Apex employs those 200+ Americans out of the goodness of it's heart.
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Apex Tool Group (ATG) Tour
- Thread starter Barnabas
- Start date
Apex employs those 200+ Americans out of the goodness of it's heart.
Parrothead
Well-known member
I got to tour the Apex Tool Group facility in Apex North Carolina as part of the national Manufacturing Day program. 118 manufacturers and community/technical colleges held open houses across the state this year in an effort to get students and anyone else to come learn about the great careers in the manufacturing industry. Since Apex Tool Group manufactures tools, I figured my fellow Garage Journalists would appreciate a behind-the-scenes tour.
This 500,000 square foot building was originally where Lufkin manufactured tape measures. (It is on Lufkin Drive.) Later it became a Cooper Tool building and then Apex Tool Group.
Thank you for sharing! It's appreciated, even though many on GJ are upset about the outsourcing.
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Thanks for taking the time to post pictures of your tour. I always try to learn something from a visit to any facility, it's more of a global economy than some members here like to admit. We live in a different world than we did 30 years ago, not something that some folks like to accept.
Gotcha640
Well-known member
When I worked for Fastenal, I got to go to HQ in Winona MN. They have a (factory? machine shop? Not sure where you guys put the bar) where they have some huge CNC machines, along with all the fab tools and test labs and R&D etc.
I was lucky enough to get a call on day 3/8 ish for something like 500 pieces of some unique large bolt (maybe a fine thread 2" dia x 6" Teflon coated with a triple square drive?).
I got to see the raw material work through the factory, have the MTR generated, and get put on a Fastenal truck. That order was delivered before I got home 5 days later.
The ~$1200 commission was nice, but having worked in a mom and pop machine shop in college, I was most impressed to see the top end of that market. There were still greasy guys (young and old) in blue shirts and brown shirts with their names in cursive, coming in early, staying late for overtime for a new boat.
Sure, the customer could have had their design done 6 months earlier, Fastenal wouldn't have got the order, and the bolts could have come from China, or Turkey (where I've also toured steel yards) and they would have saved all that money, but as OP said, there's still manufacturing happening here.
Us cheapskates just can't afford it!
I was lucky enough to get a call on day 3/8 ish for something like 500 pieces of some unique large bolt (maybe a fine thread 2" dia x 6" Teflon coated with a triple square drive?).
I got to see the raw material work through the factory, have the MTR generated, and get put on a Fastenal truck. That order was delivered before I got home 5 days later.
The ~$1200 commission was nice, but having worked in a mom and pop machine shop in college, I was most impressed to see the top end of that market. There were still greasy guys (young and old) in blue shirts and brown shirts with their names in cursive, coming in early, staying late for overtime for a new boat.
Sure, the customer could have had their design done 6 months earlier, Fastenal wouldn't have got the order, and the bolts could have come from China, or Turkey (where I've also toured steel yards) and they would have saved all that money, but as OP said, there's still manufacturing happening here.
Us cheapskates just can't afford it!
SweetD
Well-known member
Thanks for posting OP. My job takes me to many different electro-mechanical product manufacturing facilities here in the U.S., and I always enjoy the factory tours the most. I've actually worked with the engineering group at Apex that designs the torque-limiting power wrenches used mostly in the auto manufacturing industry. They make that stuff right in SC, crazy shop with tons of cool old machine tools.
Downwindtracker 2
Well-known member
I'm not a fan of imports, the mill I worked at closed down. China subsides exports, besides having newer faster equipment. But the real economics of imports has much greater value in the design, marketing , distribution, and sales.
Thanks for tour.
Thanks for tour.
neophyte
Well-known member
Thanks, for the pictures. Not sure where but Wiss aviation tin snips and most HK Porter cutters are made in the US. Local tool company always has the US flag when it advertises specials on Wiss
ts a big warehouse and R+D centre that employs US citizens. Does anyone really want to see pictures of the huge Milwaukee/Ryobi complex in China and the 13,000 people that work there
Sargent used to manufacture a barbed wire cutter similar to the one in the third pic.
