From the article: Any metal manufacturing manager would have looked at Major Tool & Machine’s customer mix in 2020 with at least a hint of envy. About half of the Indianapolis-based metal fabricating and machining operation’s revenue comes from defense; 15% comes from the semiconductor business; 10% from aerospace; 10% from power generation; 10% from the nuclear industry, including the national labs; and 5% from oil and gas. Considering this, it’s no surprise that 2020, despite all its challenges, was for Major Tool a record year.
“Our market mix continues to evolve,” said David Weyreter, vice president of sales and marketing. “We saw an uptick in defense-related spending, and a lot of our customers received contracts that allowed them to place new orders in 2020.”
Likewise, the work continues to ramp up in 2021. Recent new work includes fabrications for the Navy’s new Columbia-class submarine and precision machining of rocket engine nozzles associated with NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return U.S. astronauts to the moon and Mars. Major Tool’s shop load is a combination of custom manufacturing and repeat production. The production work has allowed the company to invest extensively in machine and welding automation technology. However, the company’s primary business is in custom manufacturing; employees often work with large, complex fabrications and assemblies. That environment, Weyreter explained, requires talented and experienced people who understand metal fabrication techniques, including code-level welding. Major Tool employs more than 50 welders, most of whom are certified to perform code-level work.
Without such talent, Major Tool wouldn’t be the company it is today, sitting at No. 7 on this year’s FAB 40. It’s why for nearly 20 years it has developed its own machinist and welder training programs. The programs, conducted on the company’s Indianapolis campus, use dedicated training labs, classrooms, and shop floor shadowing. Weyreter himself participated in the initial training program in 2005.
“We start with the basics of welding and fabricating which includes cutting, grinding, and gouging, and the basics of print reading,” he said, adding that from there the three-month weld training program moves into process-specific information, incorporating AWS and ASME welder qualifications. At the end of the program, students are paired with seasoned welders as part of Major Tool’s mentor/mentee program to continue learning and perfecting their skills.
The continuation of such training and development programs is a critical part of Major Tool’s value proposition, and the programs continue to support the company as it heads into 2022.
“We’re seeing [late 2021 and early 2022] as being more of the same,” Weyreter said. ”We continue to see a tremendous amount of opportunity for growth within the contract manufacturing environment.”
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Established in 1946, Major Tool & Machine Inc. (MTM) is a contract manufacturer in Indianapolis, Indiana, that provides manufacturing solutions for our customer's most complex needs. MTM specializes in large CNC milling and turning machining, high-speed machining, manual and robotic welding, engineering, CAD/CAM programming, project management, inspection, and assembly services.
