John Milanowski, President and Partner of Innovative Machining, Inc.  Point and click here (movie link) to see and hear John explain how they stay competitive with their customers.

John Milanowski (left) and Gregg Bathke stand along side their lobby "statement."

 The plant is extensive.  The equipment is new and big; and everything is organized and spotless.

by Joe Romanowski
Chairman & CEO

I’ve known John Milanowski and Gregg Bathke, owners of Innovative www.innovativemachining.com, located in Neenah, WI, for a number of years before they started their company ten years ago.  I've been with them at Mazak’s Florence, KY plant, Mazak's Japanese plants and numerous trade shows and open houses.  Even with all this contact I just wasn’t prepared for what I saw.  You know the old cliché that you have to see it to believe it and understand it?  When I walked into the Innovative plant I witnessed an immaculate manufacturing space with huge boring mills, machining centers and turning centers along with extensive fabrication equipment.  I understand how difficult it is to accumulate the capital to outfit a plant like this in the business of contract machining. I quickly concluded that John and Gregg are operating a very special job shop.

They love high technology.  Their style is to continually trade out older equipment for the latest manufacturing technology.  Their heating, lighting and security systems are extensive and all computer controlled.  While there are many companies in the paper converting industry, they take their presence in that niche to a spectacular level.  They have developed expertise for working with exotic materials, large parts and to borrow the adjective in their business name, “innovative” tool design.  Also, they’ve developed a high level of expertise in cutting these exotic materials via waterjet.  They do the things that other job shops don’t want to touch. They are committed to the education and development of their own staff as well as their industry.  Innovative participates as an advisor to the local technical college, Fox Valley Technical College.

They describe their plant product mix as low volume, high mix, high value, quick delivery parts.  All of their company skills and talents are focused on building very special converting machines and adding a lot of value for their customers in the machines or parts they manufacture.

Are they facing foreign competition?  You bet, but they are confident of their strategy.  They have completed their second plant expansion and have two more expansions on the design board.  Since much of the paper converting industry is transferring to South America because of the huge forest resources, they clearly understand their challenge is to get better and more “innovative” in everything they do.  Point and click here to see and hear john explain how they operate in their competitive environment (movie link).

While they describe their management philosophy for their 65 employee operation as “high control, clean and lean,” there’s a picture hanging in the lobby that adds much more depth and breadth to the culture of this special company.  It’s a picture of George Washington kneeling next to his horse at Valley Forge.  Gregg and John embrace spiritual principles in the operation of their business.  As John explained, “That lobby picture tells volumes.  George Washington, the first President and father of our country, represents the high regard we have for the United States of America.  At the same time, we believe Jesus Christ is sitting with us everyday as we do business. Our Christian spirituality is a huge guiding force in the success of our company.”

As I left John and Gregg, I thought… “I am so proud to know them. They are really sharp guys and great customers. Boy, I am so happy that I don’t have to compete against them.”