Sad Day

Hello Guys,

I wanted to come here today to let you guys know my father in law is closing his machine shop after being in business for 30 years. It's really sad. I wish more things were made in America and its sucks to see another shop close. I wanted to help but there wasn't much I could do as I am busy individual myself. Between incompetent employees, extremely high rent/payroll, difficult customers. I believe my father in law will finally have some peace but it was a very difficult decision. How do you guys stay competitive and keep the doors open is beyond me. I really enjoy machining myself but find it hard to understand how to "keep the doors open" in this economy.

Good luck to you all.

Sorry to hear that.

I think the way people stay open in this day-n-age is 2 fold : They must do something in a way that the Orient, Google, and Amazon can't, and they have to market in a way that your modern "globally minded" consumer thinks it's "cool" and progressive to get on board with.

I hate the way modern society has applied technology. It may be good for research and some aspects of marketing, but IMO, Having EVERYTHING at your finger tips is not healthy for psychology, sociality, and long term economics. There has to be a balance between the physical side of things and the digital side. The more the digital side takes over, the more the physical side suffers.

I'm 29, but I still use a flip phone and send postcards (Fight the power, ea? ).

Sorry to hear...I hate hearing that kind of thing.

I understand what he went through. I know I could easily double my work load if I had more qualified people that I could depend on.

Today I find this business to be a juggling act...find the right work you can simplify and automate to use the talents of the people you do have. Better work pays better...but can be a struggle to produce. Cheap work can be very simple but no money to be made...in between is an area I try to stay. Try to up the challenge of the work while still being able to hit all your tolerances And produce a good looking part. Not easy...

Best of luck to you and your father-in-law.

30 years is a pretty damn good run. How long was he hoping to keep going?

My dad has been in business for 30 years. One man band repair shop. His biggest problem is that the customers he started with 30 years ago have largely died or retired. I think he would like to keep working full time for at least another 5 years, but he's going to have to find some younger and more viable customers.

Machining is a viscous industry. If you aren't paying attention, someone moves in who is a little faster, a little smarter, or willing to bend the rules a lot further than you.

ewlsey said:

Machining is a viscous industry.

Click to expand...

Yup, you have to be thick (in the head) to be in this biz

M.B. Naegle said:

I'm 29, but I still use a flip phone and send postcards (Fight the power, ea? ).

Click to expand...

I thought I was about the only one left under 70 that still uses a dumb phone. Life just wasn't meant to be lived through a damned phone!

-Tim

Frenchy said:

I thought I was about the only one left under 70 that still uses a dumb phone. Life just wasn't meant to be lived through a damned phone!

-Tim

Click to expand...

Don't laugh - I haven't even got a cell phone, .......my last died 3 years ago and I found I didn't NEED one

Limy Sami said:

Don't laugh - I haven't even got a cell phone, .......my last died 3 years ago and I found I didn't NEED one

Click to expand...

So what do you do if you need to call someone or send a message? Send a carrier pigeon

Chknives said:

So what do you do if you need to call someone or send a message? Send a carrier pigeon

Click to expand...

He doesn't call, he "rings". And, I assume he does it from a red phone box while eating cod and chips and drinking Earl Gray. Then he drives home in an Austin Mini.

One closes and another 10 open, just how it is. This market is good for a lot of us.
Out of 30yrs they can't all have been bad.
Exit planning has to take place eventually, either gotta sell when its good, or close when you're done, too old & sick or market pushes you out.

1QWK96GT said:

How do you guys stay competitive and keep the doors open is beyond me. I really enjoy machining myself but find it hard to understand how to "keep the doors open" in this economy.

Click to expand...

It's not the economy. The ones who make it in this business do one thing that many others, myself included, do not. They treat it like a business, an entity to make money, and they do what it takes TO make money and that's all. I have seen many a machinist start a shop thinking that being a good machinist will pull them thru. Nope, it's being a good business man. You have to learn what you want your profit margins to be, know something about tax structures, how to talk intelligently to a CPA and banker, how to make sure jobs are quoted properly, how to hire qualified people, how to manage sales, and one of the most important thing: How to read and interpret a financial statement. There are many more aspects but I think you get my drift.

