Long-term strategies and stable planning drive Cox Manufacturing’s growth and operational excellence 

Cox Manufacturing began with humble origins in a rented space with just one Swiss automatic screw machine. Since then, it has grown into a leading provider of small part production machining services. Mike Petrusch, Vice President of Manufacturing, shares a more detailed overview: “Founded in 1956, by William Cox Sr, the company is still privately held by the Cox family. It is currently owned and managed by the second generation, Bill Cox with the third generation in the business, learning everything that’s needed to eventually take over the running of the company. 

“We offer high volume precision machining, we turn north of seven million parts per month, primarily Swiss type parts under 19 millimeters in diameter, but we also have some fixed head stock capacity up to 65 and 80 millimeters. With the range of products we offer, we serve an array of industries including aerospace, medical, trucking, automotive, musical instruments, beverage systems, and electronics, as well as defense aerospace.” 

Michael then explains how the company maintains a balance between manufacturing at such a scale, maintaining the quality levels and meeting clients’ expectations: “We have developed a sophisticated quality management system. This includes a patented data collection and display system at each machine, so we’re constantly monitoring the equipment. We’re also collecting statistical dimensional information throughout the run and displaying that as well. This enables the operators to understand where their process is as far as centering and capability. 

“We also manage tool life and manage other aspects of the process throughout the production cycle. As a result, we are fully equipped to handle high volume manufacturing smoothly and efficiently. We also have a very thorough three-year apprenticeship program to train operators and familiarize people with how to run the machines and how to manage their processes. 

“The program is certified by the Department of Labor and is comprised of a mixture of on-the-job learning, online based lessons as well as classroom-based lessons which we have developed ourselves, in-house. Each year an apprentice completes a year of their course, they gain more pay and vacation benefits. At the end of the three-year program apprentices have a certificate from the Department of Labor that says they’re a certified machine technician.” 

Being a family owned and operated business offers several advantages. The kind of long-term planning that generates productive training schemes, is one significant advantage as Mike explains: “Our long-term strategy is not dictated by monthly or quarterly financial results. We have a long-term strategy regarding investment, manufacturing as well as with customer alliances. This has allowed the shop to prosper and grow. As a result, we have a very diverse customer base. We’re not heavily concentrating in any one area, which is great for the business and provides a significant amount of stability.” 

Alongside investing in its people, Cox Manufacturing has also recently purchased new machines. Mike explains how the new equipment will affect production: “We acquired 12 new Tsugami 20mm nine axis machines. These are replacing five axis machines that are 30 years old. We will now have newer controls, more axes, and better tooling capability. 

“We typically invest about ten percent of sales every year into machinery. We are constantly adding to and upgrading our equipment. We also have five more multi spindle machines that are coming in in late July which will be put on the shop floor. We are constantly reinvesting to make sure our equipment and capabilities remain at the cutting edge. 

“There are also some investments in automated inspection equipment as well, for example. With high volume manufacturing, there’s always the possibility, especially with Swiss turning and multi spindle that you end up with a short part. So, for some of the higher volume work, we’re doing 100 percent optical inspection for a number of features to guarantee that the parts that the customer receives are the specification required. Investment is such an ingrained portion of our operation that is constantly ongoing that it can be hard to identify one particular piece. There’s machinery, but there’s also the infrastructure. We recently upgraded compressors in the building to be more energy efficient. There are also plans to potentially construct another 12,000 to 24,000 square feet on this property within the next 12 to 18 months.” 

Mike then looks ahead, outlining the company’s vision for the coming years: “Within the next five to ten years, ownership will have transitioned, and the shop will continue to grow through our investment strategies. We will continue to have a very diverse marketing base and ship more to our US customers. 

“I think the future is bright. Despite economic downturns, we’ve survived and even prospered through them. Another benefit to our strategy going forward is that our customers don’t have in-house machining capacity, so if their volumes go down, they will reduce, but they won’t go away entirely. 

“It’s also an exciting time to be in manufacturing globally. There’s a lot going on – there’s a shift in manufacturing. The demographics for training and hiring and retaining employees continue to be challenging, but if you have a good operation with a great culture, you will continue to attract and hire great personnel. We’re fortunate to be in that position.”  

https://coxmanufacturing.com