I have a complete machine shop, I want to move to Glendale Az.

Hi,

Due to piss poor economic times in Michigan, My brother and myself are considering moving to Glendale Arizona, or somewhere on the west or northwest, or north side of Phoenix, as I’m not getting any younger, and I want to live in Sun City, and I don’t want to drive through a big city (Phoenix) everyday.

We are both Journeyman Tool Makers, and Journeyman Machine builders. I can do all the wiring and plc programming needed.

We have everything needed for a custom machine build shop, including, but not limited to:
2 newer knee mills with DRO’s
1 newly retrofitted cnc mill
clausing lathe
Surface grinder
Vertical and horizontal saws
6,000 lb. lift fork truck
All the computer software needed
Tons more of small stuff

Everything we have is paid for.

We build custom machines of all types. We build many things for the plastics industry, including: clip drivers, vibratory weld fixtures, pressure decay test fixtures, end of arm tooling, assembly fixtures, gages of all types, etc.

We each have 25 years of machine shop ownership experience, but we don’t want to move to an area “cold turkey”. Like I tell my bro, even rats know when to jump off a sinking ship, and Michigan is on its way under, due to being 90% Auto manufacturing!

If you are a commissioned sales representative that could set us up with some jobs we want to hear from you.

If you are a machinist, in a position to acquire job shop work, and want to get into a 3-way partnership, we want to hear from you.

Also, if you simply want to tell me anything about the industrial atmosphere in the area, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you also.

Please e-mail Buck, [email protected]

Sell your stuff and start over - the cost to move the heavy iron will cost you a fortune.

Example. WE moved our shop from Jackson Mi to Ann Arbor about 6-7 years ago for the paltry sum of avout $3k. THis included a cam grinder, 3 big NC Cadillac/Fanuc lathes plus sevearl mills and god knows what else. Just last year, the same machinery movers wanted the sme amout to move 1 OD grinder. YOu might be able to find a trucker who'll move the stuff for a cash deal as opposed to going back west empty but that is risky in so many ways it is pathetic. Point is, think thru the WHOLE scenario. The fuel situation is making such moves not quite as easy or appealing as they once were.

The idea to bail out of Michigan might not be a bad idea. Make sure however that there is business there for you in AZ. My cousin who lives in AZ is not very bullish on their economy - he's into real estate management and things ain't so hot there either.

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Originally Posted by NC Cams

The idea to bail out of Michigan might not be a bad idea. Make sure however that there is business there for you in AZ. My cousin who lives in AZ is not very bullish on their economy - he's into real estate management and things ain't so hot there either.

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Behind California and Nevada, we Arizonans have the third highest rate of house foreclosures in the country. That speaks volumes about the health of our local economy. According to the local radio, 42% of the houses on the market in the Phoenix metro area are foreclosures. http://www.620ktar.com/index.php?sid=940044&nid=6

Of course, it doesn't snow here. :D

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Originally Posted by Caprirs

Of course, it doesn't snow here. :D

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Well that's a bit of of a bummer for us in Michigan looking for a new place to work.
I suppose I'd have to sell the sleds.:)
Bob

Surely someone has found a way to fit the steering sprindles of snowmobile sleds with rolling equivalents. Shouldn't b hard to install a go-kart wheel or two. IT this isn't a business opportunity, I don't know what is. In return for the above idea, I'd like an exclusive distributorship for the concept if/when it gets created.

SpringlakeCNC: you have to look at the whole picture. My business partner didn't and he lost it all as a result. HE bought up all kinds of capacity and didn't go out and SELL it when he lost some of his biggest automotive customers. He then had employees that were doing more side jobs during the day that the jobs he was paying them for. The capacity he bought was all financed and his debt burden was not supportable with is revenue stream. Result - failure

A couple years ago, we lost nearly 80% of our revenue stream when a client left. Result, we tightened our belts and found new clients elsewhere in the business we're in. Things are REAL tight for us right now too. THere is NO automotive prototyping going on which is where we found our new client base to be. Fortunately, we have some jobs that will cover the bills but aside from that, nothing. To make matters worse, I got hit with kidney failure while being uninsured and my personal finances are in the toilet. Still, no intent to move or shut down shop. Why? Too expensive to relocate even though there might be more business down South at/near the race teams. Even so, a move like that would still be too speculative, especially when it comes to finding a new support network. Besides, the dialysis clinic I"m at literally let me engineer a treatment regime that is totally custom and has made dialysis quite manageable as opposed to a/the miserable experience that it can be.

We're looking now into servicing the hobby racing. industry - our NASCAR clients forced us to do some things so as to raise our capability levels. Now we have the stuff down so well that we can make out Quite well on NASCAR stuff but can do it at a hobby level budget. WHen one guest leaves the hotel, you make arrangements for the next new one.

Another thing about moving is your support base. IN our case finding all new heat treat sources would be a challenge. Good ones are few and far between. Ditto that with turning, plating, tumbling and other members of our supplier base.

Picking up a shop and moving to another state seems like a panacea. When you start looking at all the ramifications, it quite probably isn't.... besides, anybody who has a mill and a lathe is your competitor, even in AZ. In those situations, price for your services are/will be cut at your expense.

IN our case, there aren't that many cam grinders out there and especially operated by folks who WANT to do the one offs and prototypes. Still, business is bad but runniing some place else ain't gonna make it any better.

I'd love to be where it doesn't snow anymore. Trouble is, I can't afford that luxury.

Caveat Emptor.

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Originally Posted by NC Cams

anybody who has a mill and a lathe is your competitor, even in AZ. In those situations, price for your services are/will be cut at your expense.

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Not to mention that Mexico is less than a three hour drive south. And LA is 5 hours to the west.

Arizona has never been much of a metalworking state. Mining, definitely. I have lived here for about 20 years and been involved in manufacturing for the past 14 years. Although there are over 4 million people in the Phoenix area, there are less than 10 machine tool dealers.

FWIW The mines are also notorious for having you do work but you play hell in collecting your money. THe typidla dodge is the sue of internation holding companies which are damn naer impooible to get into court should you sue for your money.

Caveat emptor

Instead of Glendale, check out Austin, Texas.

We have a Sun City located a few miles north in Georgetown, TX.

Most machine shops stay busy with all the electronic companies here.

No state income taxes but inventory and property taxes.

Jack

(Austin-Home of nacho chips, computer chips and cow chips)

Living in Arizona since the early 90's I can say that a quality machine shop would be a god send here. As for Real estate the problem stemmed from California investors comming in here and exploding the market thinking they were gonna make a ton of money on the area. It back fired. It like may areas is going back to normal. I know for fact that you could make it here. but would look at several thingas first.

1. There are many other areas in the metro district to live with access to retirement home areas. Del Web is huge here and many many areas for people over 50 only.
2. Saying there are many other area to look at here are few.Chandler/ Gilbert area. Why? Well The M1 tank factory is in the area. as well the Apache plant for Helicopters.
Glenndale at this time has seen a jump in real estate because of the New stadium built there for the Cards.
Apache Junction has many areas including a industrial park for a buisness like yours.
3. Being mainly Conservative in it politics and as a Buisness owner myself here for many years you can count on a fairly easy transition to here with taxation as well buisness establishment.

Those are some things I could encourage you on, Dont think its a Bad move to get here, It just wont be immediate results.