Another thing machinist do is go out and buy a CNC mill and lathe. The problem with that is that there are already everybody and their brother doing the same thing. You need to do something different to separate yourself from the pack. Otherwise you end up bidding against al the other shops and it becomes a race to the bottom to see who wins.

BTW, your FIL gave it a good run and should be proud that he stayed in a highly competitive business for as long as he did. I made it 17 years and didn't learn about the mistakes I made until it was all over but the shoutin'. Now, I have a CNC mill and lathe (yeah, I know) and I work by myself and I get my shop rate ($90/hr.) and more. I have taken the attitude that if I can't make the money on a job I don't take it and you know what? I'm making more money than I did before, have more time off for my projects and I'm a lot happier. The wife loves it.

Chknives said:

So what do you do if you need to call someone or send a message? Send a carrier pigeon

Click to expand...

I use a landline, which also provides my internet access, so I can use email I found that 80% of the calls I got on a cell phone were basically a waste of time, .....because folk can get hold of you they will ??

My landline has an answering machine, .which I check about every hour - if I don't hear the phone ring! Texts / SMS I can live without - the crap ratio was even higher.

To sum up, if folk can't be bothered to call my landline, .then their call couldn't have been that important in the first place - could it?

ewlsey said:

He doesn't call, he "rings". And, I assume he does it from a red phone box while eating cod and chips and drinking Earl Gray. Then he drives home in an Austin Mini.

Click to expand...

Not bad - for a Yank

Rings ? - correct

Red Telephone Box - there are sill a few about?

Cod & chips - very nice I recommend French's on the quay at Wells Next The Sea, Norfolk. http://www.frenchs.co.uk/ ( A must do in North Norfolk)

Earl Grey - hoes bathwater YUK!- give me Assam any day of the week,.........make it strong, go easy with the milk (NOT CREAM) and put sugar in mine on of pain of DEATH!

Austin Mini? ..no thank you, ....... POS and a bastard to work on - I was a Ford and Land Rover man (yes I know they're also POS but they were a lot lot easier to work on.)

Earl Grey is only drunk by those who cock their little finger whilst they sip.

I like Yorkshire Tea myself, but my wife won't drink it.

I don't know if the tea we get here is anything like they have in the UK, but I like our Earl Grey. Generic green or black tea is OK too.

Most Americans drink coffee, or some sugary thing that calls itself coffee, but I could never get into it.

Peter. said:

Earl Grey is only drunk by those who cock their little finger whilst they sip.

I like Yorkshire Tea myself, but my wife won't drink it.

Click to expand...

Yorkshire's good, it's my everyday brew, I live alone and get through 500 grams a week - got a little bit of a tea habit

ewlsey said:

I don't know if the tea we get here is anything like they have in the UK, but I like our Earl Grey. Generic green or black tea is OK too.

Most Americans drink coffee, or some sugary thing that calls itself coffee, but I could never get into it.

Click to expand...

I've heard about them coffee drinkers - odd bunch

Assam - This is in bags (which are and abortion) but the easiest I could find, ..........if you like tea with flavour and bite and it gives you a nice ''lift'' - I recommend you give it a spin Amazon.com : Twinings Assam Strong and Malty, 8 Tea Bags : Tea Services : Grocery & Gourmet Food

P.S. Here's Peter (above) Yorkshire tea Amazon.com : Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Red, 1 Teabags : Grocery & Gourmet Food

On Topic:
I have made it just more than half that long.
No idea WHY I still chase this (dream?)

OT:
This is all I know about tea.....

Cup Of Brown Joy - Elemental - YouTube

ewlsey said:

He doesn't call, he "rings". And, I assume he does it from a red phone box while eating cod and chips and drinking Earl Gray. Then he drives home in an Austin Mini.

Click to expand...

So limi is austin powers

pressbrake1 said:

So limi is austin powers

Click to expand...

Aren't all British people a combination of Mr. Bean and Austin Powers?