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OT - NY Tool Makers

duckfarmer27

Stainless
Joined
Nov 4, 2005
Location
Upstate NY
My son hit me with a question today. He is a financial writer/analyst working with a client. His question was for me to name any tool makers in NY (what he is working on is only concerned with NY). Fifty years ago as a teen age kid I could have rattled off numerous ones. About the only possibility I could think of was what the owner of Tools for Working Wood is doing down in Brooklyn. He laughed - already had spent an hour on the phone with them. He's talking about any kind of tool manufacturing - guess I should qualify that to be for 'general use'. Not talking specialized stuff for what manufacturing is left here. I know here is wood centric but as a group is probably as aware of any other stuff going on out there. If not much pops up I'll re-post in the General Forum.

I do know some on here - like Stephen - build some great stuff, a lot of it one off for personal use. What he is looking for is people building for sale.

Total aside, but an example - in his search he has tripped over some interesting niche capability out there. For example, a place downstate that started as a sheep operation in the 70s to supply yarn ended up in the dye business as they could not source natural dyes they wanted. That is now the main business, and about the only source in the world for some stuff.

Thanks for any knowledge you can share.

Dale
 
Dale -

Maybe it depends on what a "tool" is?
Corning makes the lenses for laser etching computer chips and such circuits.
DR makes "tools" (machines) for moving hydrocarbons around.

I know you said "generalized, not specialized" but both those will sell to anyone that needs & can afford them. IOW, many customs, but not necessarily custom by intent.

smt
 
All -

Sorry that I popped this question - then disappeared for a few days and just now catching up.

I realize how poorly I worded the question. Really looking for items sold to end users - wood or metal working - but smaller outfits, probably maximum of 10 employees. The group my son is working with is trying to figure out ways to help boost sales of small outfits in NY - and primarily (but not exclusively) upstate.
They have been at it a couple years with some success. Of course they found it easy to find artisan food kind of stuff, crafty things, etc. My son is trying to open the envelope a bit, away from the obvious (to them). One answer would be Stephen, for example, if he were interested in becoming the Lie Nielsen of Chemung County making planes.

Thanks for the suggestions to my original questions - the locals like DR, Hardinge, Corning, (and others) were obvious answers but not what I was looking for. Would help if I could ask a question correctly!

And while I am at it, a Merry Christmas to everyone.

Dale
 
most companies in new york state tend to make high end stuff.
.
i once searched internet and found local place making glass lenses for many uses and took a tour of the place. until i searched i had no ideal it was in the area
.
not many business making cheaper hardware store stuff. even Stanley tools type companies most are international and most stuff made in other countries
 








 
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