Raving Fan: Great Lakes Carbide Tool Manufacturing

	Great Lakes Carbide's Mazak Keep on Running

Pictured (Left to Right): Ray Martin, VP/Plant Manager and Brad Heckel, CNC Department Manager, standing in front of their brand new Mazak QT250 HP with fusion 640 control. Congratulations Ray! We understand you will be celebrating 20 years at GLCT and your 33rd birthday. (You do the math.)

Peshtigo-based Great Lakes Carbide Tool Manufacturing, Inc. was first established in 1973 under the name Peshtigo Saw Service. As its name implied, the company was solely in the business of saw sharpening. As business escalated so did the need to become a tooling distributor. In 1979 they undertook the challenge of manufacturing custom carbide and tungsten-tipped tools to be used on moulders, routers, and shapers used primarily for cutting wood. It was also at this time that Peshtigo Saw Service became Great Lakes Carbide Tool Manufacturing, Inc. Increased sales and resulting growth led them to relocate to a 6,400 square foot facility in 1985.

Over the years business increased at a remarkable rate. In 1993 their customers began to request manufactured insert tooling. This gave Great Lakes Carbide the opportunity to manufacture their Great-Loc® patented insert system. This system was designed through conscientious teamwork and constant communication between Great Lakes Carbide's employees and their customers. With this new design, their customers have witnessed that the improved consistency this system offers minimizes or eliminates the need for additional sanding.

In 1994, Mazak and Machinery Systems, Inc. began their relationship with Great Lakes Carbide Tool, Inc. Demands for their Great Loc® product necessitated their first Mazak purchase, a Quick Turn 15N. Shortly thereafter they added a Mazak VTC-16B Vertical Machining Center. 1995 Great Lakes Carbide was again compelled to expand their operations and move to a larger facility of 14,000 square feet due to the addition of even more state-of-the art CNC manufacturing equipment. Their most recent purchase was another Mazak Quick Turn 250HP CNC Lathe with the new Fusion 640 Control. When asked why Great Lakes Carbide has chosen and continues to buy Mazak Machines, Vice President/Plant Manager Ray Martin cited "the time savings and simplicity of programming using the Mazatrol Control, the ease of setup to setup, the speed of the tool eye, and the ease of training." Another great feature of the Mazak machines, according to Ray, is their "fantastic uptime." Ray calls them his "little pink bunnies" because "they just keep going and going and going". "In our business Time is Money" states Ray, "and with our Mazaks we are making money."

Over the years Great Lakes Carbide has received many awards, including the Governor’s New Product Award for small companies. Recently they were presented with the Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award for the Great-Loc® Insert System. This internationally recognized award is the highest and most prestigious award in their industry; honoring the experienced, high-tech levels of achievement and recognizes the most advanced technology available. With their continued growth and winning product line, we look forward to a mutual partnership of continued success and growth between Machinery Systems, Inc., Mazak and Great Lakes Carbide Tool Manufacturing, Inc.

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