”
I immediately knew he was correct. The parts made on this rare machine could be used in a missile or a drone that would threaten the United States or an ally like Taiwan.