Marketing

Machine tool builder SMTCL-Americas, City Of Industry, Calif., has partnered with West Coast Customs by supplying a CNC machine tool to the Burbank, Calif., custom auto body shop. The VMC2100B vertical machining center will allow West Coast Customs to create customized wheels and body parts in-house. This partnership will also allow SMTCL customers to purchase the West Coast Custom Edition VMC2100B.

SMTCL- Americas, City of Industry, Calif., kicked off the beginning of spring with a sales training course and open house. Instructed by Chief Operations Officer Jerry McCarty, 18 individuals became certified on SMTCL machines. This creates a larger distributor network in California and other regions to better service potential customers, according to the company.  

BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc., Hoffman Estates, Ill., is hosting the Golden Corridor Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (GCAMP) Open House on April 23 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. An event directed toward area students and parents, it will explain what advanced manufacturing means in today's economy. The agenda includes presentations, technology demonstrations and opportunities to talk to college representatives and professionals in the field. 

Tooling manufacturer BENZ Inc., Charlotte, N.C., will hold a national sales meeting and dealer training for its metalworking and composites products April 7-8 in Las Vegas. The meeting will be led by John Roasa, national sales manager of the BENZ Metal Division. Informational sessions will be held throughout the event with topics including marketing efforts, use of social media platforms, upcoming trade shows, catalogs and order forms, new products, product updates and price lists, as well as "What's Hot" in 2015, according to the company. The sales meeting also offers several tooling-specific hands-on training sessions.

Haas Automation Inc.'s recent HaasTec open house attracted nearly 3,300 attendees to the company's headquarters and manufacturing facility in Oxnard, Calif., according to the company. The 4-day event drew visitors from 48 countries, including China, India, Korea, Latin America, the Middle East and many European countries, as well as more than 330 students from regional high schools, colleges and universities.

Minnesota Business Magazine announced the companies has selected for this year's 100 Best Companies to Work for Award. Midwest Industrial Tool Grinding, Inc., Hutchinson, Minn., a first-time applicant and recipient, has been recognized as "the best that McLeod County has to offer" for work environment, employee benefits and culture, according to the company. 

Toolmaker Dormer Pramet's new line of indexable tooling, including internal and external turning, milling cutters and indexable drills with carbide inserts, becomes available to North American customers April 1 following the publication of a new catalog featuring the Pramet- tool line, consisting of turning, milling and drilling inserts and holders.

Harvey Tool announced the release of its 30th Anniversary Spring 2015 Catalog. The Rowley, Mass.-based toolmaker will introduce over 1,100 new tools, including eight new products in its variable helix, plastic cutting, undercutting, chamfering and thread milling lines. In addition, new sizes and coating options have been added to over 40 different products, according to the company. 

Toolmaker OSG USA, INC., Glendale Heights, Ill, has introduced the OSG PHOENIX® Vol.4 catalog in print and digital versions. The catalog is over 150 pages and features new products and expansions to existing lines of indexable milling and drilling products. Notable additions to the milling lineup includes 45° face milling cutters, screw fit endmills and replaceable head endmills. Indexable drills and replaceable head drills have been added to the drilling offering.  

Among the 85 respondents to Cutting Tool Engineering magazine's Salary Survey Addendum, the annual average salary for manual machinists stands at $39,340, which represents an average hourly wage of $18.91. Combining the survey addendum results with CTE's 2014 Salary & Benefits Survey, which is based on data collected last fall from 215 respondents, the annual average salary for manual machinists is $39,202, which is about $18.85 an hour.