A Job Shop’s Brighter Outlook
Something felt unusual about Baklund R&D compared to other CNC machining job shops. I couldn’t put my finger on the difference until I took this photo of shop owner Jon Baklund and his son Justin.
Share
Hwacheon Machinery America, Inc.
Featured Content
View More
Takumi USA
Featured Content
View More
Something felt unusual about Baklund R&D compared to other CNC machining job shops. I couldn’t put my finger on the difference until I took this photo of shop owner Jon Baklund and his son Justin. The camera’s automatic flash did not go off.
This practically never happens. In machine shops, the lighting is typically too dim for optimal photography. But at Baklund R&D, for the sake of the positive spirits of the people in the shop, Mr. Baklund told me he had invested in strong, clear, rich lighting.
I could feel that very effect. The shop felt like an engaging and enriching environment even before I identified this difference. While the impact is unmeasurable, my guess is that the higher employee morale translates to improved output and innovation by which the shop owner will easily recoup his investment.
The illumination isn’t the only example of an investment that makes this shop distinctive. The shop also bought—and has dramatically benefited from—a production 3D printer.
Related Content
-
Solve Worker Shortages With ACE Workforce Development
The America’s Cutting Edge (ACE) program is addressing the current shortage in trained and available workers by offering no-cost online and in-person training opportunities in CNC machining and metrology.
-
How I Made It: Amy Skrzypczak, CNC Machinist, Westminster Tool
At just 28 years old, Amy Skrzypczak is already logging her ninth year as a CNC machinist. While during high school Skrzypczak may not have guessed that she’d soon be running an electrical discharge machining (EDM) department, after attending her local community college she found a home among the “misfits” at Westminster Tool. Today, she oversees the company’s wire EDM operations and feels grateful to have avoided more well-worn career paths.
-
Building Machines and Apprenticeships In-House: 5-Axis Live
Universal machines were the main draw of Grob’s 5-Axis Live — though the company’s apprenticeship and support proved equally impressive.
