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Revival of Manufacturing in the Rust Belt

Submitted Photo Premier Precision Machining opened its doors to its valued customers, vendors, neighbors and friends to celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of Rand Machine Products, new ownership and the achievements of the past year.

FALCONER — On Oct. 26, Premier Precision Machining opened its doors to its valued customers, vendors, neighbors and friends to celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of Rand Machine Products, new ownership and the achievements of the past year. In 2016-2017 Rand had faced uncertain times and the very real possibility of closing its doors for good. Immediate action was taken to pursue a partnership to save the company, many highly skilled jobs and secure the interests of the customers. In October 2017 Rand was purchased by Premier Precision Machining and through strong leadership, significant investments in technology, process, people and facilities, Rand is now positioned to take advantage of both existing and new opportunities in the Defense, Aerospace, Industrial & Commercial arenas.

The Grand Opening was well attended. U.S. Rep. Tom Reed stopped by, as well as NYS Assemblyman Andy Goodell. The local Jamestown area was well represented, Mayor Sam Teresi, Maria Carrubba with the Jamestown City Council, Pat McLaughlin, town of Ellicott Supervisor and several staff members from the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency — Mark Geise, chief executive officer; Richard Dixon, chief financial officer; Carol Rasmussen, business development manager; Linda Burns, business development manager; and Kayla Strandburg, finance assistant. A number of area businesses, vendors, customers, friends and family were in attendance as well to help celebrate the day.

Attendees were greeted in the new show room, then invited in for a short video presentation before heading out on a tour of the facility. The tour ended with a lunch catered by the Landmark where guests were encouraged to stay, mingle and enjoy the day. We also had several applicants stop by to fill out an application and tour the facility. We are always looking for the right employee and are actively looking for Machinists, CNC Lathe & Mill Operators, Engineers, Quality Control CMM Operators & Programmers. Interested applicants should stop down Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to fill out an application, 2072 Allen St. Ext., Falconer, NY 14733.

“When we first looked at Rand back in 2017 we saw so much potential — a highly skilled employee base, loyal customers, exceptional subcontractors — they had all the parts, they just lacked the resource to pull it all together. It has been a lot of hard work, but thanks to the team at Rand we have made significant changes and come out with an improved outlook for the future. The possibilities are exciting.” Greg Wales, Managing Partner and CFO.

“We have a talented, resilient workforce, second to none. A culture of quality, team work and a fierce desire to thrive,” said Jason Ruhlman, previous owner and now program director of Rand Machine Products. “We are thankful for where we are and where we are going, knowing we get to do it together.”

Many customers have already benefited from the positive changes. “The new ownership has embraced new and cutting-edge technology. We have transitioned to a fully integrated, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system allowing us to manage our jobs more effectively, improving productivity, increasing efficiencies, streamlining our processes and providing our customers with better, faster, and more accurate delivery times.” Rachael Hasson, materials and logistics manager.

In addition to the ERP system, Rand Machine Products has made a significant investment in facilities and equipment — including new 4-Axis Multi-spindle CNC Lathes, new 5-Axis Machining Center, new Non-Destructive Testing Lab, new Paint Lab, as well as transitioning to a cellular manufacturing floor plan layout and utilizing Lean Manufacturing principles. These changes all took place in 2018 with many more improvements to come. Rand is committed to be a leader in the Custom/Build-to-Print manufacturing services for the industries we serve through the utilization of strong business practices as well as investing in and new technology.

“The changes in the last year are driven by our renewed commitment to the industries we serve and our willingness to evolve with the times to meet their changing needs.” Kurt Grimm, president and CEO. “I know where Rand was and see the path Rand is on now. With the hard work and dedication of our team I am excited to see how this company is propelled into the future and those on the ride with us.”

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