Video tutorial any good?

[kenfromlodi]

I got the company to pay for a years subscribe to streaming teacher so everyone could get up to speed on X2 and it has been a great resource. Very well done and they keep adding all the time so you eventually get more than you started with. Much cheaper than sending guys to training for 2-3 days and they dont retain it all.

The video samples from the tips for manufacturing look very good also, just you only get what is there when you purchase it but the price is right thats for sure and these video's do look like more advanced methods.

[Thad]

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I've worked in Canton

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Were did you work in Canton?

 

Thad

[MotorCityMinion]

Galaxy Industries in the late 80's running large horizontals, primarily large castings such as engine blocks, heads, trans housing etc. Paramount Boring in Oakpark was my next expedition. Same type of work and machines, more cash. Currently running verticals, doing tool & die and everything else quotable, on the west side.

[Thad]

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Galaxy Industries

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On Joy Rd or the one on Ronda Dr? Probably Joy Rd. I don't think the one on Ronda was built until the early 90s. Anyway, I worked at Greenfield on Ronda for 12 years. I just left there 3 weeks ago. Actually, a few years ago, we were bought by Precision Partners Inc, who also owned Galaxy. Galaxy has recently gone by the wayside. If Greenfield keeps it up, they will too. Such is life in the Motor City.

 

Thad

[MotorCityMinion]

Ronda Drive in 89 with the occasional trip to the Joy Rd. facility. Recently, just around the corner at Haber/Goodyear/Colt industries (on Koppernick.) which was purchased by Die-Namic, I've seen the Greenfield shop. You probably know all the tool shops in the area and we probably have a few of Greenfield's former employees with us now. Alken_Ziegler just relocated its tool and die division to Taylor, big place I hear. We have a few of their former employees also and vise-versa. Small circle indeed. Are you with PP now? They still machining engine blocks at the shop on Michigan Ave?

[Thad]

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Recently, just around the corner at Haber/Goodyear/Colt industries (on Koppernick.)

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I applied at Haber back in 2002 when Greenfield shut down. Never heard from them.

 

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You probably know all the tool shops in the area and we probably have a few of Greenfield's former employees with us now.

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I'm sure we know some of the same people.

 

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Are you with PP now?

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No. Currently, I work at Vicount in Farmington Hills. It's a die shop.

 

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They still machining engine blocks at the shop on Michigan Ave?

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I don't remember how long ago it was (maybe 6-8 months?) I remember hearing of Galaxy shutting down. Precision Partners doesn't even list Galaxy in their list of companies any more. See the left side of the page for the list. After Greenfield (A Division of Shiloh Industries) shut down, The Electromac Group (5 different companies in Windsor) bought the building and called back 10 of us to rebuild the company. About a year into it, PP bought 51% of The Electromac Group. If you click the link on that web page to Electromac Tool, you'll see "Locations in Canada and the United States." Greenfield is the "United States" part. They never did acknowledge us by name (Greenfield). Anyway, after 5 years of ups and downs and making little progress, it was time for me to move on.

 

The whole demise of Greenfield is really a shame. They started out in a garage on Greenfield Rd in Detroit in 1955 with a Bridgeport, lathe, surface grinder and small press. They made dies for bicycle parts (the old bikes that had various sheet metal stampings) and fishing lures. The family owned business grew into a major die supplier to the automotive industry. In 1998 (I think), business was so good, we needed to expand. Shiloh Industries ( a steel coil and blank supplier from the Cleveland area) bought Greenfield and paid for the expansion of the building and the new construction of a 166,000 sq ft production facility down Haggerty. Just north of Warren Rd, you'll see the sign for Shiloh. Notice the road that goes back to it is Greenfield Court. It has been a slow decline since then. Shiloh ended up shutting it down, but kept the new production plant. Electromac bought it. They were bought by PP and now things are very slow there again. All of this stared because business was so good, we couldn't handle all the work that was coming in.

 

Anyway, I've blabbed enough.

 

Thad

[MotorCityMinion]

It was killing me, Shiloh was on the tip of my tongue. They have (Had?) a large facility in Taylor. Tryout or stamping there, I believe. After checking out the link, sure looks like PP is trying to distance themselves from the Michigan labor force, doesn't it? We've been blackballed! This is the 3rd down cycle I've seen in the trade. The 1st was in the late 70's as a kid, watching my Father try to make a go of it. The day is soon upon us where our skills will command a decent wage and respect once again. For the last 10 years or so, finding decent help has been a struggle to say the least. No more trade programs around, and it seems like the educational community is steering students away from this skill set.

 

I don't know why PP bought Galaxy, lack of Due Diligence I guess as the market for machining large castings on Horizontal machining centers was already saturated and highly competitive. Galaxy, Paramount Boring, Machining Center , Lincoln Park Boring, Royal Oak Boring, and Dart to name a few were all biding on the same jobs.

 

Speaking of blabbing, later, MCM

[Thad]

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Machining Center

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Do you mean American Tooling Center?

 

Thad

[MotorCityMinion]

The Machining Center that I was referring to was located in Brighton. I don't know what their called today but I still see the ocassinal help wanted add. Many former Galaxy and Paramount employees have worked there. Too far of a drive for myself, so I've never checked it out.