60TH ANNIVERSARY
A PEEK INTO SIX DECADES OF STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE
BY : STEVEN TAMASI , CEO
OUR HISTORY
No matter what Len Tamasi did in his life , he strived for perfection . He was a true perfectionist .
To understand where Boston Centerless is today , it ’ s important to talk about where we came from . Len emigrated from Italy to the United States when he was 17 years old , attracted by the American dream that drew so many others here . His family settled in Massachusetts .
After serving a few years in the Air Force , Len returned home to Boston . He was first introduced to centerless grinding when working in a large machine shop while attending night school , hoping to one day become an architect . However , as time went on , he came to realize that his perfectionist approach to this form of abrasive machining that incorporated an element of creativity and art form enabled him to do things that no one else could imagine . Len believed that if he went out on his own , he
could provide the best centerless grinding services in the Boston area . So in 1958 , he quit his job , took out a second mortgage on his house , and founded Boston Centerless in a small garage with one centerless grinding machine .
Len ’ s initial business plan was simple : to provide his customers with excellent quality and service in the hopes that he would build a solid reputation and more work would follow . That plan led him to twenty-six straight years of sales growth . Over that period , Boston Centerless became a national leader for both grinding services ( GrindAll Division ) and accuracy ground bar materials ( AccuRod Division ), known for its ability to hold the tightest tolerances in the industry .
In the early 1990s , the business transitioned to the second generation . As I assumed the leadership role , I quickly saw the potential to exponentially grow the AccuRod Division . With the rapid growth and increased sophistication of the CNC Swiss Screw machine industry , a real need for ultra-precise ground bar materials became apparent .
To position the company to take advantage of this significant opportunity , we put a plan together that
8