Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Today’s Machining WorldToday’s Machining World
    • Swarfblog
    • Podcast
    • Industry News
    • Videos
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Back Issues
      • Editor’s Notes
      • Featured Stories
      • Forum
      • How it Works
      • Lloyd Graff’s Afterthought
      • Reviews
      • Shop Doc
      • Interviews
      • Magazine Back Issues
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
    Today’s Machining WorldToday’s Machining World
    Home»Podcast»Ep. 52 – Harry Eighmy of ATP on Running High Volume Work Successfully
    Podcast

    Ep. 52 – Harry Eighmy of ATP on Running High Volume Work Successfully

    Noah GraffBy Noah GraffSeptember 4, 2019Updated:May 23, 2022No Comments2 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    On today’s podcast we discuss how to run a profitable high volume machining business. Our guest is Harry Eighmy, co-owner and C.O.O. of American Turned Products (ATP) in Erie, Pennsylvania.

    Scroll down to listen to the podcast

    Harry and his brother Scott believe it is important to invest heavily in high-end turning equipment such as INDEX multi-spindles and Hydromat rotary transfer machines for large volumes. They also make sure to balance their high volume work with smaller run jobs using CNC Swiss and turning centers, such as Tornos DECOs and INDEX C200s.

    Main points of the interview

    (3:03) Harry discusses American Turned Products’ focus on high volume machining, but also the company’s ability to machine smaller run prototype parts in order to win high volume jobs.

    (5:05) Harry talks about the history of his family’s machining businesses, starting with a Brown & Sharp shop started by his grandfather around 1955. The family’s business evolved into a higher volume model using ACME-GRIDLEYs in 1970s.

    (6:40) Harry says that the company doesn’t have a huge amount of customers, but it tries to do a variety of jobs for those it has. The company has no customer with more than 25% of its business.

    (8:00-14:40) Harry talks about the Davenport shop in El Paso, Texas, his family started in 1990, which he ran for five years starting at age 26.

    (16:30) Harry talks about his father, Jerry Eighmy, who had the foresight in the late ‘90s to sell off all of the company’s ACMEs. The company upgraded to all European multi-spindles, particularly Index CNC multi-spindles.

    (23:00-26:00) Harry talks about ATP’s reliance on INDEX CNC multi-spindles and turning centers, Hydromat rotary transfer machines, and Tornos CNC Swiss. He says that to justify buying a $500,000 to $2 million machine a company has to run it at least 100 hours per week.

    (31:00) Harry talks about the importance of having a vision for the company going forward. He says that the quality of people a company does business for is one of the most important factors for success.

    Question: Is high volume production too risky these days?

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download

    Subscribe: RSS | More

    acme American Turned Products CNC multi-spindle Davenport Erie family business Harry Eighmy high volume machine shop Hydromat index machines job shop machine shop PA tornos
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Noah Graff

    Related Posts

    Apple’s Pickle

    May 30, 2025

    Precision Machining Class in Session, with Jared Daily-EP 207

    May 28, 2025

    What Men Hate to Talk About

    May 22, 2025

    The Machining Revivalist with Chris Armstrong—EP. 243

    May 20, 2025

    Comments are closed.

    Graff Pinkert

    Join Email List

    Subscribe to the Swarfblog

    Lists*

    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    © 2025 Today's Machining World

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.