Back in 2019, KV Tooling Systems had been awarded the ANCA Tool of the Year Award, which was a very exciting time for the Maine-based manufacture of carbide and HSS cutting tools (as well as trusted tool sharpening service provider). The operation has recently expanded and, with that, moved into a significantly larger space which has enabled them a greater capacity to serve their customer base. The Gateway sat down with Brian to discuss that expansion and more in the following company showcase.
The Gateway: It’s been a while since we last spoke! How’d KV Tooling Systems navigate the pandemic? Was business up, down, or steady?
KV Tooling: Navigating the pandemic was challenging to say the least, because sales were down, but we kept in regular contact with customers by email and phone and we focused on delivering for our customers. When you call KV Tooling, you get to speak directly with either the owner, (myself) or one of my sons. With almost 100 years’ combined experience, you can be sure that we have the know-how to help you, whatever your needs are. We overcame the adversity and I believe it helped us grow as a company.
The Gateway: In general, how have the last few years gone? What have you learned? What new practices have you incorporated into the operation of the business (if anything)?
KV Tooling: I learned to take advantage of business assistance programs like PPP, EIDL, and ERTC’s. These were great resources for our company because they helped us retain staff and keep capacity up. Banks were more lenient with lending, so we refinanced some of our loans and reduced our interest rates, so we’re positioned for future growth.
The Gateway: We heard you moved! Tell us about the new space. When did you move out of the old one? Are you still in the old one in some capacity, or did you move the whole operation?
KV Tooling: We took advantage of having the slow period to move into our larger new space. We went from 1,480 S/F to 4,200 S/F! Me and two of my sons, which also happen to be employees, worked nights and weekends to renovate and upgrade old warehouse to fit our needs. The new space is only 3 miles from our former site, has 3-phase power, new, white metal interior liner panels to give a clean look, LED lighting, 12 Ton (144K BTU) HVAC for heat and AC, and epoxied floors. We now have a combination break room and conference area with kitchen. The entire plant is temp controlled with a separate mechanical room to house our compressed air, machine oil filtration with oil chillers, and mist & dust collection systems.
This allows our HVAC to keep our plant at a stable, year-round temperature between 72-76° and our shop environment quiet and clean. In addition. to the HVAC which exchanges the shop air every 3-4 minutes, we have two air filtration units that scrub the air in the shop and keep it crystal clear. Even with all four machines running full tilt, we never see any mist or smoke, and our shop stays extremely clean. Many have commented that you can eat off the floors! Disclaimer: Even with the 5-second rule, we don’t recommend it!
We sold our old building and moved the entire operation in three days! We were up and running on Friday that week. We celebrated with a full take-out meal from Olive Garden complete with a champagne toast!
The Gateway: What new offerings and capabilities are you providing your customers?
KV Tooling: With the new, spacious floor space we were able to offer increased manufacturing capacity. Since the move we have added two more machines with auto-load capability. The climate-controlled facility has enabled us to run longer production jobs lights-out while holding very tight tolerances. We never were able to consider that type of work in our former space.
We also have added an edge prep machine which gives us the capability to finely hone our product’s cutting edges before they are put in service. This gives our customers a better, more consistent cutting tool.
The Gateway: How do these offerings and capabilities help expand KV Tooling Systems network and potential client base?
KV Tooling: It absolutely does, and already has! We can react quickly to new opportunities as well as enjoy increased throughput and turnaround times with our current repeat customers.
The Gateway: Are there any industries you’ve been trying to break into as a result of the bolstered services and larger space?
KV Tooling: We are seeking to do more business with larger firms which use a lot of production-type tooling. With aerospace making a comeback, as well as land and sea-based military, automotive, and energy, we see huge opportunities everywhere. We specialize in custom tool manufacturing as well as tool reconditioning and coatings. With what I described before, we now have the capability to handle larger volumes while maintaining high quality and faster turnaround times. Before the move we were limited in that scope.
The Gateway: Where is most of your work focused? (list the industries you’ve long served as a fresh “intro” to people who might be reading about you for the first time).
KV Tooling: First of all, we take pride in being an award-winning Maine company. Most of our work has come from smaller job shops throughout New England and the greater Northeast. Because we stayed small, we sought out smaller accounts that fit our capacities and capabilities. Our main strength is working closely with customers to tailor our services to their needs. Whether creating new, custom tooling to handle a hot project, modifying existing tooling for a one-off repair job, or fixing an “oops”! We are known throughout the region as the “GO-TO” guys in the industry. We are capable and willing to do the odd work that the other shops don’t want to deal with. When you call, you get to speak directly with either the owner, (myself) or one of my sons. With almost 100 years’ combined experience, you can be sure that we have the know-how to help you, whatever your needs are.
The Gateway: What excites you about the present and the future of KV Tooling Systems?
KV Tooling: We are most excited about our new floor space and how it is creating new opportunities for us as a company. Since the move in June of ’21 it has already paid off with new accounts and larger orders. What I am most proud of is having my two sons involved with the business and the prospect of them taking over some day!
We are also excited about a new project happening right now. We are already expanding! Later this summer we are preparing to break ground for a 1,440 sq/ft addition! This new addition will create larger space for shipping/receiving and warehousing of products, new front office space with secure entry, and an additional mechanical room to handle future equipment needs. We want to be poised to grow even more!
The Gateway: What else do you want folks to know?
KV Tooling: With all this new floor space, capacity, and equipment, we are pleased to announce that we are planning a brand-new KV Branded product line of high- performance tooling! In addition to our current custom tool reconditioning, tool design and manufacturing services, we will offer new, high-quality tooling stocked in our facility, and shipped same day direct to our customers! No middleman. Nobody will be able to beat our price/ quality combo! We are planning a product launch later this year. We will be sure to let you know when it lands!
