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Articles

How a Machining Company Thrives after 108 years in Business, with Michael Ottenweller and Terry Hanson—EP 156

June 8, 2022 - 3:29pm -- Selcuk Gulboy
Michael Ottenweller and Terry Hanson

By Noah Graff

Our guests on today’s show are Michael Ottenweller and Terry Hanson, of Ottenweller Company, a medium-sized fabrication and machining company headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Ottenweller is a 108-year-old fourth generation family business. I spoke with Michael and Terry about how a family business can grow and thrive for over a century and continue to find new quality talent.

Who Am I Missing Out On?

May 24, 2022 - 4:28pm -- Selcuk Gulboy
The author at work

I wonder. How many people in the world do I already know who I’m missing out on doing great things with?

The used machinery business is quite good lately for Graff-Pinkert, though I’m probably jinxing this prosperous period by saying that. Sometimes I ask myself how I have contributed to make these deals happen. I know that sounds like a comment from a business person lacking swag, but it’s good to ask oneself why things are working while they are working. It often seems like we luck into our best deals. We just happen to serendipitously find the one person in the world looking for a legacy Hydromat HB45-12 or an INDEX MS42C CNC Multi-Spindle Mfd. 1999.

Getting lucky—finding that one guy (or woman) who wants to buy our machines—I think can be attributed to our customer network as much as anything. It sounds crazy, but I think at least 50 percent of the deals Graff-Pinkert makes include at least one party who we already have a past relationship with. We have relationships with a colorful cast of characters around the world, comprised of dealers, end-users, and auctioneers. A lot of these people I’ve really gotten to know well for many years, and I regard them as friends. We talk on the phone often, and they actually seem to genuinely care when they ask how my newborn son Abe is doing.

How a Machinist Entrepreneur Retired at 40, with Tyler Jarosz—Ep. 154

May 3, 2022 - 2:13pm -- Selcuk Gulboy
Tyler Jarosz, Former Owner of Twenty6Products

By Noah Graff
 

Tyler Jarosz sent me an email about a month and a half ago to ask if Graff-Pinkert would be interested in a used little parts washer he no longer needed in his machine shop. He found out about Graff-Pinkert from listening to Swarfcast, which I’m proud to say is the only podcast he has ever listened to.

How to Navigate Material Shortages in Swiss Machining, with Steve Tamasi—EP. 153

April 14, 2022 - 4:17pm -- Selcuk Gulboy
Steve Tamasi, Owner of Boston Centerless

By Noah Graff
 

Our guest on today’s show is Steve Tamasi, owner and CEO of Boston Centerless, a distributor and manufacturer of ground bar stock. I asked Steve why there is such a shortage of raw materials for precision turning manufacturers and what companies can do to deal with this problem. We also talked about how the war in Ukraine is affecting metals prices. What is pig iron, anyway?

Featured Video the Week

March 30, 2022 - 3:50pm -- Selcuk Gulboy

Star ECAS-20 CNC Swiss Lathe

Mfd. 2010

SN: 0601 (46)

20mm Capacity

Siemens control

With IEMCA Loader

Counter-face gang type tool post
Turning Tool: 6 Tools
Front-end working stationary tool: 4 tools (back end tool post)
Rear-end working stationary tool: 2 tools (back end tool post)
Power-driven tool: 6 tools

4-Spindle Back Working Unit
Stationary tool: 4 tools
 

Why the Machining Industry is Thriving, with Miles Free —EP. 149

March 7, 2022 - 2:11pm -- Selcuk Gulboy
Miles Free, Director of Industry Affairs with PMPA

By Noah Graff

Our guest on the show today is my friend Miles Free, Director of Industry Affairs at the Precision Machined Products Association (PMPA).

Miles was actually the first featured guest on this podcast four years ago, and we are very thankful to have him back for episode 149. He is definitely one of the most passionate people I know about the machining world. It was a great conversation in which we covered an array of topics, such as tariffs, shop safety, electric cars, and even a bit about Ghostbusters.

A More Intelligent Way to Hire, with Brian Balasia—EP. 148

March 1, 2022 - 3:13pm -- Selcuk Gulboy

By Noah Graff

Our guest on the podcast today is Brian Balasia, CEO and Co-Founder of TalentEi, a company that produces a software platform that matches employers and job seekers across a variety of sectors. Brian says the platform enables companies to hire superior people, more quickly, and at a better price than traditional hiring methods such as job descriptions and resumes.

Tracking Your Shop’s Performance, with Lauren Dunford—EP. 147

February 14, 2022 - 3:04pm -- Selcuk Gulboy

Our guest on today’s podcast is Lauren Dunford, CEO and cofounder of Guidewheel. Guidewheel produces a sensor that clips onto a machine tool’s power supply to collect data while it runs. The data helps manufacturers understand what processes on the shop floor need to be improved and guides them toward solutions.

Best of Swarfcast: Citizen CNC Swiss Lathes with Marc Klecka—EP 109

January 27, 2022 - 3:47am -- Flora M. Tan

Today’s show is the first episode of our new season about Swiss-Type CNC machining. Our guest is Marc Klecka, founder and president of Concentric Corporation, a prominent distributor of Citizen-Cincom CNC Swiss lathes in Cleveland, Ohio.

Listen with Google PodcastsApple Podcasts or your favorite app.

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