THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE HAS BEEN DRASTICALLY CHANGING IN RECENT YEARS. HOWEVER, SOME ASPECTS OF OPERATING AND GROWING A FAMILY- OWNED BUSINESS REMAIN CONSISTENT.
BUILT TO GO THE DISTANCE.
HIGH PRECISION CUTTING TOOLS DESIGNED TO CUT THE HARDEST METALS.
THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE HAS BEEN DRASTICALLY CHANGING IN RECENT YEARS. HOWEVER, SOME ASPECTS OF OPERATING AND GROWING A FAMILY- OWNED BUSINESS REMAIN CONSISTENT.
In a third-generation family business, like Almar Tools of Camas, Washington, CFO Ryan Heredia brings business acumen to the CNC machine tool maker today, and into the future. They call themselves " The West Coast ' s Premier Grinding Shop," but they are so much more. They offer cutting tools, custom tooling, tool reconditioning, wire EDM, and PVD coating. This story illuminates their products and solutions for their customers, and how they are building the company for the next generation.
Heredia was in college studying business at Eastern Washington University when his grandparents visited him. His grandfather, Luis Heredia, approached him about being involved in the business following graduation. He hadn ' t planned to join the business because his father, Alex, and uncle, Marcelo, were already operating the business. But he yielded to their request and hasn ' t looked back since.
Today, Almar Tools— with Alex Heredia( 62) and Marcelo Heredia( 59), still in leadership in the company— is starting to look toward second-generation retirement and the future of the company.
The company was founded in 1980 when Ryan ' s grandfather relocated from Argentina to Los Angeles to work at Deutsche Aircraft, and subsequently to Portland, Oregon, to work at Boeing. He saw a need for regrinding cutting tools, so he bought a used manual regrinding machine and took it from there.
Almar Tools, currently in a 12,000-square-foot facility, is now expanding with an additional 1,500 square feet and plans for another 7,000 square feet. With 19 employees and a 20th on the way, the company ' s growth is a testament to their success. This strategic expansion and continuous hiring reflect their commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the aerospace manufacturing industry.
In managing the financials, Ryan said he enjoys the diversity of his days. His role also includes human resources, workflow development, production scheduling, and assisting in the management of their largest accounts. He also has a keen sense of the facility ' s equipment, and plans for purchasing more machinery. He said, " Every day is different, and you never know what new problems are going to arise." He enjoys problem solving and seems to take it in stride.
In machining, cutting tools that are heavily used become dull. When that happens, customers would send them back to Almar to have them reground. For many years, they focused on regrinding. As the business evolved, they progressed into creating new tooling for customers and expanding into the aerospace industry.
10 | NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS