Northwest Aerospace News PNAA 2021 ADVANCE | Page 41

The company experienced steady growth each year , adding equipment and employees in order to keep up with the demand for gun swivels , screws and holsters .

Then the geopolitical landscape changed . Gun sales dropped precipitously in 2013 and GrovTec was forced to explore new industries in order to survive .
Pivot to Aerospace and Other Industries
In evaluating potential new lines of business , the team at GrovTec looked for opportunities where American-made products were valued and found that there was a high demand for precision machining . Aerospace quickly became a target . As Tyler Grover , sales and marketing manager explained ,
“ We wanted customers who shared our values of buying local and building partnerships with suppliers . We found synergy with aerospace companies and they embraced us from the beginning . Many of the companies we started with years ago are still working with us today .”
GrovTec obtained both ISO 9001 and AS9100 Rev D certifications and became ITAR registered . Tyler , Bob ’ s son , transitioned from his role as a shop supervisor to developing new markets full-time . GrovTec Machining formally became a second sales channel for the business , serving aerospace and defense , along with the medical and dental , high tech and electronics , semiconductor , and oil and gas sectors . The company ’ s goal since establishing its machining branch is to continue to diversify so that no single industry makes up more than 20 percent of its overall business .
This diversification has helped the company continue to prosper , even during economic downturns like the one brought on by COVID-19 .
With more than a month left to go , GrovTec had already posted its best-ever annual revenue total in 2020 and recently purchased two new Swiss CNC machines to expand capacity for anticipated growth in 2021 .
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