Sargent tools, or to be specific, the company who took over the manufacture of the Sargent tool division, still does manufacturing in the USA, mostly of specialty crimpers and stuff, as well as the occasional run of oarallel jaw pliers, so it’s possible they’re manufacturing the the one cutter.
I presume there are other small manufacturers who do the same.
MarvinBerry
Well-known member
Thanks for taking the time to tour & post pics. Nice to see they're doing QC in house & in the states.
Funny that Husky is the biggest seller but not surprising either. While I know the brand gets no love on the forum I own a fair amount & have had no problems with any of it.
Didn't know that gearwrench made chests, they look good. Wonder why nobody pushes them..?
Funny that Husky is the biggest seller but not surprising either. While I know the brand gets no love on the forum I own a fair amount & have had no problems with any of it.
Didn't know that gearwrench made chests, they look good. Wonder why nobody pushes them..?
giants
Banned
I asked which they move more of, Crescent or Gear Wrench, and the reply was Husky. They also distribute B&D Craftsman.
Thanks for your post, Barnabas.
Did you get a sense as to which brand name tools Apex is most proud of and/or they think is their best?
At least they let him take pictures. lol.
Its sad though, we used to make stuff there. Now we just distribute it from there.
Either way, glad you got to see it and share.
Their best no longer exists. They discontinued it and shelved the brand. Armstrong Tools FTW.
Its sad though, we used to make stuff there. Now we just distribute it from there.
Either way, glad you got to see it and share.
Thanks for your post, Barnabas.
Did you get a sense as to which brand name tools Apex is most proud of and/or they think is their best?
Their best no longer exists. They discontinued it and shelved the brand. Armstrong Tools FTW.
chad w
Banned
^You really need to get over yourself. A lot of "us" here in America habla Espanol, Jack. So your Doctor's assistants made a mistake and handed you some Spanish forms... OH THE HORROR. Did you tell her to take back her burritos and go back to where she came from? And where have you heard that companies prefer to hire foreign college graduates over American graduates? As a manager at one of the largest companies in the USA, currently employing over 300,000 people, we sure don't "prefer" to hire foreign graduates...
I don't want to turn this into a political debate, but every time you buy a "vintage American made hand tool" you do nothing to support the American jobs still here that so many people claim to care so much about... You know, like the 200+ AMERICANS working in that Apex Tool building right now.
This. The idiocy being presented as patriotism here among some here is hilarious.
Op, ty for the pictures, i appriciated the photo tour.
I'll be chatting with the lady who set up this tour at Apex Tool during a webinar tomorrow. You are all invited to tune in. Maybe ask her some of these tough questions.
We host a monthly Career Pathways webinar, and this time we are focusing on events from Manufacturing Careers Week, Construction Month, and the Pulp and Paper Industry.
The webinar is Oct 17, 2019 starting at 9am Eastern time.
Register for the webinar here.
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/241454251291121165
We host a monthly Career Pathways webinar, and this time we are focusing on events from Manufacturing Careers Week, Construction Month, and the Pulp and Paper Industry.
The webinar is Oct 17, 2019 starting at 9am Eastern time.
Register for the webinar here.
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/241454251291121165
giants
Banned
I'll be chatting with the lady who set up this tour at Apex Tool during a webinar tomorrow. You are all invited to tune in. Maybe ask her some of these tough questions.
We host a monthly Career Pathways webinar, and this time we are focusing on events from Manufacturing Careers Week, Construction Month, and the Pulp and Paper Industry.
The webinar is Oct 17, 2019 starting at 9am Eastern time.
Register for the webinar here.
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/241454251291121165
Thanks. I'm not sure I can watch the webinar. Will they archive it for access later?
Please ask where they rank/rate their Husky hand tools in comparison to GearWrench.
What other brand-names they make/own?
Also, if Home Depot refuses to warranty a Husky hand tool's lifetime warranty, despite packaging saying otherwise, how to deal with this, eg special back-line phone number to call APEX.